memeorandum: Source: Al Qaeda leader sends veteran jihadists to establish presence in Libya (CNN)

10:05 AM ET, December 30, 2011

Top Items:

NBC's Mark Murray / msnbc.com:

NBC poll: Mitt Romney, Ron Paul neck-and-neck in Iowa; Newt Gingrich in 5th — In the past two weeks, support has fallen sharply in Iowa for Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. — By NBC's Mark Murray — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Saint Petersblog, Weasel Zippers, Iowa Caucuses, Outside the Beltway, The PJ Tatler, Libertarian Republican and Taegan Goddard's …

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

The Santorum Surge In Iowa and Beyond — The extent to which Rick Santorum has gained in Iowa polling is not entirely clear. Although two polls have him with 16 percent of the vote, two others that were in the field at the same time have him at 10 and 11 percent, respectively.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, New York Times, The Caucus, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Los Angeles Times, Ballot Box, Telegraph and Connecting.the.Dots

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Michele Bachmann's hard fall — Four months ago, Michele Bachmann seemed poised for a banner December. — She'd just won the Ames Straw Poll — vanquishing her Minnesota rival, Tim Pawlenty, in the process — and was getting accustomed to life in the top tier of 2012 candidates.

Discussion: GOP 12, Outside the Beltway, Wall Street Journal, ABCNEWS, The Week and National Review

Jon Ward / The Huffington Post:

Mitt Romney: President Obama Out Of Touch Like Marie Antoinette … 2012 Election , Barack Obama , Mitt Romney , Republican Presidential Primary , Elections 2012 , Ron Paul , Unemployment , Video , Iowa Caucuses , Marie Antoinette , Ron Paul 2012 , Caucus , Iowa , Iowa Caucus …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, ABCNEWS, THEROOT.COM, Washington Post, CNN and Ballot Box

msnbc.com:

Bachmann campaign loses second key staffer in Ron Paul flap — Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign lost another high-ranking staff member on Thursday after that staffer defended another former Bachmann official's defection to a rival campaign. — Wes Enos, Bachmann's political director …

Discussion: New York Magazine, National Review and The Page

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Michele Bachmann's hard fall — The split had been presaged, however, for weeks, thanks to a divide between the staffers and advisers on her campaign bus, and the national and Washington-based team. Her then-state chairman, Kent Sorenson — who is now a Paul backer …

Discussion: Washington Post, Iowa Caucuses, Hot Air, ABCNEWS and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

CNN:

Front runners take short break from Iowa this weekend — Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - With four days to go until the caucuses, the two candidates at the top of the field are taking a short break from campaigning in the Hawkeye State. — After a stumping all day Friday in Iowa …

Discussion: GOP 12, NY Daily News and Iowa Caucus 2012

Alex Roarty / 2012 Decoded:

Why Is No One Attacking Romney? — Mitt Romney's confidence is brimming. The former governor, now widely seen as the favorite to win Iowa, announced Wednesday he'll stay in the Hawkeye State the night of the caucus, a clear indication he anticipates a good result.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Politico, Weekly Standard, Washington Post, NationalJournal.com, msnbc.com, Race 4 2012 and Hot Air

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Americans See Views of GOP Candidates Closer to Their Own — Obama, Bachmann furthest away on ideological scale — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans perceive Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul as closest to themselves ideologically, and Michele Bachmann and Barack Obama as furthest away.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Right Wing News, americanthinker.com, Liberal Values, Scared Monkeys, CANNONFIRE, Prairie Weather, The Huffington Post, Weasel Zippers, The PJ Tatler, The Daily Dish, Hot Air and Investor's Business Daily

Robert Stacy McCain / The Other McCain:
IOWA NOTEBOOK: Occupy Caucuses?

Discussion: Daily Pundit

Paul West / Los Angeles Times:
Ron Paul: Sanctions against Iran are ‘acts of war’

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Dish, Politisite, The PJ Tatler and Weasel Zippers

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Top Santorum supporter says he can win Iowa caucus

Discussion: The Politico and National Review

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Occupy vs. Ron Paul

Discussion: The Politico, Mediaite and Mercury Rising

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Romney still up big in New Hampshire

Discussion: CNN, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Guardian, Gallup and Bloomberg

Fox News:
Santorum Claims Iowa ‘Spark’ as Polls Show Candidacy Surging

Discussion: Naked DC and CNN

Niall Stanage / Ballot Box:
New poll shows Romney with big NH lead

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, CNN and Washington Post

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

WordPress Takes Down “Bare Naked Islam” Blog After Threats From CAIR — WordPress took down Bare Naked Islam Blog today after threats from CAIR.

Discussion: PR Newswire, Israel Matzav, American Power and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Keynes Was Right — “The boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity at the Treasury.” So declared John Maynard Keynes in 1937, even as F.D.R. was about to prove him right by trying to balance the budget too soon, sending the United States economy — which had been steadily recovering …

Discussion: Vox Popoli and Daily Kos

Hunter Walker / PolitickerNY:

Stormfront Founder Don Black Says White Supremacists Thought Ron Paul Was ‘One of Us’ — Ron Paul was a hot topic this week on the talk radio show hosted by prominent white supremacist Don Black and his son Derek. Mr. Black said he received Mr. Paul's controversial newsletters …

Discussion: Osborne Ink, iOwnTheWorld.com, The PJ Tatler, Nice Deb, Weasel Zippers, Pat Dollard, Little Green Footballs, Libertarian Republican, Balloon Juice and Liberal Values

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Ron Paul Downplays Newsletters : Only ‘Eight To Ten Sentences’ Were Offensive

Discussion: CBS News and Daily Kos

Joseph W. McQuaid / unionleader.com:
Ron Paul is truly dangerous

Discussion: The Politico, USA Today, Real Clear Politics, The Raw Story, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

An Election Year Dawns Without Keith Olbermann — Keith Olbermann, who came to Current TV this year to remake the channel and compete against his old home, MSNBC, is sitting out the biggest political nights of the season. — Despite being the biggest star on the fledging channel …

Discussion: FishbowlDC and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Welcome To Verizon Wireless:

Customers Encouraged to Use Options to Avoid Single Payment Fee That Starts Jan. 15 — Customer Inquiries — For customer inquiries, please call 800-922-0204 or go to — Verizon Wireless offers customers numerous free and simple payment options and we encourage customers to use those options.

Discussion: New York Times, The Verge, The Daily Caller, Gothamist and Bits

Malia Zimmerman / Hawaii Reporter:

Occupy Hawaii Island Movement Plans Protest Near Pelosi's Posh Hawaiian Hotel — BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN - U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, one of the most powerful supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement, may be in the right place at the right time to protest with the Big Island branch of the movement, Occupy Hawaii Island.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Penny Starr / CNSNews:
Tournament of Roses to Occupiers: You Can't March in Our Parade

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Lonely Conservative, Michelle Malkin, The Gateway Pundit and Scared Monkeys

Don Walton / Lincoln Journal Star:

Beutler brushes off Senate speculation; Nelson staff mulls campaign funds — Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler on Thursday brushed aside reports putting him on a wish list of leading 2012 Democratic Senate prospects in the wake of Sen. Ben Nelson's decision not to seek re-election.

Discussion: Ballot Box, Hotline On Call and National Review