memeorandum: Somalia Faces Alarming Rise in Rapes of Women and Girls (Jeffrey Gettleman/New York Times)

12:25 PM ET, December 28, 2011

Top Items:

Paul maintains his lead — The last week and a half has brought little change in the standings for the Iowa Republican caucus: Ron Paul continues to lead Mitt Romney by a modest margin, 24-20. Newt Gingrich is in 3rd at 13% followed by Michele Bachmann at 11%, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum at 10% …

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Monthly, The Politico, Guardian, The Raw Story, Catholic Bandita, Outside the Beltway, Pundit & Pundette, GOP 12, Daily Kos, Patterico's Pontifications, Iowa Caucuses, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo

The Politico:

Mitt Romney in striking distance of Iowa win — Don't look now, but Mitt Romney suddenly seems like the Iowa front-runner. — The former Massachusetts governor has carefully tempered expectations in Iowa all year, visiting only a handful of times and saving the bulk of his television spending for the final weeks of the race.

Discussion: The State Column, Washington Monthly, CNN, ABCNEWS, Wall Street Journal, iOwnTheWorld.com and Governors Journal

New York Times:

A New Romney, Seeking to Connect, Reveals Some Quirks — DAVENPORT, Iowa — When Mitt Romney introduces himself to voters, he has a peculiar habit of guessing their age or nationality, often incorrectly. (A regular query: “Are you French Canadian?") — When making small talk with locals …

Discussion: Jezebel, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Hotline On Call, ABCNEWS, Prairie Weather and The Caucus

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

For President in 2012, Mitt Romney — It is time for Republicans to get serious. After flirting with just about every candidate in a large presidential field, is is time to come home to the one candidate who has the demonstrated ability to run the largest organization in the United States …

Discussion: The Atlantic Wire, The Moderate Voice, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The PJ Tatler, Campaign 2012, TigerHawk, Vox Popoli, Riehl World View, Taylor Marsh, GayPatriot, The Huffington Post, Hot Air, Townhall.com and Washington Monthly

Kevinliptak / CNN:

Perry changes stance to oppose all abortions — (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry revealed a hardening in his stance on abortion Tuesday, telling a crowd in Iowa that he opposed abortions in all cases, including when a woman had been raped or the victim of incest.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Politico and Balloon Juice

Scott Keyes / ThinkProgress:

After Watching Citizens United Film, Perry Shifts To Oppose Abortion Even For Victims Of Rape Or Incest — Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) declared that he'd experienced a “transformation” following an anti-abortion film and now no longer supports allowing women to get an abortion if they are victims of rape or incest.

New York Times:

Republican Rivals Unleash Broadside on Paul in Iowa — MASON CITY, Iowa — The Republican presidential candidates sharpened their criticism of Representative Ron Paul on Tuesday in an effort to keep his support from growing among voters who are frustrated with government and may be inclined …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, 2012 Decoded, The Caucus, Reuters, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Iowa Caucuses, Washington Post, msnbc.com, Taegan Goddard's … and Daily Kos

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Polling Gridlock in Iowa Could Produce Last-Minute Momentum — The most interesting thing about the latest polls in Iowa (which are the basis for our forecasts) is that they essentially show a four-way tie for third place among the Republican presidential contenders, with Newt Gingrich …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Daily Kos and Outside the Beltway

Jonathan Easley / Ballot Box:
Romney describes health mandate as conservative principle

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

NBC's Alex Moe / msnbc.com:
Pro-Gingrich Super PAC: Romney is ‘2nd most dangerous man in America’

Discussion: Iowa Caucuses and The Iowa Republican

Boston Herald:
Endorsement: Nation needs Romney

Discussion: American Prospect, The Atlantic Online, NationalJournal.com, GOP 12, msnbc.com and Politisite

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box: EMILY's List ranks Gingrich as ‘worst’ GOP presidential candidate

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
For Romney, stealth campaign brings real hopes of winning Iowa

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Politico, The Page, 2012 Decoded and ABCNEWS

Jonathan Easley / Ballot Box:
Paul holds slim lead over Romney in first post-Christmas Iowa poll

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Washington Examiner

Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:

Mitt Romney: The Real Austerity Candidate — Over the holidays, Willard Romney has been seeking once again to define himself, a job that is very similar to that undertaken by the people who renovate old country homes. The first thing you have to do is to tear down the accumulated improvements …

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla

Robert / Jihad Watch:

