memeorandum: NTSB recommends full ban on use of cell phones while driving (Mike M. Ahlers/CNN)

4:05 PM ET, December 13, 2011

Top Items:

Paul closes in on Gingrich — There has been some major movement in the Republican Presidential race in Iowa over the last week, with what was a 9 point lead for Newt Gingrich now all the way down to a single point. Gingrich is at 22% to 21% for Paul with Mitt Romney at 16% …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Business Insider, Hot Air, Ballot Box, Campaign 2012, Booman Tribune, No More Mister Nice Blog, Patterico's Pontifications, National Review, Swampland and Mediaite

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: Firedoglake, Washington Times, Washington Post, Booman Tribune, LifeNews.com, Ballot Box, Reuters, Hot Air, nation.foxnews.com, New York Magazine, Wake up America, GOP 12, The PJ Tatler and The Lonely Conservative

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: CNN, msnbc.com, Taylor Marsh and The Other McCain

Dylan Byers / The Politico:

Romney '02 edition — Thanks to Andrew Kaczynski, the Internet's favorite new oppo research hobbyist, a 2002 video of Mitt Romney is making the rounds that features potentially damaging fodder for his opponents: — “I'm not a partisan Republican,” Romney says in the interview.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Daily Kos, Towleroad News #gay, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, ThinkProgress, National Review and Business Insider

Dave Levinthal / The Politico:
Super PAC forms for Gingrich

Discussion: CNN, GOP 12 and The Daily Caller

The Politico:
POLITICO Influence: High stakes

Discussion: Erick's blog

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

Discussion: CNN, The Politico and Prairie Weather

Chris Cillizza / Washington Post: Ron Paul is Mitt Romney's best (Iowa) friend

Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org:
Scarborough: Like Beck, I'd Consider Third-Party Ron Paul Over Gingrich

Discussion: GOP 12, Mediaite and Nice Deb

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

Discussion: CNN

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

Discussion: The Hill, iWatch News, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Times, msnbc.com, Washington Wire, GOP 12, National Review, The Reaction, RedState and The Politico

New York Post:
GOP cruise missiles

Discussion: Betsy's Page, The Enterprise Blog and Washington Post

Catalina Camia / USA Today:

Donald Trump bows out as GOP debate moderator — Donald Trump says he's withdrawing as moderator of a GOP presidential debate in Iowa. — Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum were the only Republican candidates who agreed to the Dec. 27 debate, sponsored by the conservative website Newsmax.

Discussion: Gothamist, Daily Kos and Campaign 2012

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Trump pulls out of GOP debate — Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will not moderate next month's GOP debate sponsored by Newsmax. — The reality televison show host's decision came after most Republican candidates declined to participate in the debate, with only Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum agreeing to appear.

Discussion: CNN, Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin and GOP 12

Bobby Bank / ABCNEWS:
Donald Trump Backs Out of Debate, Floating Independent Bid

Discussion: entertainment.time.com

Alexander Burns / scorpion.irides.com:
Trump bows out — This just in: Donald Trump has bowed …

Discussion: Business Insider, Hot Air and Outside the Beltway

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: PopWatch, Hot Air, UrbanGrounds, americanthinker.com, NO QUARTER, The PJ Tatler, newsfeed.time.com and The Gateway Pundit

Alessandra Stanley / New York Times:
The TV Watch: Chelsea Clinton Finally Embraces Her Celebrity

Discussion: Gothamist, Media Decoder and Towleroad News #gay, more at Mediagazer »

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: The PJ Tatler, The Politico, Weasel Zippers, americanthinker.com and Instapundit

The Hill:

Republican leaders say they'll have the votes to pass payroll-tax bill — House Republican leaders on Tuesday predicted they will have the votes to pass legislation to extend a payroll tax cut. — The leaders are “close” to securing enough support to pass the bill, members leaving a closed-door GOP conference meeting said Tuesday.

