memeorandum: Romney latest candidate to say no to Trump (Kevinliptak/CNN)

6:30 PM ET, December 6, 2011

Top Items:

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: The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, A plain blog about politics, GOP 12, Indecision Forever, Washington Post, RedState, Guardian, Ballot Box, Daily Kos and Donklephant

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: The Politico, New York Post, Rod Dreher, The Daily Caller, JustOneMinute and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

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

Kevinliptak / CNN:

Romney latest candidate to say no to Trump — (CNN) - Donald Trump's Republican presidential debate took another hit Wednesday when White House hopeful Mitt Romney said he wouldn't participate in the event. — Romney is now the third candidate to decline Trump's invitation to participate in the event.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog

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

The Caucus:
Gingrich Surges Ahead in Iowa

Discussion: ABCNEWS, 2012 Decoded, The Right Scoop, Outside the Beltway, The Hill, Guardian, Firedoglake, New York Times and Iowa Caucuses

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
GOP kingmakers unhappy with choice between Romney, Gingrich for 2012

Discussion: CNN, Taylor Marsh, CANNONFIRE and The Politico

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:
Gaming website picks Hillary Clinton over Bachmann and Santorum for president

Discussion: Reuters

Lucy Madison / CBS News:
Poll: Gingrich takes double-digit lead over Romney in Iowa

Discussion: Ballot Box and GOP 12

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: Hit & Run, Mediaite, ABCNEWS, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Business Insider, Hot Air, National Review, American Spectator, Capital Hill and The Right Scoop

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Ron Paul goes negative against Newt Gingrich on air in Iowa

Discussion: Indecision Forever

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:
Pentagon Encourages Newt Gingrich to Read Panetta Speech Before Criticizing

Discussion: Rubin Reports, Newshoggers.com and Right Wing News

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

Discussion: The Spectacle Blog and The Huffington Post

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: National Review, Ben Smith's Blog, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Gawker and The Daily Caller

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Gingrich: Most likely to kiss up to the liberal elite

Discussion: American Spectator

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: CNN

Evan McMorris-Santoro / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Jon Huntsman Flip-Flops On Climate Change

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Heritage Foundation, Washington Monthly, Little Green Footballs, The Spectacle Blog, The Atlantic Online and Talking Points Memo

The Politico:
Jon Huntsman tacks to skepticism on climate

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Slate, Los Angeles Times, Grist and The Reality-Based Community

NBC's Carrie Dann / msnbc.com:
Huntsman tweaks climate change tone, says scientists need to clarify facts

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Atlantic Online, CBS News and Daily Kos

David Dayen / Firedoglake:

Obama's Osawatomie Speech Attempts a Populist Rebranding — President Obama gives Teddy Rooseveltian speech. Will he now walk the walk? — In his Osawatomie, Kansas speech, an echo of Theodore Roosevelt's 1910 address in the same city calling for a “New Nationalism,” …

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Obama says economic ‘inequality’ hurts everyone

Discussion: The Impolitic and Weasel Zippers

Grace Wyler / Business Insider:
Here's The BIG Class Warfare Speech Obama Is Giving In Kansas Right Now

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Hot Air and National Review

Benjamin Domenech / Heartlander Magazine:

Quarter-Billion Taxpayer Dollars Spent on Penis Pumps — Benjamin Domenech is managing editor of Health Care News and a research fellow at The Heartland... (read full bio) — TWITTER — According to data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) …

Discussion: Marathon Pundit

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

Discussion: Paul Krugman, PERRspectives and The Politico

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

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Sec. Clinton To UN: ‘Gay Rights Are Human Rights, And Human Rights Are Gay Rights’ — Recognizing that America's own record on LGBT equality is “far from perfect,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on nations around the world to recognize that “gay rights are human rights …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Mediaite

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Obama announces foreign aid to promote gay rights; plan panned by Perry

Discussion: CNN and ThinkProgress

New York Times:
U.S. to Use Foreign Aid to Promote Gay Rights Abroad

Discussion: Rick Perry for President 2012, Wonkette and americanthinker.com

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: Law Blog, Washington Monthly, ACS Blog, A plain blog about politics, NetRight Daily and RedState

Scott Wong / The Politico:
GOP filibusters judicial nominee

Discussion: Townhall.com and Hot Air

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, Gawker, Guardian, Big Hollywood and Mediaite

Judy Kurtz / The Hill:

Bob Woodward says sitting next to Al Gore is ‘taxing, unpleasant’ — If you plan on throwing a dinner party full of VIPs, whatever you do, don't seat Bob Woodward next to Al Gore. — In a speech at the Organization for International Investment's annual dinner at D.C.'s Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Thursday …

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com

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, Colorlines, The Atlantic Online, Gawker and Gothamist

Dalia Sussman / The Caucus:

New Iowa Poll: Who Can Beat Obama? — Just weeks before the first votes are cast in the 2012 presidential campaign, likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa are closely divided over which candidate has the best chance of defeating President Obama, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll finds.

Discussion: CNN, ABCNEWS, Washington Post, O.KayHenderson.com, Iowa Caucuses, The Political Carnival and Business Insider

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