Well. That happend. Today on Fox News's The Five in a segment on Newt Gingrich's South Carolina victory and how Chris Christie responded to it, half-term Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin referred to the not-petite New Jersey Governor getting his "panties in a wad." See for yourself: more ›

What does Newt Gingrich's 12% win over Mitt Romney in South Carolina mean? Even if Gingrich doesn't have Romney's war chest and organization for Florida's primary on the 31st, his momentum is snowballing in the state's print media, and this morning Romney admitted he made a mistake in declining to release his tax returns, and said he will make them available on Tuesday. “We made a mistake in holding off as long as we did,” the candidate told FOX News, noting that he pays a "substantial" amount of taxes. Still Gingrich can point out that in terms of percentage, he pays double what a member of the 0.01% does. more ›

Like a certain prurient Congressman, drunk on power and thirsty for alternatives, the South Carolina electorate has spurned their betrothed for the powdery jowls of another. Newt Gingrich is currently leading Mitt Romney ahead of today's GOP primary, 37% to 28% according to the PPP. In related news, we're taking the rest of the day off to close the deal on some Moon Condos. more ›

Last night's GOP debate in South Carolina was notable for there only being four candidates left in the scrum (remember when Herman Cain used to be there?), but the true winner of the wintry evening was Newt Gingrich, who has been surging in recent polls for the state's primary as well as starring in The Real Housewives Of The GOP. When CNN debate moderator John King asked Gingrich about his second ex-wife's claims that he asked for an open marriage, Gingrich fired back, calling the question "destructive" and "despicable." "I am appalled you would begin a presidential debate with a topic like that. Every person knows personal pain ... I am astounded CNN would take trash like that and use it to open a presidential debate." more ›

Ahh, South Carolina. From its racist, lionized politicians to its well-informed citizenry, the Palmetto State is a bastion of a bygone era many of us are happy to have never lived in. At last night's GOP debate in Myrtle Beach, sponsored by FOX News, the candidates pandered mightily to the raucous audience to give them what they wanted: blood. Specifically, sweet, sweet Mormon blood. more ›

Texas Governor Rick Perry may be completely irrelevant, but he still has money and thus we should care about his opinion on the disturbing video released last week showing U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of recently killed combatants. "These kids made a mistake, there's not any doubt about it," he said. "[They] shouldn't have done it, it's bad—but to call it a criminal act, I think is over the top," Perry said on CNN today. "Obviously 18, 19-year-old kids make stupid mistakes all too often and that's what's occurred here." more ›

World's Richest Historian Newt Gingrich visited a South Carolina radio station yesterday and began taking shots at the GOP's consistently milquetoast champion Mitt Romney, saying, “it’s wrong to go around and adopt radically different positions based on your need of any one electorate, because then people have to ask themselves, what will you tell me next time?” Gingrich should take his own advice, because what he told a deeply conservative crowd last night regarding illegal immigration sounded a lot different than his flirtation with "mercy" in front of a bunch of DC thinktank suits last week. more ›

In an apparent attempt to join the Appalachian Trail via the Seventh Avenue Express, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was spotted on the 2 train around 2:45 this afternoon. A reader writes that Sanford was on the train sporting a preppy Palmetto State belt "through 42nd street," but she had to get off before she saw where Sanford exited. "I didn't try to talk to him, I was hoping to if he looked up but he was pretty buried in his Blackberry." Yes, it's annoying when Auto-Correct messes up "kissywissy dewdrop lips" for the eighth time. more ›

Not everyone in the US is as obsessed with the snowpocalyptic Boxing Day Blizzard as we are. Some people are just going about their normal, regular, everyday lives, such as a 23-year-old man from South Carolina who was hit by an SUV while trying to play a real-life version of the arcade classic Frogger. more ›

From the Daily News's Michael Daly: The great state of South Carolina is putting its own sick twist on Black Friday with a tax holiday on firearm purchases. Not cars. Not clothes. Certainly not books. Just guns. For the 48 hours following Thanksgiving, gun buyers will enjoy a break of up to 9% in state and local taxes. Firearms traffickers are not expected to pass the savings on to New York criminals, but what is called 'the extrava-gun-za' and 'Second Amendment Weekend' is sure to help South Carolina stay among the top five states that provide 85% of the illegal handguns recovered in New York City." Keep it classy, South Carolina! more ›

If you're going to discuss South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's South American wanderings to his married girlfriend, why not enlist the expert insight of another governor whose reign ended when he admitted to an affair with a man—and that he was a "Gay American"? The Today Show snagged former NJ governor James McGreevey to comment about Sanford's mess—clearly, Eliot Spitzer passed. more ›

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford had a press conference earlier this afternoon and explained his "exotic" trip was to see the Argentinian woman he was having an affair with. Well, people of South Carolina, maybe you can be happy you didn't find out your governor likes hookers and unprotected sex (yet—there's still time!)? He initially told The State that he wanted to "recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money. [After initially considering Appalachia] ‘I said no, I wanted to do something exotic,’ Sanford said. ‘It's a great city.'" more ›

