memeorandum: In U.S., Fear of Big Government at Near-Record Level (Elizabeth Mendes/Gallup)

10:50 AM ET, December 13, 2011

Top Items:

SAVAGE OFFERS GINGRICH $1 MILLION TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE — WILL ANNOUNCE ON SHOW TODAY — THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL FIELD HAS COME DOWN TO TWO CANDIDATES WHO HAVE A REAL CHANCE OF GETTING THE NOMINATION: NEWT GINGRICH AND MITT ROMNEY. WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT ROMNEY IS NOT AS STRONG …

Ben Smithand Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Romney's role: The Hillary Clinton of 2012? — For Mitt Romney this December, it's beginning to look a lot like Clinton. — Like the great, fallen front-runner of 2008, here is another well-funded, Establishment-blessed, presumptive nominee whose supposedly firm hold on his party's greatest prize seems to be slip-sliding away.

Discussion: msnbc.com

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Giuliani: Gingrich may be stronger than Romney

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Wire, iWatch News, GOP 12, New York Times, msnbc.com and RedState

Jason Zengerle / New York Magazine:
Playing With Mud — The hobbyist oppo researcher.

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Business Insider

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Why Republicans Don't Nominate Swells — Don't pull a silver dollar out of that ear! Don't! — The political press corps has decided that the “moment” of Saturday night's Republican presidential debate occurred when Mitt Romney decided to challenge Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, The Reaction, Daily Kos and The Week

Alexander Burnsand Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
The South is up for grabs

Discussion: CNN

Josh Lederman / The Hill:
Mitt Romney starts to show cracks as front-runner status slips further

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Jamelle Bouie / American Prospect:
Were the Debates a Mistake?

Discussion: Ross Douthat and American Power

BBC:

Deadly attack rocks central Liege in Belgium — A gun and grenade attack in the centre of the Belgian city of Liege has killed at least two people and wounded about 25, Belgian media say. — They say several men threw grenades and fired on a crowd at a bus stop in Place Saint Lambert, a busy square.

Discussion: Associated Press and Guardian

Lizzy Davies / Guardian:

Two dead in Belgian grenade attack — • ‘Four dead’ and dozens injured after blasts in Belgian city — • Attacker threw grenades into crowd before shooting self — • Situation ‘under control’, say police — 3.15pm: The man who carried out the attack had been due …

Discussion: Telegraph, Gawker and The Jawa Report

Rep. Dennis Cardoza / The Hill:

Opinion: Obama would rather be university professor than president — After observing President Obama for the last three years, it has become obvious to me that the President might prefer to be a university professor rather than do the job he holds today. While he may not realize that he feels …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and americanthinker.com

Hank Stuever / Washington Post:

Chelsea Clinton makes broadcast debut on NBC's ‘Rock Center’ — It's no surprise whatsoever that Chelsea Clinton didn't electrify broadcast journalism with her debut Monday night on NBC's “Rock Center With Brian Williams,” because she has no experience in broadcast journalism.

Discussion: americanthinker.com, Hot Air and UrbanGrounds

Susan Page / USA Today:

Swing States Poll: Downbeat Dems, resurgent Republicans — WASHINGTON - President Obama is moving to energize the Democratic base for his re-election campaign, but in the case of a dozen battleground states, he'll have to work harder than four years ago to find it.

Discussion: The Politico, GOP 12, Washington Times, New York Magazine, Taegan Goddard's … and Reuters

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Obama Administration Coordinating With Left-Wing Groups on Voter Fraud? — I wrote yesterday about the lightly-attended march in New York, ostensibly on behalf of voting rights, which was sponsored by a broad coalition of left-wing groups and was addressed by several Democratic politicians.

Discussion: thenation.com/blogs/163253, LBJ Library & Museum and UrbanGrounds

Washington Post:
Eric Holder wades into debate over voting rights as presidential election nears

Discussion: Right Wing News and AFL-CIO NOW BLOG

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

Supreme Court an ‘enormous issue’ for 2012 — The Supreme Court, which has faded as a major campaign issue in recent years, could make a resurgence in 2012: The justices just keep adding to the hot-button political issues they plan to tackle before the election.

