Contradictions like this change nobody’s mind, but they’re too delightful to ignore:

“We’re not seeing a lot of courage here, are we? Not lots of courage!” said Donald Trump to Megyn Kelly in 2012. He was talking about candidates like Mitt Romney who didn’t want to show up to a debate moderated by Donald Trump. “You know, these Republicans are supposed to be brave.”

Bwahahahahahahaha.

It gets better: he tells Megyn Kelly that she is a great debate moderator, and that he could never do a better job at moderating a debate than her. (Skip ahead to 2:29.)

MEGYN KELLY: [with a mock air of taking offense]: Do you really think you’re a better moderator than I am?

TRUMP: No, I could never beat you. That wouldn’t even be close. That would be no contest. You have done a great job, by the way. And I mean it.

MEGYN KELLY: Thank you. I’m glad we cleared that up.

And he means it.

Hilarious.

(H/t: the Internet. This is everywhere tonight.)

UPDATE:

Michele Bachmann just dropped out of prez race— when she didn't do the Newsmax debate it showed great disloyalty and people rejected her.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2012

Alternate title: “Trump loses Iowa.”

Lewandowski said there is nothing Fox News can do to convince Trump to participate in the debate.

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) January 27, 2016

Here’s Trump earlier, when he was still on the fence but leaning against backing out. He whines about Megyn Kelly, he whines about a press release, he whines about Roger Ailes . . . but all the public is going to hear is the whining.

Above: Donald Trump

He must really have been scared of Ted Cruz to turn tail and run like this. And Cruz is exploiting it to the hilt:

Cruz on @marklevinshow: "If [Trump] thinks Megyn Kelly is so scary, what exactly does he think he’d do with Vladimir Putin?"

— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) January 27, 2016

BREAKING: @tedcruz just announced challenge to @realDonaldTrump: 90 min debate w/ no moderators, 1-on-1, before Iowa on Mon #tcot #iacaucus

— DavidPSawyer (@DavidPSawyer) January 27, 2016

This is so stupid, part of me thinks Trump is going to manufacture some way to get back in. But even if he does, it damages him badly.

I always figured this guy was likely to flame out at some point. I wasn’t sure it would be before Iowa, though. Thank God.

UPDATE: Dana and I cross-posted. I will leave up both posts, because I like this one and I like hers. But comment on hers.

[guest post by Dana]

Donald Trump will not be attending the Fox News primary debate this Thursday. As you know, he has been threatening to boycott it because his nemesis, that diabolical blonde, Megyn Kelly, is scheduled to be the moderator. I guess he thought he had more clout than Kelly and that Fox News would give him a lollipop and replace her, but Roger Ailes made the smart decision to call his bluff and stand by Kelly:

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Tuesday night that he is backing out of Thursday’s primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa, which will be broadcast by Fox News Channel. The decision comes with just days until the Iowa caucuses[.]

…

“Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist, and the entire network stands behind her,” Ailes said in a statement. “She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night.”

What’s funny is the man who wants to hold the most powerful position in the world was seemingly unable to make the decision of whether or not to appear at the debate, and ended up seeking counsel from his closest advisors: the Twittersphere.

If Megyn Kelly’s presence was truly the real problem with the Fox News debate, then there is no reason for Trump to not enthusiastically accept Ted Cruz’s personal invitation to him:

I’m looking forward to it!

–Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Planned Parenthood baby killers clap their hands in glee as a pro-life activist working to save the lives of both the unborn and born-alive is indicted.

Unbelievable:

Months after the release of undercover videos detailing Planned Parenthood’s scheme to traffic aborted baby body parts, a grand jury has finally brought brought criminal charges. Not against Planned Parenthood, but against David Daleiden, the pro-life activist behind the undercover sting videos.

A grand jury in Harris County, Texas, returned two charges on Monday afternoon against Daleiden, the activist who planned and organized the undercover sting videos. Although the grand jury allegedly investigated Planned Parenthood, no charges were brought against the nation’s largest abortion provider, whose executives were shown in multiple videos attempting to sell trafficked organs and other body parts harvested from aborted babies. One Planned Parenthood executive, while haggling over the prices of aborted baby organs, noted that she needed to get the right price because, “I want to buy a Lamborghini.”

Here are the charges:

Daleiden was charged with the purchase and sale of human organs, a misdemeanor, and with tampering with a governmental record, a felony. Sandra Merritt, one of Daleiden’s associates, was also charged with tampering with a governmental record.

Is the lesson here that it’s okay to sell baby body parts, but it’s not okay to act like you’re going to buy them?? Because that’s what I’m getting from this.

And then there is this:

Lauren Reeder, one of the prosecutors in the Harris County district attorney’s office, revealed last August that she was a member of the board of directors for the Planned Parenthood affiliate that was targeted by Daleiden.

Reeder’s LinkedIn page indicates that she has been a Planned Parenthood board member since 2013 and a fundraiser for the abortion provider since 2009

–Dana