LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - As of this writing, Mitt Romney is leading the Nevada caucuses by a substantial margin, and Newt Gingrich looks like he'll hold second place.  For the dynamics of the Silver State results, review this post.  Here's Romney taking it to President Obama at his raucous Nevada victory rally:
 

 

Tonight's speech featured a few fresh and biting lines: (1) "Well Mr. President, Nevada has had enough of your kind of help." (2) "This president began his presidency by apologizing for America.  He should now be apologizing to America."  The address was one of the more aggressive, energetic efforts we've seen from Romney to date, and his team hopes to keep the enthusiasm rolling throughout the remaining February caucuses and primaries. 

In lieu of an election night party, Newt Gingrich opted for a lengthy press conference, at which he was peppered with process questions about his horserace with Romney.  He came off as whiny and aggrieved, at one point denying that Romney was "in his head."  During roughly 30 minutes of questioning, Gingrich fielded only one policy question (which came from yours truly, regarding "Catholic" Nancy Pelosi's professed support for President Obama's egregious First Amendment violation on religious liberty and Obamacare).  As expected, Newt refused to drop out and vowed to march on to the convention, predicting that he'd be "at parity" with Romney by the end of the Texas primary in early April.  This is all part of Team Newt's new delegate-centered strategy moving forward.  He also stated that he plans to adopt a different approach in handling Romney at their next debate, which is slated for February 22nd in Arizona.  He said that he lost the Florida debates because he was caught off guard and rendered speechless by Romney's "fundamental dishonesty."  He did allow that in a general election between Obama and Romney, there would be "no choice" in the matter, due to Obama's disastrous record.

Neither Rick Santorum nor Ron Paul were in Nevada tonight.  Onward, to Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri...

UPDATE - Video of Newt's opening statement, via Breitbart:
 

Our own Kevin Glass tweets that Charles Krauthammer said on Fox that Newt's response to my question during the Q&A session was the high point of an otherwise low evening for the former Speaker.

CNN's "entrance polls" (slightly different than exit polls because they ask whom voters plan to support as they enter polling places, not whom they've just voted for as they leave) indicate that Mitt Romney is poised to clean up in today's Nevada caucuses.  The only remaining dramas are whether Romney will win a majority, and whether Newt Gingrich may slip to third place behind Ron Paul.  On the first question, the former Massachusetts governor appears poised to take an outright majority.  He won 57 percent of women and 53 percent of men, so unless the entrance polling data is wildly askew, that should be enough to push Romney into overall majority territory.  A few more interesting tidbits:
 

(1) Romney won every educational background demo, and every age cohort except 17-29 year-olds, who went for Paul by a slim margin.

(2) Romney won all voters making more than $30K per year.  He, Gingrich, and Paul roughly split lower income Nevadans, with Paul barely edging out his competitors.

(3) The former Bay State governor carried 61 percent of registered Republicans, with 20 percent for Gingrich.  Ron Paul won independents 48-31 over Romney.

(4) Romney won a majority of "very conservative" voters at 51 percent, more than doubling Gingrich's 24 percent in this category.  He also wins a bare majority among those who describe themselves as Tea Party supporters -- ie, Sharron Angle's base.  (Angle, incidentally, is a Santorum supporter.  The former Senator is expected to come in fourth tonight).

(5) Romney won a plurality of Protestants, a majority of Catholics, and -- as anticipated -- more than 90 percent of Mormons, who comprised over 1/4 of the GOP electorate here.

(6) Of those Nevadans who said a candidate's ability to defeat Obama, personal character, or previous experience were the most important factor in their vote, Romney won majorities of all three groups.  If voters were looking for the "true conservative," they picked Ron Paul 45-31 over Gingrich.  Newt won one percent of Nevada Republicans seeking a candidate with strong character.

The moral of this story is that tonight will be rather anti-climactic: Romney will win big.  His supporters will say this outcome is a big deal because Nevada is a key swing state.  Mitt opponents will downplay the results, arguing that Romney had a major built-in advantage, having won the state in 2008 and by enjoying near-unanimous support among LDS voters.  The political reality will lie somewhere in between.  Romney's win won't be quite as important as his backers will claim, but in terms of momentum, it's very big.  Parting thought: Newt won't drop out tonight, but might he finish behind Ron Paul?  Paul won 23 percent of men and 14 percent of women here.  Gingrich's numbers were 18 and 21, respectively.  How will those numbers shake out in the final tally?  Failing to achieve a top-two finish here would be a blow to Team Newt, which has suffered more than its share of setbacks here in the Silver State.