Discussion: CNN and The Politico

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:
Wonkbook: The GOP's two conversations over taxes

Discussion: Paul Krugman, House.gov, The Hill, The Politico and Political Mojo

Jennifer Steinhauer / New York Times:

Millionaires on Food Stamps and Jobless Pay? G.O.P. Is on It — WASHINGTON — It's an image many Americans would find rather upsetting: a recently laid-off millionaire, luxuriating next to the pool eating grapes bought with food stamps while waiting for an unemployment check to roll in.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Hill, The Impolitic, Daily Kos, Wonkette, Bark Bark Woof Woof and Investor's Business Daily

New York Times:
Targeting the Unemployed — The House Republican leadership managed …

Discussion: National Review, Center for American Progress, Daily Kos and The Raw Story

Andy Bloxham / Telegraph:

Belgium grenade attack: latest — At least two people have been killed and dozens wounded when up to four grenades exploded outside the main courthouse in the eastern Belgian city of Liege. — The scene of the grenade attack in Liege … Live — 15.51 In another shocking attack in Europe today …

Discussion: Washington Post, Jihad Watch, The Jawa Report, Pirate's Cove, Atlas Shrugs and Daily Pundit

Mike Allen / The Politico:

SCARBOROUGH: ROMNEY LOOKING MORE LIKABLE — Michael Duffy promoted - Perry Bacon leaves WashPost - What Peter Watkins is up to - ABC's ‘This Week’ unveils debate series — WEST WING MINDMELD: “On Sunday, the President spoke to Senator Reid, and they decided that Congress cannot go home …

Discussion: FishbowlDC, FiveThirtyEight, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, newsfeed.time.com and Poynter

Tim Mak / The Politico:

Protests growing against Lowe's — The drumbeat is growing to get hardware chain Lowe's to apologize for pulling advertising from TLC's “All-American Muslim,” as a leading liberal group announced a petition-drive and a Democratic lawmaker denounced the home improvement store on the House floor.

Discussion: Colorlines, National Review, Right Wing Watch and Crooks and Liars

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:
House Dem blasts Lowe's for pulling ads from Muslim-centered TV show

Discussion: Democracy in America and Weasel Zippers

Associated Press:

NY federal court showdown set over pregnancy pill — NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Brooklyn is poised to hear arguments Tuesday over whether the federal government is acting constitutionally in its decisions over the access teenage girls are given to morning-after contraceptive pills.

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Reuven Blau / NY Daily News:
Mayor Bloomberg criticizes Obama administration's decision on Plan B morning-after pill

Discussion: Firedoglake and ThinkProgress

Mike M. Ahlers / CNN:

NTSB recommends full ban on use of cell phones while driving — Washington (CNN) — Federal accident investigators Tuesday called for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and text messaging devices while driving. — Study: Half of young people text, drive

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Shakesville

Lynn Sweet:

Axelrod on Newt: “the higher a monkey climbs...the more you can see his butt.” — Obama 2012 Press Secretary Ben LaBolt, Strategist David Axelrod, Campaign Manager Jim Messina, Deputy Manager Stephanie Cutter at Tuesday press briefing at the DNC. (photo by Lynn Sweet)

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Gingrich misses a McCain moment — John McCain in 2008 took the occasional strange, xenophobic question about Barack Obama, and routinely batted them back: Obama wasn't scary, or (God forbid!) “an Arab,” as one woman memorably told him. He was a decent family man, just wrong on the issues.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post and Mondoweiss

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:

Rep. Issa asks Obama official why illegal camping of Occupy DC was permitted — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Tuesday announced he wants answers on whether “political judgments played a role” in allowing Occupy D.C. protesters to remain camped in Northwest Washington.

Discussion: The Politico and Weasel Zippers

Washington Post:

Eric Holder wades into debate over voting rights as presidential election nears — The Obama administration on Tuesday will wade into the increasingly divisive national debate over new voting laws in several states that could depress turnout among minorities and others who helped elect the president in 2008.