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CNN Poll: Romney on top, Gingrich fading & Santorum rising in Iowa — Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - Did Newt Gingrich peak too early? — A new survey of people likely to attend Iowa's Republican caucuses indicates that the former House speaker's support in the Hawkeye State is plunging.
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No Surprise, Iowa Social Conservatives Are About To Shoot Us All in the Foot Again — I'm hearing several campaigns and external pollsters have a surge for Rick Santorum. With the National Review folks fawning over him again, it probably means a surge is real and any surge by Rick Santorum …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Atlantic Online and Mediaite


CNN/TIME/ORC Poll: Gingrich Collapse Fuels Santorum Surge in Iowa, Solidifies Romney Lead in New Hampshire — Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich speaks before a group of supporters at the Global Security offices in Davenport, Iowa, Dec. 19, 2011.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Indecision Forever, Washington Post, msnbc.com and Ballot Box


How the Iowa caucuses work — Four years ago, 120,000 Iowa Republicans turned out in freezing temperatures to vote on their pick for a presidential nominee. The weather report and turnout predictions for next Tuesday's caucuses are still somewhat in the air, but the campaigns' organizing efforts …
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Monthly, Ballot Box, Outside the Beltway and Weasel Zippers


The Retooled, Loose Romney, Guessing Voters' Age and Ethnicity — 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?")

Topline Results of Dec. 21-27, 2011, CNN/TIME/ORC Poll
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, msnbc.com, The New Republic and The Page

Commercial Introduces Gay Marriage as an Issue in the Iowa Caucuses
Discussion:
The Raw Story and Towleroad News #gay

Polling Gridlock in Iowa Could Produce Last-Minute Momentum
Discussion:
Public Policy Polling, Iowa Caucuses, ABCNEWS, Daily Kos and A plain blog about politics

TRENDING: Gingrich: Campaign worker's signature fraud cost slot on Virginia ballot — Algona, Iowa (CNN) - Newt Gingrich cited fraud Wednesday as the reason he didn't get on the Virginia primary ballot. — Last week his campaign acknowledged they used paid volunteers to scramble …
Discussion:
The Politico and Washington Post
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Mitt Romney in striking distance of Iowa win
Discussion:
CNN, The Huffington Post, The State Column, ABCNEWS, Ballot Box, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Caucus, The New Republic, Fortune, Hot Air, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Other McCain, Governors Journal, Indecision Forever, Hit & Run, American Power, Gothamist, 2012 Decoded, Washington Monthly, Outside the Beltway and Taylor Marsh

Gingrich urged yes vote on controversial Medicare bill, former congresswoman says
Discussion:
Ballot Box and iOwnTheWorld.com


Anthony Weiner Wanted Threesome With Another Man, According To Mistress — Disgraced former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner was caught in online trysts with numerous women, but RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that according to one of his mistresses, he expressed wanting a threesome - with another man.
Discussion:
Gothamist, Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers, iOwnTheWorld.com and Lez Get Real
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Tarzan co-star Cheetah dies at Palm Harbor sanctuary — Cheetah the chimpanzee, who acted in classic Tarzan movies in the early 1930s, died of kidney failure Saturday at Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, a sanctuary spokeswoman said. — Cheetah was roughly 80 years old …
Discussion:
Associated Press and Telegraph
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Chimpanzee Said to Be Cheetah in ‘Tarzan’ Films Has Died
Discussion:
CNN, Agence France Presse, Jack Shafer, Guardian and Nation Now


Sen. Ben Nelson's Retirement Signals Twilight of Blue Dog Democrats — Centrist Sen. Ben Nelson's retirement puts the Democrats' Senate majority in jeopardy and could even spell trouble for Obama's reelection. But the absence of his and other independent voices in Congress is the real danger.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Booman Tribune
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Repo Men — If you're making money on the Wall Street scale — which is nothing like your boring, middle-management in the Fortune 500, Hamptons-and-Mercedes, barely-a-1 percenter type money — then you can buy basically anything. When real-estate investor Robert Rosania put part …
Discussion:
Moe Lane, Verum Serum and Cold Fury