Discussion: Washington Post

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Supreme Court inserts itself into 2012 election in a major way

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, THEROOT.COM, The Week, National Review and The PJ Tatler

Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Justices Agree to Hear Challenge to Arizona Immigration Laws

Elizabeth Mendes / Gallup:

In U.S., Fear of Big Government at Near-Record Level — Democrats lead increase in concerns about big government — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' concerns about the threat of big government continue to dwarf those about big business and big labor, and by an even larger margin now than in March 2009.

Discussion: The Politico, Questions and Observations, Washington Post, americanthinker.com, Betsy's Page, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Campaign 2012 and The Lonely Conservative

John Heilemann / New York Magazine:

The Gingrich-Huntsman Debate: A New Way to Bash Mitt Romney — If you happened to devote 90 minutes to the Lincoln-Douglas-style debate between Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman that took place yesterday at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire — and you are in tenuous possession …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, msnbc.com and Campaign 2012

Ben Smithand Juana Summers / The Politico:
Newt, Huntsman agree, seriously

Discussion: The Reaction, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Datechguy's Blog, Guardian and Hot Air

Chris Moody / Yahoo! News:

Newt Gingrich takes his fourth ‘no-adultery pledge’ — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich this week signed a pledge to uphold conservative values from the Iowa-based group The Family Leader and vowed to restrict federal dollars from paying for abortion overseas …

Discussion: The Caucus, Prairie Weather and Gawker

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Newt takes no-adultery pledge

Discussion: The Week, Daily Kos, The Hinterland Gazette, Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Sense of Events, Indecision Forever, Guardian, Little Green Footballs, Balloon Juice, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Joe. My. God.

Rasmussen Reports:

55% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law — Most voters still want to repeal the national health care law, even though they tend to believe the law won't force them to change their own health insurance coverage. — The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 55% …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Weekly Standard and The Lonely Conservative

Eric Boehlert / Media Matters for America:

Huh? Now Obamas Are Condemned For Celebrating Christmas Too Enthusiastically — Man, this whole War on Christmas is getting confusing. — Right on cue, the right-wing media this month has been waging its annual battle to convince faithful followers that religious-hating liberals are at war …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, US Politics and Outside the Beltway

BBC:

Saudi woman executed for ‘witchcraft and sorcery’ — A Saudi woman has been executed for practising “witchcraft and sorcery”, the country's interior ministry says. — A statement published by the state news agency said Amina bint Abdul Halim bin Salem Nasser was beheaded on Monday in the northern province of Jawf.

Discussion: Informed Comment

Jeremy Herb / The Hill:

Deal reached on DoD authorization bill — Lawmakers reached an agreement Monday on the $662 billion Defense authorization bill they believe will satisfy White House demands to avoid a veto over the detention of terror suspects. — House and Senate Armed Services Committee leaders changed …

Discussion: The Heritage Foundation

Washington Examiner:

York: In Iowa, evangelical church to Queer Studies — Jacob Ellis, left, and Pastor Larry Wagner, both of Keosauqua, Iowa, close their eyes in prayer during an anti gay-marriage rally sponsored by The Family Leader, Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Ricochet Conversations Feed, New York Times and Los Angeles Times

New York Times:

Premier's Actions in Iraq Raise U.S. Concerns — Jasim Nusaif, 71, in a photograph held by his son. He was among hundreds of former Baath Party members swept up in recent arrests. His family said the party expelled him in the 1980s. — BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki …

Discussion: Washington Post and Prairie Weather

Jessica Brady / Roll Call:

Occupy Activists to Meet With Progressive Lawmakers — An Occupy Wall Street group will take to the House later this week, only this time the meeting is a planned occasion with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. — Ten organizers from New York's OWS group will speak to the caucus …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Weasel Zippers

Andrew Ross Sorkin / DealBook:

Romney's Run Puts a Spotlight on Private Equity — On Wednesday, Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for president, will attend fund-raisers in Manhattan given by his former private equity peers and Wall Street bankers, putting the spotlight on the private equity industry and Mr. Romney's role in it.

Discussion: Fortune and Business Insider