Top Items:

If you're a conservative Mitt Romney apparently doesn't want you / Update Romney Camp cries false — Matt Lewis in the daily caller reports that in an attempt to make the case that Newt Gingrich as unacceptable to conservatives proceeded to insult conservatives by taking no questions from conservatives outlets.
Discussion:
LifeNews.com, Catholic Bandita and The Lonely Conservative
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Newt Strikes Back at Romney — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich may be promising to stay positive amidst the barrage of attacks coming his way from former Governor Mitt Romney and other GOP rivals, but not every utterance out of his mouth is a glowing homage to his opponents.
Discussion:
The Reaction, Hot Air, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos and The Page


Gingrich Is Inspiring—and Disturbing — The first potential president about whom there is too much information. — I had a friend once who amused herself thinking up bumper stickers for states. The one she made up for California was brilliant. “California: It's All True.”


As you probably heard, some Mitt Romney surrogates hosted a conference call today to attack Newt Gingrich. Because Romney is attempting to win a Republican primary — and cast Newt Gingrich as unacceptable to conservatives — you probably assume that center-right journalists or conservative bloggers got to ask some questions, right?
Discussion:
Moe_Lane's blog, Hot Air, Jamie Dupree Washington …, Big Journalism, Datechguy's Blog, Sister Toldjah, The Other McCain and Reuters


Romney Previously Said Iraq Withdrawal Is An ‘Astonishing Failure,’ Now It's ‘Appropriate’
Discussion:
Iowa Caucuses and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Romney greets the conservative new media Romney campaign responds
Discussion:
The PJ Tatler

Newt Gingrich carries slight lead over Mitt Romney among likely voters in Michigan's Feb. 28 primary
Discussion:
Ballot Box, GOP 12 and Campaign 2012


Newt Gingrich on Entitlement Reform, the Federal Reserve and the Eurozone
Discussion:
ABCNEWS

The reach of the GOP establishment — I remain pretty skeptical about Newt Gingrich's chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination, but on the “Why Newt Will Lose” list of arguments, some points are more compelling than others. — Ezra Klein makes the case today …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Hit & Run, No More Mister Nice Blog, The PJ Tatler and Balloon Juice
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Donald Trump looks into canceling GOP debate he's set to host — The Donald says he may still run for the White House as an independent — Donald Trump smiles at left as Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talks to media after their meeting in New York, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011.
Discussion:
Liberal Values, Washington Wire, Gothamist, The Political Carnival, Campaign 2012 and Jammie Wearing Fools


Rick Santorum's Iowa endorser: ‘I tend to like the underdog’ — JOHNSTON, IOWA — Rick Santorum picked up a key Iowa endorsement Friday as he tries to gain steam in a campaign that has focused almost solely on the Hawkeye state. — Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz became …
Discussion:
CNN

The Huntsman 2016 Fallacy — Jon Chait points out, correctly …
Discussion:
American Prospect, New York Magazine and Patterico's Pontifications

Ron Paul on steady upward trajectory, third-party talk will escalate
Discussion:
CNN, Yahoo! News, Hit & Run, ABCNEWS, The Daily Caller and Campaign 2012


Europe's great divorce — WE JOURNALISTS are probably too bleary-eyed after a sleepless night to understand the full significance of what has just happened in Brussels. What is clear is that after a long, hard and rancorous negotiation, at about 5am this morning the European Union split in a fundamental way.
Discussion:
BBC, Bagehot's notebook and The Atlantic Online
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Following Cameron's Europe raspberry, how low can Nick Clegg go?
Discussion:
Making Light

Oops: Perry Forgets Justice Sotomayor's Name — Echoing his devastating “oops” moment in an earlier GOP debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) forgot the name of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in an interview today with the Des Moines Register editorial board. He had to be assisted by a reporter who offered the jurist's name.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Washington Monthly and Shakesville
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Texas election maps blocked, for now — The Supreme Court, working late on a Friday, agreed to rule on the constitutionality of three redistricting plans drawn up by a federal court for the two houses of the Texas legislature and its 36-member U.S. House of Representatives delegation …
Discussion:
Off the Kuff and Election Law Blog


N.J. man dies from penis enhancing injection, authorities say; woman charged with manslaughter — EAST ORANGE — Authorities have filed homicide charges against a woman after she allegedly administered a silicone injection into the penis of a 22-year-old man, who suffered a fatal blood clot.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Ron Paul: 9/11 prompted “glee” in Bush administration — Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Thursday evening that Bush administration officials were gleeful after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because it gave them a pretext to invade Iraq. — “Just think of what happened after 9/11.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Weasel Zippers and The Raw Story
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Ron Paul gears up for long primary slog
Discussion:
Firedoglake and Hullabaloo

NLRB Acting General Counsel announces close of Boeing case — NLRB Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon made the following announcement today: — I am very happy to announce that my office has approved the withdrawal of a charge by the Machinists union against the Boeing Co., which brings our case in this matter to an end.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Hill, ThinkProgress and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG
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Labor Board Drops Case Against Boeing
Discussion:
Hot Air, RedState, Campaign 2012, The ChamberPost, Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop and The PJ Tatler


Gingrich: Palestinians ‘invented,’ promises Netanyahu-style foreign policy — Former Speaker Newt Gingrich dismissed the Palestinian bid for statehood as the effort of an “invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs, and were historically part of the Arab community.”
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Mediaite, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, National Review and ThinkProgress
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The Jewish Channel Exclusive Interview With GOP Front-Runner and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Guardian and Mediaite

Repeal of sodomy, bestiality ban sparks fight on Defense bill — One surprising issue is riling both social conservatives and animal rights activists: the repeal of a ban on sodomy and bestiality. — As the final Defense authorization bill gets hammered out in conference committee …
Discussion:
Hot Air


Internal DOJ Email: Kagan Was Brought Into Loop on Mark Levin's Obamacare Complaint — (CNSNews.com) - Internal Justice Department email communications made just days before the House of Representatives passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act show that then-Solicitor General Elena Kagan …
Discussion:
Doug Ross, The Other McCain and Sister Toldjah

Army slashing 8,700 jobs as budget cuts begin — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has warned that the federal budget cuts could be “devastating” for the Pentagon. (Jonathan Ernst - Reuters) — With deeper budget cuts looming, the Pentagon is starting to cut back by trimming the Defense Department's civilian workforce.
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog and Hot Air

House GOP releases payroll-tax package under Obama veto threat — House Republicans on Friday released their legislation to extend the payroll-tax cut, reform and extend unemployment insurance and delay changes to the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors.
Discussion:
ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG