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SALT LAKE CITY — The upcoming Utah GOP primary will serve to test the strength of the tea party in a volatile political climate.
A Politico analysis points to Texas and Utah as two states to watch in determining the tea party's vitality, with Utah having potential to provide the most drama. After seeming to fade into the background during early GOP primaries, the tea party made a comeback recently in Indiana, beating out six-term Sen. Dick Lugar, and in Nebraska, beating establishment-backed Attorney General Jon Bruning.
In Texas, a David vs. Goliath battle is playing out as former Solicitor General Ted Cruz campaigns against establishment favorite Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for the senate nomination in an open race.
In Utah, Dan Liljenquist, backed by tea party organizations including Freedom Works, faces tough opposition in the form of six-term Sen. Orrin Hatch. Liljenquist has proposed a series of TV debates before the primary, but Hatch, the establishment favorite, has thus far agreed only to participate in a KSL Newsradio debate.
Biden surprises Dairy Queen patrons
Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday surprised patrons of an Ohio Dairy Queen with a visit.
Biden stopped by a Steubenville Dairy Queen during a two- day campaign visit to Ohio. He bantered with some locals for a time before offering to buy two children some ice cream.
"Do you play football?" Biden asked one of them. "I played when I was in school. Where do you play at?"
The answer came, and then, Biden's response: "How about some ice cream?"
"If I knew you were coming I would have waited for you to buy me ice cream," another customer said, according to reporters at the scene.
Romney discourages anti-Obama super-PAC ad
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is discouraging a Republican-leaning super PAC from moving forward with plans for an ad that would attack Pres. Obama in an unprecedented manner.
Plans for the ad were discovered by The New York Times. The ad would allegedly tie Obama to comments made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., Obama's former spiritual adviser and a controversial figure in the 2008 presidential election.
The ad would also seek to portray the president as a "metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln," the Times reports.
In an interview Thursday with Townhall.com, Romney said he would "repudiate" any effort by the super PAC in creating the ad.
Congressional offices see after-hours break-ins
Multiple Republican U.S. representatives have reported after-hours office break-ins over the past month, and Capitol police have no leads as to the culprit.
At least three House members and multiple committees have seen break-ins, the National Journal reports. Missing items include cash and computer equipment, as well as items ranging from autographed baseballs to alcohol.
The break-ins occurred at night in at least four of the cases, creating suspicion that the crimes may have been inside jobs.
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