memeorandum: Rare Attacks on Shiites Kill Scores in Afghanistan (New York Times)

3:25 PM ET, December 6, 2011

Top Items:

Ramesh Ponnuru / Bloomberg:

Heartbreak Awaits Republicans Who Love Newt: Ramesh Ponnuru — Before Republicans put Newt Gingrich at the top of their party, they should consider what happened the last time he led it. — In the mid-1990s, Gingrich was the de facto head of the Republican Party.

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Huffington Post and MoJo Articles

The Gallup Organization / Gallup:

Gingrich 37%, Romney 22% Among GOP Voters Nationwide — Gallup's initial Daily tracking finds all other candidates in single digits — PRINCETON, NJ — Newt Gingrich leads Mitt Romney 37% to 22% in Gallup's inaugural Daily tracking of Republican registered voters' preferences …

Discussion: GOP 12, RedState, Washington Post, Ballot Box, Daily Kos, Guardian and Taegan Goddard's …

Pema Levy / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPM2012 — The Libertarian Intelligentsia Is Freaking Out Over Newt — Libertarians in Washington are not happy about how the Republican primary is shaping up. Barring a miracle, there are two candidates with a decent shot at the nomination. Mitt Romney, the godfather of Obamacare, is not libertarians' first choice.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Outside the Beltway, The Volokh Conspiracy, Talking Points Memo, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Daily Caller

Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:

The Truth About Pundit Crap: Could Jon Meacham Be the Most Insufferable Human in Washington? — I have long proposed that every single major elite political pundit be frog-marched away from the buffet tables inside the Beltway and deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains, there to be confined …

Discussion: FishbowlDC, TIME Ideas, Balloon Juice and The Impolitic

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

GOP kingmakers unhappy with choice between Romney, Gingrich for 2012 — The Republican presidential primary is shaping up as a two-man race, but influential conservatives are clearly expressing their dissatisfaction with choices A and B. — In recent weeks, key GOP lawmakers …

Discussion: CNN, Taylor Marsh, CANNONFIRE and The Politico

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Ron Paul goes negative against Newt Gingrich on air in Iowa — Ron Paul is becoming the first to go negative against Newt Gingrich on the air in Iowa, with a 60-second version of a blistering, and roughly two-minute, web video he did painting the former House Speaker as the portrait of ‘serial hypocrisy.’

Discussion: Indecision Forever

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Newt Gingrich: 'Kids shouldn't work in coal mines'

Discussion: JustOneMinute, ThinkProgress and Indecision Forever

The Politico:
Nervous Mitt fans: Hit Newt harder

Discussion: Swampland, GOP 12 and CNN

Washington Post:
Gingrich emerges as clear front-runner in Iowa

Discussion: ThinkProgress, msnbc.com, Guardian, Washington Wire, O.KayHenderson.com, The Hill, Daily Kos, Campaign 2012, CNN, Iowa Caucuses, ABCNEWS, GOP 12, Swampland, The Iowa Republican, New York Times and Shakesville

Craig Ruttle / ABCNEWS:
Poll: Iowans Rally to Gingrich

Discussion: The Caucus, Firedoglake, Bloomberg, CBS News, Business Insider and Public Policy Polling

Glenn Beck:

Transcript of Newt Gingrich interview — Glenn is back on TV! Watch Glenn's new two-hour show available live and on-demand Monday through Friday on GBTV.com! Start your two week free trial HERE! — Below is a rush transcript of Glenn's interview with Newt Gingrich this morning.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Hill, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, GOP 12, Capital Hill, American Spectator, National Review and The Right Scoop

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
TRENDING: Beck the latest GOPer to take on Gingrich

Discussion: The Huffington Post and The Moderate Voice

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
An absurd choice for a health care award

Discussion: The Politico and Paul Krugman

Shushannah Walshe / ABCNEWS:

Rick Santorum Has Tense Exchange on Gay Rights and Health Care in Iowa — SIOUX CENTER, IOWA—Rick Santorum is usually quite amiable on the trail, but Monday evening at campaign event at small Christian college in Sioux City he had some tense back and forth exchanges with one student and another graduate of the college.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The Raw Story

Eric Kleefeld / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Santorum: People Die In America Because They ‘Make Poor Decisions’

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress and Towleroad News #gay

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

Senate Republican filibuster blocks Obama D.C. Circuit nominee Caitlin Halligan — Senate Republicans on Tuesday filibustered the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, blocking a nominee tapped last year by President Obama to serve on one of the country's most powerful courts.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, A plain blog about politics, Law Blog and RedState

