memeorandum: Perry, Huntsman pledge major changes for Congress (John T. Bennett/The Hill)

5:35 PM ET, December 11, 2011

Top Items:

First Read / msnbc.com:

Gingrich opens up big leads in South Carolina and Florida — Newt Gingrich's surge in the polls isn't limited to just the early presidential-nominating contest of Iowa. — According to new NBC News-Marist polls, the former House speaker has now opened up commanding leads in South Carolina and Florida …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, americanthinker.com, Connecting.the.Dots, Scared Monkeys and Balloon Juice

Barry Rubin / Rubin Reports:

Fact-Checking Newt Gingrich and the Fact-Checkers on the Middle East — ABC News “fact-checked” Newt Gingrich's Middle East statements and some readers asked me to fact-check ABC, so here is my view: — Gingrich said Palestinians are an “invented” people. ABC says: Not true.

Discussion: American Power, Outside the Beltway, americanthinker.com, Atlas Shrugs and Associated Press

John T. Bennett / The Hill:

Perry, Huntsman pledge major changes for Congress — Two long shot Republican presidential candidates took aim at the nation's capital on Sunday, vowing to make major changes to Congress as they search for traction with GOP voters. — Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman …

Discussion: CNN and Outside the Beltway

David Weigel / Slate:

The Iowa Debate: Newt Wins the Dress Rehearsal — \Newt Gingrich speaks while Mitt Romney and Ron Paul look on during the Saturday's debate in Des Moines, Iowa. — When he talks to Republicans, especially to Republican voters who may not be inclined to back him, Newt Gingrich wins them over with a promise.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Mediaite, Daily Pundit and Eunomia

Matthew Putney / ABCNEWS:

Democrats Blast Newt Gingrich in First Video Ad as ‘Original Tea Partier’ — For the first time in the presidential primary campaign, Democrats are turning their web video and “rapid response” email attack machine on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. — Just hours after the ABC News …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Caucus and Business Insider

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Santorum: Look at Gingrich's record — (CNN) - Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum criticized the leadership qualities of rival candidate Newt Gingrich on Sunday, suggesting voters contrast Gingrich's record with his own ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative

Michael Barone / Campaign 2012:
Thoughts on the ABC/Drake debate

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Iowa Caucuses, Los Angeles Times and National Review

Kim Geiger / Los Angeles Times:
Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich spar over moon mining, child labor

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian and Balloon Juice

New York Times:
Race Reshaped, Rivals Target Gingrich in G.O.P. Debate

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Reuters, The Politico, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, The Iowa Republican, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, American Power, The Page and Balloon Juice

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:
Debate 2.0: Romney and Gingrich surrogates attack

Discussion: ABCNEWS

Washington Post:
Gingrich comes under attack in GOP debate

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Other McCain, Campaign 2012, Daily Kos and New York Times

Christian Whiton / Fox News:
Why Washington Is Shocked, Shocked By Newt Gingrich's Rise Over Mitt Romney

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Daily Pundit

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Rick Perry: 'I Don't Have Memorized' The Names Of All 9 Supreme Court Justices — During a meeting with the Des Moines Register editorial board on Friday, Rick Perry asserted there were eight justices on the Supreme Court and mispronounced Sonia Sotomayor's name.

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Booman Tribune, Iowa Caucuses and Washington Post

Jason Clayworth / Iowa Caucuses:
Rick Perry campaign clarifies context on Supreme Court count

Discussion: Don Surber, Campaign 2012, Towleroad News #gay, Burnt Orange Report, The Raw Story, ABCNEWS and Washington Post

New York Post:

Rev. Al deep in the red — The Rev. Al Sharpton's nonprofit paid him nearly $242,000 — even as it carried $1.6 million in debt, according to documents obtained by The Post. — In all, the controversial activist and his empire, including the National Action Network and two for-profit companies …

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Gateway Pundit, Weasel Zippers, Scared Monkeys, Michelle Malkin, The Lonely Conservative and The Other McCain

Brian Bennett / Los Angeles Times:

Police employ Predator drone spy planes on home front — Unmanned aircraft from an Air Force base in North Dakota help local police with surveillance, raising questions that trouble privacy advocates. — A Predator drone spy plane helped police make arrests after a North Dakota family's run-in with a local sheriff.

Discussion: msnbc.com, Balloon Juice, The Impolitic, Global Guerrillas and Newshoggers.com

CBS News:

Obama: Not redistributing wealth — In a “60 Minutes” interview with Steve Kroft, President Obama disputes the notion he is trying to redistribute wealth with his plans to treat the country's economic ills. He tells Kroft he's just attempting to deliver the “American Deal” of a strong middle class …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, americanthinker.com, CANNONFIRE, The Lonely Conservative and Weasel Zippers

Christopher Sherman / Associated Press:

US proposes unmanned border crossing with Mexico — BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas (AP) — The bloody drug war in Mexico shows no sign of relenting. Neither do calls for tighter border security amid rising fears of spillover violence. — This hardly seems a time the U.S. would be willing …

Discussion: PoliPundit.com and The Lonely Conservative

Washington Examiner:

Why Americans no longer trust Washington — Survey after survey in recent months has shown an alarming decline in public confidence in the nation's chief federal institutions, as well as a deepening pessimism about America's future. Congressional approval is at an all-time low of 13 percent …

Discussion: The Other McCain