Newt Gingrich “was endorsed by evangelical author and pastor Tim LaHaye, who is best-known for writing a series of books called the ‘Left Behind’ series, an apocalyptic vision of what some Christians believe will happen when true believers in Jesus Christ experience the ‘rapture’ to heaven and nonbelievers are left behind for a period of ‘tribulation.'” [HuffPo, via jwmcsame]

Steve Jobs returned to Apple on February 7, 1997. Five weeks later, Apple announced that it was laying off almost a third of its workers — 4,100 jobs. Almost fifteen years later, Apple had 60,000 employees, and Steve Jobs died with $7 billion to his name.

Nobody resented his wealth.

Years after he returned, Jobs would say that Apple was ninety days away from bankruptcy in 1997. Fellow computer magnate Michael Dell infamously said that October that if he was in charge, “I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.”

Nobody resented Apple for killing jobs.

After all, that’s how capitalism works: Companies rise, companies fall. And some companies rise again from the ashes.

Contrast this with how vulture capitalism works:

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Another photograph Mittens doesn’t want you to see:

[via]

Our guest columnist is New York Times Public Editor Arthur S. Brisbane, who asks New York Times readers whether the New York Times should get into the journalism business.

I’m looking for reader input on whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge “facts” that are asserted by newsmakers they write about.

One example mentioned recently by a reader: As cited in an Adam Liptak article on the Supreme Court, a court spokeswoman said Clarence Thomas had “misunderstood” a financial disclosure form when he failed to report his wife’s earnings from the Heritage Foundation. The reader thought it not likely that Mr. Thomas “misunderstood,” and instead that he simply chose not to report the information.

Another example: on the campaign trail, Mitt Romney often says President Obama has made speeches “apologizing for America,” a phrase to which Paul Krugman objected in a December 23 column arguing that politics has advanced to the “post-truth” stage.

As an Op-Ed columnist, Mr. Krugman clearly has the freedom to call out what he thinks is a lie. My question for readers is: should news reporters do the same?

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In a sweeping victory for common sense and Religious Freedom, the Supreme Court Wednesday affirmed the totally uncontroversial and obvious principle that religious organizations are pretty much above the law, the end, you can all go home now. In its ruling, the Roberts Court invalidated a lawsuit by a former church employee who maintained that she was discriminated against when she was fired by a Lutheran school for violating the strictures of the faith. Justice John Roberts echoed the voice of the majority when he noted:

“The interest of society in the enforcement of employment discrimination statutes is undoubtedly important, but so, too, is the interest of religious groups in choosing who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith and carry out their mission.” Read more »

Criminally negligent TSA agents seized an alleged cupcake bomb from Massachusetts college lecturer Rebecca Hains on Christmas Eve at a Las Vegas airport and, as of last night, no one at the agency has been able to produce a record of the disposition of the purportedly fatal confection.

No one knows if the alleged cupcake bomb was taken to a remote location and detonated, if it was tested for explosives or if it was possibly mislaid and intercepted by persons unknown with no appreciation of the destructive potential of this alleged ordnance.

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So we’re watching this Newt attack ad on Rachel last night, when suddenly we bark.

Understand, barking — HAH! — is something usually reserved for Jon & Stephen, not the evening news. We don’t just bark at anything. We have standards.

So, what let the dogs out? It wasn’t the highlight reel of Mitt’s Greatest Misses. That just elicited Mild Amusement, something akin to that smarmy smug grin Mitt adopts while he’s waiting for applause to fade. (Seriously, have you seen that look? Mitt is the Douchebag in Chief.)

No, it was right near the end, the title card that attempted to drive the point home:

Only Newt Gingrich can win the debates against Obama. Mitt Romney can’t.

HAH!

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