Scott Wong / The Politico:
GOP filibusters judicial nominee

Discussion: Hot Air

Spike Dolomite Ward / Los Angeles Times:

‘Obamacare’ to the rescue — A woman who felt President Obama had let the middle class down has changed her mind. — In this August 20, 2009 photo, President Obama spoke during a town hall meeting on healthcare at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington. (Alex Wong/Bloomberg)

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Mahablog, Balloon Juice, The Political Carnival and Daily Kos

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:

Correction from White House: President didn't say he's ‘mad living here’ — Note to critics of President Obama and any remaining birthers out there: Contrary to what the White House originally claimed, the president didn't actually say he was “mad” living here.

Discussion: CNN

David Brooks / New York Times:
The Wonky Liberal — Republicans have many strong arguments …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

James Hibberd / Inside TV:

Republicans vs. Democrats TV survey results: Lefties want comedy, right wingers like work — Republicans don't watch MTV's Jersey Shore. But they dig ABC's Castle. — Democrats don't like Discovery's Deadliest Catch. But they swoon for NBC's Parks and Recreation.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Guardian, Big Hollywood and Mediaite

Daniel Strauss / Ballot Box:

Call him crazy but Huntsman shifts on climate change — GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman shifted his position on global warming Tuesday, telling a conservative audience that there is “not enough information right now” on the issue to formulate policies.

Discussion: The Politico, ThinkProgress and CNN

Rachel Rose Hartman / Yahoo! News:

On private call, Republicans say attacking Obama personally is too dangerous: Yahoo News exclusive — Obama greets a crowd at Wilkes Barre/Scranton International Airport (Carolyn Kaster/AP) — Republicans on a private Republican National Committee conference call with allies warned Tuesday …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, National Review and Gawker

Jordan Weissmann / The Atlantic Online:

Who Killed the Postal Service? — USPS is slashing first-class delivery, cutting billions of dollars, and looking to cut thousands of workers. How did it get this bad? — Wikipedia — Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night will keep your postman from delivering that Mad Men DVD you've been waiting for.

Discussion: The Agonist and americanthinker.com

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Scott hits a new low — Rick Scott has hit a new low in PPP's Florida polling with only 26% of voters now approving of his job performance to 58% who disapprove. His previous worst numbers had come in June when he had a 33% approval rating with 59% unhappy with his performance.

Discussion: Florida Democracy 2012 and Taegan Goddard's …

William Glaberson / New York Times:

N.Y.C. Police Maligned Paradegoers on Facebook — They called people “animals” and “savages.” One comment said, “Drop a bomb and wipe them all out.” — Hearing New York police officers speak publicly but candidly about one another and the people they police is rare indeed, especially with their names attached.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Atlantic Online, Gawker and Gothamist

Meaghan Murphy / Fox News:

Recent Charges of Sexual Abuse of Children in Hollywood Just Tip of Iceberg, Experts Say — Allison Arngrim (left) starred on 'Little House on the Prairie. " She said stories about Corey Feldman and Corey Haim (right) being abused as child stars were common in the 1980s and 90s.

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, Scared Monkeys, Pundit & Pundette, Rod Dreher and americanthinker.com

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

Nomination Race Hurting GOP, But Not Helping Obama — As the fight for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination unfolds, more Americans say their impression of the GOP field is worsening than improving. Those views, however, have not resulted in a better view of President Barack Obama at this point.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Planet Washington

Huw Evans / autoguide.com:

Chevrolet Volt Battery Issues Growing, Safety Findings May Have Been Suppressed — Following on from the announcement that GM is looking at redesigning the Chevrolet Volt's lithium-ion battery system in the wake of several highly publicized fires resulting from test crashes …

Discussion: Don Surber, americanthinker.com and The Enterprise Blog

Ed Pilkington / Guardian:

NAACP warns black and Hispanic Americans could lose right to vote — Civil rights group petitions UN over ‘massive voter suppression’ after apparent effort to disenfranchise black and Hispanic people — The largest civil rights group in America, the National Association for the Advancement …

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, YID With LID, Hot Air, Questions and Observations and Weasel Zippers

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

GOP members offer payroll tax solution: Let taxpayers choose — Three House Republicans have put forward a possible solution to the payroll tax cut debate — a bill that would give taxpayers the choice of whether to continue to receive a payroll tax cut. — Under the bill offered by Rep. Jeff Landry …

Discussion: The Politico and CNN