memeorandum: Romney leads, Paul rises in N.H. poll (Michael Levenson/Boston Globe)

11:50 AM ET, December 26, 2011

Top Items:

Statement from fmr. Ron Paul staffer on Newsletters, Anti-Semitism — Fmr. Senior Aide, US Cong. Ron Paul, 1997 - 2003 — Campaign Coordinator, Ron Paul for Congress, 1995/96 — National Organizer, Draft Ron Paul for President, 1991/92 — Travel Aide/Personal Asst. Ron Paul, Libertarian for President

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Betsy's Page and Althouse

New York Times:

Paul Disowns Extremists' Views but Doesn't Disavow the Support — The American Free Press, which markets books like “The Invention of the Jewish People” and “March of the Titans: A History of the White Race,” is urging its subscribers to help it send hundreds of copies of Ron Paul's collected speeches to voters in New Hampshire.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, Washington Monthly, Slate, Catholic Bandita, National Review, Hot Air, ABCNEWS, The Hill, Bob Owens and The Daily Caller

David Neiwert / Crooks and Liars:

The Freedom To Oppress: Why Ron Paul's Old Racist Newsletters Matter — Let's face it — Ron Paul's lame denials about his repulsively racist and homophobic newsletters of the '80s and '90s on CNN should permanently lay to rest everyone's favorite myth about the man, i.e., that he's a “straight shooter” and an “honest man”.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Josh Margolin / New York Post:

Schumer bro-in-law judge nod stuns NJ — Sen. Charles Schumer's brother-in-law was quietly nominated this month to a federal judgeship in New Jersey — a move that has some in the Garden State crying political foul, The Post has learned. — Kevin McNulty, who is married to Schumer's sister …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and iOwnTheWorld.com

Tim Mak / The Politico:

Schumer in-law offered judgeship — Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) brother-in-law was quietly nominated by President Barack Obama to a federal judgeship in New Jersey, even though the state's senior senator, Frank Lautenberg, was leaning toward other candidates, according to a report Monday.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:

Obama: The conservative in 2012 — At a moment when the nation wonders whether politicians can agree on anything, here is something that unites the Republican presidential candidates — and all of them with President Obama: Everyone agrees that the 2012 election will be a turning point involving …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Moderate Voice, Taylor Marsh, The Caucus, Balloon Juice, Connecting.the.Dots and The Other McCain

Rich Lowry / National Review:

“We Don't Have Our ‘A Team’ on the Field” — Speaking of discontent with the Republican field, I talked the other day to a pretty prominent conservative officeholder who's constantly been discussing with people around the country the possibility of a new entrant or a push to draft someone. But who?

Discussion: Firedoglake, Whiskey Fire, Outside the Beltway and Balloon Juice

Richard Winger / Ballot Access News:

Virginia 2011 Independent Candidate for Legislature has Big Impact on 2012 Presidential Primary — There are currently many news stories and blog discussions about the Virginia presidential primary ballot access law. Some large blogs, such as Red State, have over 300 comments about the story.

Discussion: RedState, Pundit & Pundette, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, Bearing Drift and NewsBusters.org

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Gingrich camp likens Virginia ballot setback to Pearl Harbor

Discussion: Wonkette, Hot Air and Mediaite

Washington Post:

Solyndra: Politics infused Obama energy programs — Tony Avelar/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST - Linda Sterio, along with 1,100 full-time and temporary employees, were laid off Aug. 31 from Solyndra. The company shut down without paying severance; today Sterio remains out of work and in danger of losing her home.

Discussion: Power Line, Big Government, The Heritage Foundation and YID With LID

Elizabeth Mendes / Gallup:

Most Americans Still Say They Are Better Off Than Their Parents — Seniors and high-income Americans most likely to say they are better off — WASHINGTON, D.C. — The large majority of Americans (69%) say they are better off financially than their parents were when they were the same age.

Discussion: ABCNEWS and The Politico

Paul Roderick Gregory / EconWorld:

Sen. Harry Reid's Unicorns: Fact Checking A Whopper — Tax policy should be serious business carried out by serious politicians using real facts and figures. This is why we have the Library of Congress and the Congressional Budget Office, among other expert institutions.

Tyler Durden / zerohedge.com/fullrss2.xml:

China Insolvency Wave Begins As Nation's Biggest Provincial Borrowers “Defer” Loan Payments — Remember, back in the day, when a bankruptcy was simply called a bankruptcy? Naturally, this was well before ISDA came on the scene and footnoted the living feces out of everything by claiming …

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Tyler Durden / ZeroHedge:

A SWIFT Denial - How In Europe, Even Admission Of A “Plan B” Is Equivalent To Failure — While we have long known that the drachma, and recently the lira, have seen significant “when issued” interest by institutional clients desiring to hedge their currency collapse exposure …

Discussion: Vox Popoli

Michael Levenson / Boston Globe:

Romney leads, Paul rises in N.H. poll — Newt Gingrich's surge has slowed and Ron Paul has gained momentum, but Mitt Romney remains the clear front-runner in New Hampshire with a little more than two weeks until the nation's first primary, according to a new Boston Globe poll.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, The Right Sphere and Catholic Bandita