UPDATE - Millionaire Sheldon Adelson -- whose magnificent hotel I'm staying at here in Las Vegas -- has reportedly informed Mitt Romney that he will bankroll his campaign to the tune of millions, should he capture the nomination.  Until that time, however, Adelson remains a Gingrich supporter, and says he will continue to fund the former Speaker's effort to win the GOP nod.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - A quick, but important, follow-up to Kevin's post about tonight's press conference.  The Gingrich campaign has confirmed to Townhall that Newt will deliver remarks here at the Venetian Hotel at approximately 8:00 pm PT, followed by a Q & A session with the media.  Because Mitt Romney is widely expected to score a resounding win in the Silver State, Team Newt's somewhat hastily-scheduled press conference has generated some online speculation that Newt may be preparing to drop out of the race.  Those rumors are not credible.  The campaign just blasted out an email to reporters detailing the former Speaker's upcoming travel schedule, which includes stops in Colorado and Minnesota -- states that will vote this coming Tuesday.  Beyond that, Gingrich's itinerary includes multiple rallies in Ohio. Buckeye State voters don't go to the polls until Super Tuesday (March 6th), so it doesn't appear that Newt will be throwing in the towel any time soon.  I've reached out to Gingrich's national spokesman for a direct confirmation that Newt is staying in, but have not yet received a response.  The overwhelming evidence suggests that there won't be any game-changing announcement later tonight, but this cycle hasn't exactly been predictable.  Stay tuned...

UPDATE - This nugget from CNN further suggests that Newt is staying put:
 

The Newt Gingrich campaign held a meeting with approximately 60 donors Friday in Las Vegas, including casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, a source with knowledge of the session told CNN. Gingrich, who attended the meeting, had a brief discussion with Adelson at the session, the source said.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - As we await the finalized presidential caucus results here in the Silver State, I thought I'd share a quick clip of my recent appearance on the Fox Business Network's Willis Report, in which the panel discusses the Florida primary outcome, Donald Trump's endorsement of Mitt Romney, and the House Republicans' vote to extend the federal pay freeze -- which flies in the face of President Obama's plan to boost bureaucrats' compensation:
 

As a bonus Townhall TV presentation, here's my lovely and talented colleague Elisabeth Meinecke making her television debut, also with Gerri Willis:
 

On Saturday, D.C. police are finally getting around to clearing out the rat-infested trash heap that is sometimes referred to as "Occupy D.C." Many tents remained in defiance of a ban on camping and had recently defaced a statue of General McPherson in the middle of McPherson Square. Police, however, were very careful in their operation.

The police used barricades to cordon off sections of McPherson Square, a park under federal jurisdiction near the White House, and checked tents for mattresses and sleeping bags and sifted through piles of garbage and other belongings. Some wore yellow and white biohazard suits to guard against diseases identified at the site in recent weeks. Officials also have raised concerns about a rat infestation.

Police by mid-day had arrested four people who refused to move from beneath a statute and two others who crossed a police line.

The National Park Service, which has allowed the protesters to remain in the park for months, has said it will give protesters notice if police decide to clear the park. Police on Saturday were careful to say they were not evicting anyone or closing the park, but were instead stepping up enforcement of an existing ban on camping.

Occupy D.C. has been serving as one of the remaining permanent encampments of the Occupy movement nationwide, as the National Park Service and the D.C. police force had tolerated their existence for months. After reports of rat infestations, Occupy D.C. seemed to reach a tipping point against them from authorities, who have been getting serious about cleaning up the encampment.

The Washington Examiner's offices are right on the square of Occupy D.C. and were able to capture video of riot police thinning the herds of protesters.

Reported earlier:

Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution backing calls for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, despite international outrage Saturday over a devastating bombardment of the city of Homs by his regime's forces. Activists said more than 200 were killed in the bloodiest episode of the nearly 11-month uprising.

The overnight onslaught on restive neighborhoods in Homs, Syria's third largest city, signaled a willingness by Assad's regime to bring a new level of violence to stamp out an opposition that has grown increasingly bold and armed.

The Obama Administration and the State Department has stepped up the rhetoric against Syrian leader Bashar Assad recently in the wake of a new wave of violence. In a statement, Obama said, "Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community."

Secretary of State Clinton voiced the U.S. concerns with Russia and China's continued support of Syria, saying "I offered to work in a constructive manner... that has not been possible." U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice put it in much more stark terms, saying,

Since these two members last vetoed a resolution on Syria, an estimated 3,000 more civilians have been killed. 3,000. Another almost 250 killed just yesterday. Many thousands more have been held captive and tortured by Asad and his shabiha gangs. Since these two members last vetoed a resolution, however, and despite the absence of Security Council action, we have seen more and more Syrians speak out in peaceful demonstrations against the regime.

Once again, the courageous people of Syria can clearly see who on this Council supports their yearning for liberty and universal rights-and who does not.

The U.S. has already ruled unilateral military action against Assad off the table, worried about the potential consequences.

Instead of the traditional party, Newt Gingrich plans to hold a press conference following the results of tonight's Nevada caucuses.

An e-mail sent to reporters on Saturday morning set the Las Vegas press conference for 11 p.m. to midnight Eastern time. It will be held at the Venetian, a hotel run by Sheldon Adelson, who has donated millions of dollars to the pro-Gingrich super PAC Winning Our Future.

