Cheat Sheet - The GOP’s Culture-War Fumble

Today: Greek Cabinet OK’s Austerity Plan , Gay Sheriff Quits Romney Campaign , Judge Assassinated in Syria February 19, 2012 2012 1. The GOP’s Culture-War Fumble Are Republicans losing their touch? Not long ago, the party could turn to value issues like guns and gays when the going got tough. But over the past few weeks, with big wins for free birth control and same-sex marriage, suddenly the Republican presidential contenders look out of touch. The Daily Beast’s Michelle Cottle on why none of the GOP candidates—not even Santorum—has the makings of a culture warrior. Read it at The Daily Beast MORE CUTS 2. Greek Cabinet OK’s Austerity Plan The Greek cabinet announced further austerity measures as it negotiates a €130 billion rescue with its euro-zone partners. While the new austerity package has been expected for several days, uncertainties about Greece’s ability to rein in its debt remain, and officials have cautioned that a final bailout deal in the coming week is anything but guaranteed. Negotiations have been tense, with tempers flaring last week as Greece’s president responded to perceived slights from German officials. Read it at Reuters OUTED 3. Gay Sheriff Quits Romney Campaign Arizona’s Paul Babeu, a Pinal County sheriff who appeared in John McCain’s “Dang Fence” ad campaign, admitted at a press conference that he is gay and had a “personal relationship” with a male Mexican immigrant known only as “Jose.” Babeu denied allegations that his lawyer had threatened Jose with deportation if he went to papers with the story. The news was first published in the Phoenix New Times. The 43-year-old sheriff has taken an aggressive stance on immigration, and was serving as a state co-chair for the Romney campaign. Read it at The Daily Beast VIOLENCE 4. Judge Assassinated in Syria The violence in Syria continues its downward spiral as a judge and a provincial attorney general were assassinated Sunday in Idlib province. Attorney General Nidal Ghazal, Judge Mohammed Ziyadeh, and their driver were shot and killed on their way to work. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said it was the work of an “armed terrorist group,” but the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights called them “unknown assailants.” Security forces clamped down on the capital, Damascus, on Sunday in an effort to prevent massive protests that turned deadly Saturday when soldiers opened fire on a crowd following a funeral. Meanwhile, Egypt has withdrawn its ambassador to Damascus and decided Sunday to keep him in Cairo “until further notice.” Read it at CNN TARGET 5. Santorum: Obama Hits ‘New Low’ Rick Santorum is really going after the conservative Christian vote—and playing up the image of President Obama as a threatening foreigner. At a news conference Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, Santorum stood by his earlier comments that Obama’s religion is “not a theology based on the Bible” but “a phony theology” (whatever that means). The Obama campaign called the statement “just the latest low” by the Republicans, but Santorum fired back that “the new low” is actually Obama’s beliefs. It’s the latest riff in the culture war started by the administration’s insistence on requiring religious-affiliated institutions to cover birth control for its employees—a stance that the White House has since modified. Read it at The Washington Post RIP Whitney to Be Buried Beside Father In Westfield, NJ. TENSE Britain Warns Against Iran Attack Says an Israeli strike not “a wise thing.” GRUESOME Human Bones Found on Long Island New York area a dumping ground for bodies. MILESTONE ‘Simpsons’ Celebrates 500 Episodes Watch the show’s 8 most notorious moments. COUPLE Elizabeth Smart Ties the Knot Kidnap victim weds in Hawaii. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Sending Whitney Home by Allison Samuels Immigrant Outs Arizona Sheriff by Terry Greene Sterling Famous Movie Mansions by The Daily Beast

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