What Moves Republican Crowds in Iowa — DES MOINES — The Republican candidates for president are doing a lot of talking in the last week before voting begins. — But spending a day observing how the crowds react to the candidates can be just as instructive.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo, New York Times, The Impolitic and Prairie Weather


GIRL SCOUTS BOOK REFERS READERS TO LIBERAL GROUP MEDIA MATTERS TO CLEAR UP ‘MEDIA MISINFORMATION’ — In 2010, the Girl Scouts of the USA published a book called “MEdia.” The publication, designed for girls in grades six through eight, is a guide that apparently offers insight into how young people …
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys, The American Pundit, Wizbang, Weasel Zippers and The Lonely Conservative

‘Liberated’ Gary Johnson seeks Libertarian nomination — (CNN) - Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announced his intention to seek the Libertarian nomination for president Wednesday. — Calling his choice “both a difficult decision-and an easy one,” in a statement …
Discussion:
The Hill, Gary Johnson 2012, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The Politico, Governors Journal and Ballot Access News
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Gary Johnson Goes Full Libertarian: “I am excited. I am liberated. …
Discussion:
The Spectacle Blog, Mediaite, Indecision Forever and The PJ Tatler

Wary Hispanic voters favor Obama over GOP rivals — President Obama holds a wide lead among Hispanic voters when matched against potential Republican challengers, even as Hispanics grow wary of his administration's stepped-up deportation policies and less supportive of his overall job performance, according to a new poll.
Discussion:
Pew Hispanic Center, Booman Tribune and ThinkProgress
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TODAY, December 28, 2011, Mitt Romney Calls Obamacare “Conservative” — This isn't a flash back. This is today. Mitt Romney is again declaring the foundation of Obamacare, the individual mandate, “conservative.” — To be sure, it is conservative that one takes responsibility for their own healthcare.
Discussion:
Hot Air, The Gateway Pundit and The Spectacle Blog


North Korea Mourns Kim Jong Il — North Koreans have shown extraordinary displays of grief in the days since the death of their leader Kim Jong Il on December 17th. Today marked the start of a two-day funeral ceremony, as thousands of North Koreans lined the snowy streets of Pyongyang …
Discussion:
AMERICAN DIGEST and Hot Air
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North Korean Mourners Line Streets for Kim Jong-il's Funeral
Discussion:
Associated Press, Outside the Beltway, BizzyBlog, Gothamist and NewsBusters.org blogs


TPM2012 — Death Penalty For Gays: Ron Paul Courts The Religious Fringe In Iowa — Ron Paul has faced a torrent of criticism in recent weeks over newsletters printed in his name during the 1980s and 1990s which contained racist, anti-semitic, and homophobic content.
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The Times E-Mails Millions by Mistake to Say Subscriptions Were Canceled — Updated The New York Times said it accidentally sent e-mails on Wednesday to more than eight million people who had shared their information with the company, erroneously informing them they had canceled home delivery of the newspaper.
Discussion:
TalkLeft, GigaOM and Poynter, more at Techmeme »


Occupy protesters want Romney to release tax returns; he says ‘no’ (includes photos, videos) — Des Moines police arrest a protester at a Wells Fargo bank branch Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. Protesters also were arrested at Mitt Romney's campaign office in Des Moines. (Andrea Melendez/The Register)
Discussion:
Political Mojo and Guardian

The GOP's Answer to Union Money — Achieving parity with the Democrats in campaign spending would be no small feat. Yet it appears possible. — When Steven Law was deputy secretary of labor in the George W. Bush administration, he routinely scrutinized the disclosure forms of labor unions.


Exclusive: Iowa GOP Chair Severs Ties With Strong America Now — Matt Strawn, the Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, has disassociated himself from Strong America Now after reports that the group has a Super PAC that is advocating for one specific candidate.
Discussion:
Iowa Caucuses, The Caucus, msnbc.com and Campaign 2012