Gingrich has had a rough time on the trail ahead of the Nevada Caucus, the first presidential contest in the West. Sources in or close to his campaign gave reporters incorrect information that Donald Trump would endorse Gingrich (he endorsed rival Mitt Romney). Gingrich also missed a meeting with the Silver State's popular governor, Brian Sandoval, a Rick Perry supporter who was viewed as a possible Gingrich endorsement after Perry dropped.

This has fueled speculation that Gingrich may make a major announcement about the future of his campaign. He's facing an uphill battle against frontrunner Mitt Romney and the next slate of primaries, the Nevada Caucuses included, aren't looking too friendly for Gingrich.

Today's conventional wisdom holds that the upcoming presidential election is about one thing: The economy, stupid.  But the events of the last week -- from the Komen kerfuffle to the Obama administration's shameful violation of the First Amendment -- demonstrate that the Left hasn't taken a jobs-focused holiday from waging the culture war.  On this score, the videos I've embedded below couldn't be timelier.  Earlier this week, I had the honor of attending a gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Susan B. Anthony list, an influential pro-life organization. The event featured two first-term US Senators and ascendant leaders within the conservative movement, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Marco Rubio of Florida. Abortion is a polarizing and complex issue that arouses strong passions on both sides, and many Americans hold conflicted views on the legality and morality of the practice. In recent years, polling data has shown a gradual but unmistakable shift toward anti-abortion views, especially among younger voters, and Senators Ayotte and Rubio are great champions of that emerging pro-life generation.

Opposition to abortion is often cast as an extreme and “anti-women” position by its advocates, a gross distortion that ignores both public opinion generally, and the views of millions of women (not to mention the fact that future women bear the brunt of global gendercide). Abortion “rights” supporters also attempt to cast pro-lifers as religious zealots trying to “impose their beliefs” on their fellow citizens. These criticisms miss the mark as well. First, virtually every single law and regulation in existence represents an imposition of values onto society.  Such is the very nature of law.  Second, while some abortion critics are guided exclusively by their faith, many others would argue that their beliefs are rooted in logic, a widely held sense of ethics and morality, and sound science. Senator Rubio used his keynote address at the SBA List gathering to build a pro-life case based on the latter set of criteria.  The full speech is worth your while -- this guy is really special -- but if you're pressed for time, Rubio presents the crux of his argument in the second clip:
 

On a political level, this address showcases Rubio's talent and promise as a future leader.  He spoke passionately and eloquently on a difficult subject with limited notes, at which he rarely even glanced.  He staked out a bold position without sounding extreme, a difficult needle to thread when tackling hot button controversies.  In short, there's a reason "rising star" buzz and speculation surrounds this guy.  On a higher level, Rubio mounted a compelling and persuasive case, dispensing with numerous fallacies advanced by the "choice" cult.  Especially salient were his discussions of the unsettled nature of pre- and postpartum viability, and the "unwanted" child logical canard -- as well as his contemplation of the conflicting rights conundrum that abortion raises.  The shrillest advocates on both sides of this issue often fail to recognize or convey how complicated it is, and can sometimes sound out-of-touch with how most Americans grapple with the question's many intricacies.  In this speech, Rubio advanced a nuanced and thoughtful case for life.  Bravo.

Parting thought: As the Komen fight reached a boiling point this week, many conservatives (myself included) made donations to the charity because we hate cancer, and because we wanted to affirm the organization's decision to cut ties with a truly vile group.  Under relentless bullying from the pro-abortion Left, the charity quasi-reversed its decision.  Ed Morrissey explains that their new policy will still cut off most future grants to Planned Parenthood (after all, most chapters don't offer the screenings Komen is funding), but their letter of apology was an obvious kowtow to abortion zealots.  Rod Dreher rightly frames the ruthless anti-Komen campaign as clarifying evidence of a malignant and perverse liberal blacklist:
 

Of course I support anybody’s right to withhold money or approval from any organization for any reason. But let’s just be clear what’s going on here. Komen broke ranks, and for the cultural left, that cannot be understood, forgiven, or overlooked; Komen must be ruined. Nothing Komen or Nancy Brinker has ever done for women in 30 years matters to these people. This is war...The more I think about it, the more I realize this is a clarifying moment. Think of it! Three decades of service to women fighting breast cancer, and having raised and distributed hundreds of millions of dollars nearly $2 billion towards that goal, means absolutely nothing to these people now trying to destroy Komen. They could have denounced Komen’s decision, but in light of all Komen has done, and still does for women, turned their ire on the Republicans, the Religious Right, and so forth. But no, Komen broke ranks, and it must be dealt with harshly. And the sympathetic mainstream media is helping them do the job. All this reminds one of exactly what we’re dealing with here: what John Paul II called the culture of death. It is helpful to be reminded which side you’re on.

Indeed.  Which is why speeches like Rubio's are so important, and why even in the throes of a dreadful economic downturn, some issues must not be discarded or ignored, no matter how inconvenient or "off message" they may seem.