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February 05, 2012 | | 2012 Mitt Romney scored another decisive victory at the polls on Saturday, winning the GOP’s Nevada caucuses by double digits over Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, who came in second and third, respectively. “I’m going to take it to the White House,” Romney told Nevada supporters, while Gingrich blasted his rival for outspending him 5-1. The Daily Beast’s Michael Tomasky writes that Romney’s victory isn’t as solid as the numbers suggest: between the petty dismissal of his debate coach this week and an economic rebound afoot, Romney faces a tough road ahead. Plus, Howard Kurtz, John Avlon, Michelle Cottle, and more columnists weigh in on the Nevada results. OUTRAGE Protesters were so angry over Syria’s latest and most brutal crackdown on dissent—more than 200 people were killed in Homs over the weekend—and the failure of the United Nations to pass a resolution calling on President Bashir al-Assad to step down, that they attacked seven Syrian embassies all around the world Saturday. The embassy in Cairo was set on fire, and mobs trashed the diplomatic offices in London and Canberra, Australia. Similar scenes played out in Athens, Berlin, Kuwait, and Libya. Russia and China's veto of the U.N. resolution has been called shameful, and the Syrian opposition said it amounts to providing the Assad regime a “license to kill.” REALLY? Apparently Newt Gingrich doesn’t mind being trounced by Mitt Romney in the Nevada caucus; he said things are going quite well, actually, thank you very much. “What happens is every primary day or caucus day, the Romney headquarters in Boston sends out the rumor that they believe I will withdraw, which of course is their greatest fantasy,” Gingrich said in an unusual news conference Saturday night, after Romney declared victory in Nevada. “I'm not going to withdraw. I’m actually pretty happy with where we are.” Gingrich lost to Romney by nearly 16 points in Nevada, but says he would not “defend the outcome in a state where I was outspent 5–1.” MORE If way-below-freezing temperatures didn't stop Russian demonstrators from staging the biggest rally yet against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, then there's not much that will. Tens of thousands marched through Moscow Saturday—police made a highly disputed claim that a pro-Putin rally across the capital was even larger—and the opposition said Sunday that they are already planning new actions. Organizers wrote on their Facebook page that "we will come again" before the March 4 presidential elections, which are expected to return Putin to the presidency. CRACKDOWN Cairo’s Tahrir Square entered a fourth day of chaos as Egyptian police tear-gassed rock-throwing protesters Sunday while trying to push them away from government buildings. The demonstrators are angry over rumors that the new government encouraged and failed to prevent a deadly stampede in a soccer stadium Thursday, and crowds have been surrounding the Interior Ministry, pelting it with rocks. At least a dozen people have been killed in Cairo and Suez since violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators began Thursday. | | 
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