Republican Party

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CROWD PLEASER: GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich presses the flesh Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla. "The surge of support for me is a result of a steady focus on substance, on large-solution proposals," he says. (Associated Press)

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After a meeting with GOP members of the supercommittee, House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, walks to vote on the House floor at the Capitol in Washington on Nov. 16, 2011. (Associated Press)

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**FILE** Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks Nov. 9, 2011, during a GOP presidential debate at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Mich. (Associated Press)

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Carter Mead shows off designs on his prosthetic leg as GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman tours a prosthetics firm Friday in Manchester, N.H. (Associated Press)

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U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, a Democrat, decided not to seek re-election this year, presenting an opportunity for the GOP to pick up another seat. (Associated Press)

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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich could become the GOP presidential nomination race's new magnet for Republicans looking for an alternative to the current front-runners, some political analysts say. (Associated Press)

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RISING: In Florida, a poll has former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in third place with 17 percent of the GOP vote. (Associated Press)

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Illustration: GOP election by Linas Garsys for The Washington Times

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Illustration: GOP medicine by Linas Garsys for The Washington Times

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** FILE ** Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain speaks during a GOP presidential debate at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Mich., on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

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Illustration: GOP maze by Linas Garsys for The Washington Times

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“Someone does not like the fact that we are doing so well in this campaign and that I'm at or near the top of the polls consistently,” GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain said Tuesday. “I absolutely believe this is an intended smear campaign.” (T.J. Kirkpatrick/The Washington Times)

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First lady Michelle Obama, seen with the president and daughters Malia (right) and Sasha, has been a bitter mood lately, heaping criticism on the Republican Party as her husband campaigns for re-election. (Associated Press)

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Presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry (right) poses with supporters after speaking at GOP forum Oct. 12 in Indianapolis. Barack Obama won Indiana in 2008, so to restore the state's reputation for producing conservative wins, the Republican National Committee plans to send staffers and funding to Indiana in the spring, says Rick Wiley, RNC political director. (Associated Press)