Members of a marching band from South Carolina were still years from entering high school when the attacks of 9/11/01 occurred, but the band arrived in New York City this week to visit a Red Hook Engine and Ladder Company that received a replacement truck in 2002 purchased with funds raised by White Knoll Middle School students and the residents of Columbia, SC. Ladder 101 of Red Hook had its truck destroyed in the attacks and all seven of its members were killed when the towers came down. more ›

In an echo of its 2006 article about her Senate re-election campaign spending, the NY Times finds Hillary Clinton donors are concerned over her campaign's spending. Some of the line items that emerged after her campaign finance report was published: $100,000 in party platters and shovels for Iowa caucus parties (where Clinton placed third - and where it did not snow), $25,000 in hotel rooms at Las Vegas' Bellagio, $275,000 to a South Carolina firm "that was supposed to turn out black voters for her" (Barack Obama won SC by almost 30%) and $267,000 for adviser Howard Wolfson's January fee. more ›

Jasper Johns, a South Carolina native currently residing in Connecticut, first came to New York City in 1949 when he (briefly) attended Parsons School of Design. In 1954 he painted his first flag picture, and by 1958 he had his first one-man exhibition at the Leo Castelli Gallery. Today, The Met's director Philippe de Montebello states fact as the artist's new exhibit at the museum opens, saying "Without question, Jasper Johns is one of the greatest artists of our era." more ›

Just in time for Super Tuesday, a bunch of big and small names have banded together in support of Barack Obama. The below video was directed by Jesse (son of Bob) Dylan and features the Black Eyed Peas will.i.am, Scarlett Johansson, "Micheal" from Lost, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Herbie Hancock, and many more putting a musical spin of one of Obama's speeches. more ›

After early results put John McCain and Mitt Romney in a "too close to call" race, McCain won the Florida primary. Rudy Giuliani, who once led national polls, looks like he'll finish in third place (though Mike Huckabee is a close fourth as of 10PM), which is actually his best finish after the primaries and caucuses in New Hampshire, Iowa, Wyoming, Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina. more ›

Today, the Republican presidential hopefuls are vying to win the Florida primary (the Democrats aren't allowing Florida delegates to count at the convention, because Florida moved its primary up). Polls close in two hours, and many believe that the state will be contested between John McCain and Mitt Romney. Our former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has spent much time in Florida, instead of campaigning in South Carolina, Iowa or New Hampshire (though he did spend a substantial amount of time in NH), seems like he may be in third place or even fourth, if Mike Huckabee does well. more ›

Barack Obama won the South Carolina Democratic primary yesterday, taking 55% of the vote, winning by a greater margin than most pundits and recent polls had predicted. Hillary Clinton finished second with 27% and John Edwards came in third. The NY Times headline writes that he won by "forging a coalition of support among black and white voters in a contest that sets the stage for a state-by-state fight for the party’s presidential nomination." more ›

With the South Carolina's Democratic primary on this coming Saturday, the three leading Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards gathered together at a Martin Luther King Day Jr. debate in Columbia, S.C. When Clinton addressed the crowd, she said, "We have come so far together. Barack Obama, an extraordinary, young African-American man with so much to contribute. John Edwards, a son of the South — in fact, a son of South Carolina. And a woman — all of us running for president of the United States of America!” more ›

Over the weekend, Democratic and Republican caucuses were held in Nevada, bringing victory to Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney while John McCain won the South Carolina primary (the Democratic primary will be held next Saturday). more ›

Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg speaking at the State of the City address by Mary Altaffer/AP more ›

That's what Senator Hillary Clinton told Tim Russert on Meet the Press yesterday, but no matter what anyone says, race and gender are obviously factors in the hotly contested Democratic primary race. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg may be finding that coy flirtation can be cute at first, but quickly becomes old and aggravating if carried on for too long. The New York Times has a story today describing a growing backlash against a Mayor who seems preoccupied with something big, but it's something big that he won't discuss, or even acknowledge. more ›

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama made a campaign swing into our neighborhood yesterday, drawing a crowd of thousands to Yanitelli Center at St. Peter's College, and as well as supporters to a fund-raiser in Midtown last night. At St. Peter's, He told the audience, "I'm not running because of long-held ambitions. I'm running because of what Dr. (Martin Luther) King called the 'fierce urgency of now.'" more ›

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is busy trying to rally support in Florida, one of many big states with primaries in the coming weeks. He didn't really focus on the Iowa caucus (where he placed fifth - after Ron Paul) or New Hampshire (so he claims; he managed to place 4th, ahead of Ron Paul) and flew out of the Granite State before the polls were closed. more ›

Hillary Clinton proved the polls and pundits wrong with her New Hampshire primary win last night and dominated the front pages for a second day in a row. Clinton and John McCain, who won the Republican primary, are being called comeback...adults as New Hampshire polling centers had record turn outs. WNBC's Gabe Pressman writes that their wins are a defeat for pollsters and journalists who had written them off. more ›

Ted Corbitt passed away yesterday, costing NYC one of its own icons of long distance running. The 88-year-old died from a respiratory condition related to separate cancers that outdistanced his life as a pioneer of racing. Ted Corbitt was a former and founding president of the NYC Road Runners Club, an Olympian, and a champion of ultra-marathon running. While the NYC Marathon is regularly won by Kenyans and other African runners, Corbitt established himself all... more ›