Islamic honor killing in Texas: “Santa” who murdered family on Christmas morning was Muslim who didn't like his daughter dating a non-Muslim — Aziz Yazdanpanah, a Muslim, didn't like his daughter's non-Muslim boyfriend and was exhibiting stalker behavior. “She couldn't date at all until …

Discussion: Pat Dollard, The Gateway Pundit, Atlas Shrugs, ABCNEWS, UrbanGrounds, msnbc.com and Biased BBC

Bare Naked Islam:
Well, well, well, the Texas Christmas Day massacre of 7 people, including the killer …

Discussion: The Jawa Report

Stephen Gordon / speculist.com:

In the Future Everything Will Be A Coffee Shop — Phil and I ended last week's FastForward Radio show discussing how higher education will change in the coming years. My conclusion: — Universities Will Become Coffee Shops — We're faced with an education bubble.

Discussion: EconLog and Belmont Club

Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:

Somalia Faces Alarming Rise in Rapes of Women and Girls — A rape victim in Mogadishu hid her identity. Aid workers say there has been a free-for-all of armed men preying upon women and girls displaced by famine. More Photos » — MOGADISHU, Somalia — The girl's voice dropped …

Discussion: Jezebel, The Jawa Report and Hullabaloo

Michelle Hirsch / Business Insider:

America's Dirty Little Housing Secret Is Rocking The Suburbs — For years, the food pantry in Crystal Lake, Ill., a bedroom community 50 miles west of Chicago, has catered to the suburban area's poor, homeless and unemployed. — But Cate Williams, the head of the pantry …

Discussion: BizzyBlog

David Weigel / Slate:

Poll: Newsletters Not Hurting Paul in Iowa — Think about it. If Ron Paul was suffering and taking damage from the stories about his old newsletters, what sort of voters would abandon him? Who'd be offended by signed editorials about fleet-footed blacks and skeezy gay men?

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Hit & Run and CNN

Lori Montgomery / Washington Post:

Washington's year of drama leaves little done regarding debt — Reid Ribble, a Wisconsin roofing contractor-turned-Republican lawmaker, has helped change the way Washington talks about the national debt. That's not to say he has done much about the debt itself.

Discussion: Hit & Run and RedState

Meredith Dake / Breitbart.tv:

Going Rogue: Independent Group Runs Palin For President Radio Ads In Iowa — An independent group is running radio ads on WHO in Des Moines, IA asking Iowans to “vote rogue” for Sarah Palin on caucus day.

Discussion: GOP 12, Mediaite, Hot Air and The Raw Story

Valerie Richardson / Washington Times:

New laws: No caffeine in beer, shark fins in soup — California bans among laws set to take effect across nation — DENVER — Starting Jan. 1, getting shark fins, caffeinated beer, cough syrup or a tan is going to be tougher than it was in 2011. — The National Conference …

Discussion: IntoxiNation, Sense of Events and Clayton Cramer's Blog

idf.il:

IDF targets terrorists involved in attempted terror attack — IAF aircraft target two Global Jihad affiliated-terrorists in northern Gaza who prepared attacks on Israel-Egypt border; an additional terrorist squad was targeted earlier — Following the targeting of a Global Jihad affiliated-terrorist …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Long War Journal and The Jawa Report

ABCNEWS:

GOP Rivals Unleash Blistering Attacks on Ron Paul — Ron Paul, who doesn't even return to the campaign trail until Wednesday, is already facing a barrage of attacks from his GOP rivals. — Newt Gingrich told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he could not support Paul if he won the Republican nomination …

Discussion: Iowa Caucuses, Washington Post, GOP 12 and The Huffington Post

Greg Miller / Washington Post:

Under Obama, an emerging global apparatus for drone killing — U.S. Air Force/GETTY IMAGES - A crew chief from the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron completes post-flight inspections of the RQ-1 Predator after one of its sorties in Balad Air Base, Iraq.

Discussion: White House Dossier and Prairie Weather

Jennifer Epstein / The Politico:

First family frees 4 turtles — HONOLULU — The first family released four sea turtles into Hanauma Bay on Tuesday afternoon before visiting the park where the reptiles were raised. — The four turtles — each 18 months old — were raised in captivity at Sea Life Park, about five miles away along the Oahu coast.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Choe Sang-Hun / New York Times:

North Korean Mourners Line Streets for Kim Jong-il's Funeral — SEOUL, South Korea — Kim Jong-un, the designated dynastic heir to power in North Korea, walked alongside the hearse of his deceased father, Kim Jong-il, through snow-covered downtown Pyongyang on Wednesday …

Discussion: Associated Press, BizzyBlog and NewsBusters.org blogs