memeorandum: China Rail Fail: 42% Spending Cut in Bullet Train Meltdown (Walter Russell Mead/Via Meadia)

12:15 PM ET, December 27, 2011

Top Items:

Charlie Riedel / ABCNEWS:

Gingrich '06 Memo: “Agree Entirely With Gov. Romney” on Health Care — To conservatives, the biggest strike against Mitt Romney is the health care plan he put in place in Massachusetts, but Newt Gingrich lavished praise on Romney's plan after it was passed in 2006.

Discussion: Guardian, The PJ Tatler, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air and NewsBusters.org blogs

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

How Can Romney Lose? — The conventional wisdom on the Republican nomination race has once again shifted. In the span of just two weeks, Mitt Romney has gone from seeming quite vulnerable to the near-inevitable Republican nominee. The odds attributed to Mr. Romney winning the nomination …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, GOP 12, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Booman Tribune, Althouse, Political Mojo, The Politico and New York Magazine

Washington Examiner:

‘Mischief’ voters push Paul to front of GOP race — Ron Paul is surging in the Republican presidential race. Just not among Republicans. — The Texas congressman is leading some polls in Iowa and is in a tie for second in New Hampshire. A candidacy once dismissed as sideshow …

Discussion: Nice Deb, The Gateway Pundit and Libertarian Republican

Wall Street Journal:

Gingrich Applauded Romney's Health Plan — Newt Gingrich voiced enthusiasm for Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health-care law when it was passed five years ago, the same plan he has been denouncing over the past few months as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Hill, The Caucus, GOP 12, ABCNEWS, msnbc.com, New York Times and Outside the Beltway

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
A first: Newt camp goes on attack (and with oppo)

Discussion: msnbc.com, Rick Perry 2012 Campaign …, The New Republic, Mediaite, The Page and Hot Air

Jonathan D. Salant / Bloomberg:
Gingrich Doesn't Make Republican Primary Ballot in Virginia

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and BAGnewsNotes

Jennifer Jacobs / Iowa Caucuses:
GOP candidates, super PACs have spent $10 million on TV, radio pitches in December

Discussion: Des Moines Register, Ballot Box, The Politico, New York Times, ABCNEWS, Washington Post, GOP 12, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe and msnbc.com

Jonathan Easley / Ballot Box:
GOP readies for final sprint in Iowa

Discussion: The Politico, Iowa Caucuses and CNN

Lucy Madison / CBS News:

Ron Paul camp fires back at ex-aide over column on Israel, gays — The Ron Paul camp is dismissing a scathing personal account published Monday by former longtime Paul aide Eric Dondero, who paints the Texas congressman as “intolerant” of Spanish speakers, anti-Israel and anti-Israeli …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Atlantic Online, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice and YID With LID

Braden Goyette / NY Daily News:

Former Ron Paul staffer contends GOP candidate is ‘uncomfortable’ with gay people — Eric Dondero also says his ex-boss is anti-Israel — Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul of Texas. — A former Ron Paul staffer says the Republican presidential candidate is “unsettled …

Discussion: Ballot Box, The Reaction, Towleroad News #gay, First Draft and Libertarian Republican

David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:
Ron Paul's House record marked by bold strokes, and futility

Discussion: Prairie Weather and Pirate's Cove

Jeffrey Scott Shapiro / Big Government:
EXCLUSIVE: Ron Paul in 2009-'I Wouldn't Risk American Lives' to End the Holocaust

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com, RedState and Catholic Bandita

Peter Whoriskey / Washington Post:

Growing wealth widens distance between lawmakers and constituents — BUTLER, Pa. — One day after his shift at the steel mill, Gary Myers drove home in his 10-year-old Pontiac and told his wife he was going to run for Congress. — The odds were long. At 34, Myers was the shift foreman at the “hot mill” of the Armco plant here.

Discussion: The Mahablog, Political Mojo, Balloon Juice, Prairie Weather and Wonkette

Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:

Economic Downturn Took a Detour at Capitol Hill — WASHINGTON — When Representative Ed Pastor was first elected to Congress two decades ago, he was comfortably ensconced in the middle class. Mr. Pastor, a Democrat from Arizona, held $100,000 or so in savings accounts in the mid-1990s …

Discussion: DISSENTING JUSTICE, Outside the Beltway and Balloon Juice

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

Predictions gone wrong — Dave Weigel had a good item yesterday on his “2011 Pundit Audit.” It's a worthwhile idea, so I thought I'd join the fun. … Weigel points to four flubs: the assumption that Rick Perry would be a competent candidate; the belief that Perry's book and agenda …

Discussion: Slate and The Reality-Based Community

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Democrat wants grants for women's restrooms in fire stations — Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) has proposed legislation that would let fire stations around the country apply for grants of up to $100,000 to build women's restrooms, showers and changing facilities.

Mike McCormick / WYFF-TV:

Caught On Tape: Clerk Punches, Knocks Out Armed Robber — Clerk Then Makes Suspect Clean Up His Own Blood — HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A clerk at a business in Western North Carolina punched a would-be robber and knocked him out cold just minutes after the man barged in with a gun and demanded money.

Discussion: The Jawa Report and The Raw Story

Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Moving melee causes chaos at packed Mall of America — Some stores shut down Monday night as panicked shoppers fled. At least 10 youths were arrested. — A noisy, racing crowd of more than 200 young people created a chaotic scene at the packed Mall of America Monday evening …

Discussion: Power Line and ABCNEWS

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

Newt's incredible shrinking bus tour — Newt Gingrich has predicted for several weeks that he'd regain momentum in Iowa in the last week before the caucuses, with a bus tour taking him to numerous cities around the state. — The problem is, the bus tour seems to keep losing stops.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Matt Friedman / New Jersey Online:

Rep. Steve Rothman to challenge Rep. Bill Pascrell in June Democratic primary — FAIR LAWN — Thrown into a politically unfriendly district last week, U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman today signaled he intends to challenge a fellow Democrat in June's primary. — Rothman (D-9th Dist.) …

Discussion: The Politico, Ballot Box and Washington Post

Jewel Samada / Investor's Business Daily:

The Obamas celebrate Kwanzaa in spirit of umoja — The Obamas mark Kwanzaa in the spirit of umoja — Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. — Today marks the beginning of the week-long celebration honoring African American heritage …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and PERRspectives

Suzanne Daley / New York Times:

Greeks Reeling From Health Care Cutbacks — PERAMA, Greece — The free clinic here opened about a year ago to serve illegal immigrants. But these days, it is mostly caring for Greeks like Vassiliki Ragamb, who was sitting in the waiting room hoping to get insulin for her young diabetic son.

Discussion: Via Meadia

Michael Luo / New York Times:

More Concealed Guns, and Some Are in the Wrong Hands — Alan Simons was enjoying a Sunday morning bicycle ride with his family in Asheville, N.C., two years ago when a man in a sport utility vehicle suddenly pulled alongside him and started berating him for riding on the highway.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Suburban Guerrilla and National Review