Live Q&As

The 9-9-9 plan is indeed a very compelling dog whistle.   I believe it also attracts some people.   My own view is that 9-9-9 now stands for 9 women each leveling 9 sexual harassment allegations in 9 separate news conferences.

 Republicans are not still supporting Cain, at least not most of them.  Cainiacs are supporting Cain.  They are similar to Ron Paul's followers.  They are just so disgusted with Washington and politics that they assume anything bad that comes out about the Hermanator is simply some malicious lie promulgated by the Washington elites.

Now wait a second. Are you saying Newt isn't intelligent, seasoned and experienced?

If only a Huntsman could be in the lead.  But I think the Tea Party was inevitable.  If it wasn't called that it would have some other name.  There would inevitably have been a backlash because of the economy.

Yeah, and why not the Fed and the labor department?   Commerce is particularly puzzling because that's where so many of the corporate goodies come from, and you'd think Perry's backers would want to keep those.  Although I guess after this week he does not have any backers anyway.

May I just state for the record that on the eve of Perry's entrance into the race, I was on Lawrence O'Donnell's show and said that I thought he would quickly be seen as "goofy" and a lightweight?   But I can't crow about this too much, because it was in the context of me saying why Michele Bachmann had real staying power...

I believe in letting Milbank be Milbank, and Milbank does not favor referring to himself in the third person.  When I worked at the Wall Street Journal we had a gimmick of referring to ourselves in print as "this reporter," or "a reporter."    And by "we" in that case I am using the royal we.

Here's the video for those who haven't seen it.

I think JMart could not honestly answer "no" because of certain comments he has made about my legs in fishnet stockings.

You have discovered John Weaver's secret plan!

Was that filmed in New Hampshire?

Because of my successful prediction of Perry's fall, I think you should take seriously my forecast that Santorum is overdue for a spike in the polls.

Now that you mention it, I'm thinking this is one of those days when the world is supposed to end.  Thank you for warning me in time to take precautions.

This is the point in the chat when I pause to express my awe of the participants.

True dat.   I'm not for abolishing cabinet departments but I'm definitely for abolishing cabinet officers.  With the exception of the big four -- DOD DOJ, State and Treasury -- they are entirely irrelevant and mere functionaries directed by kids in the White House.

Cream Soda with Mitt sounds like an excellent campaign promotion.

So what would Newt drink?   Santorum?  Bachmann? 

I just need to note how wonderful his statement was earlier this week:

"I have never acted inappropriately with anyone. Period."

I thought about whether I could make a similar claim, and there are indeed times when I can say "I have not acted inappropriately in the last hour."  But having made that remark about Jonathan Martin and the fishnets, this is not one of those times.

I have not acted inappropriately in the last 30 seconds or so and would like to keep it that way.

Well, based on the question queue, I don't know if I'd go with "completely submerged." 

excellent.

good.

beautiful.

who asked you?

Now this gives me an opening to detail my weight-loss strategy, which I understand came up in somebody else's chat this week.   It works like this:  Whenever I feel hungry, I picture Newt.  The craving goes away.  Works brilliantly.

Honorable mention.

Yes, it's not as if he just crawled out from under an epithet-inscribed rock.

I won't flatter myself to say "fellow" anything.  He was a giant.

I'm getting thirsty.  Good think we start this chat at noon.

Yes, linked to it in my column online today.  Something terrific about how one of the accusers lives in the same apartment building where Axelrod once lived. 

See, now you're trying to get me in trouble.  The opinions of the comment-makers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the chatter.

I think Marcus has his own umbrella drink.

Maybe they could have the next debate in a bar. 

While at a breakfast with Dr. Paul a while back, I thought about what it would be like to be in some grisly accident and be wheeled into the O.R. and find out the doctor who is going to operate on you is Ron Paul.

And a sparkling debater.

Noted without comment.

He had better be very thirsty.

More evidence that bad things happen when people come to Washington.

And that's the signal that it is time for this chat to end. Thank you for bellying up to the bar and participating.  Speak again next week.