The trouble with my uncle, Rick Santorum  —  If you want another big-government politician who supports the status quo to run our country, you should vote for my uncle, Rick Santorum.  America is based on a strong belief in individual liberty.  My uncle's interventionist policies …

Workers of the World, Unite!  —  The Republican Party is the party of the white working class.  This group — whites with high school degrees and maybe some college — is still the largest block in the electorate.  They overwhelmingly favor Republicans.  —  It's a diverse group, obviously …

Why Iowa gets to go first, and other facts about tonight's caucus  —  (Jessica Reilly) David Redlawsk is a political scientist at Rutgers University and co-author of “Why Iowa?  How Caucuses and Sequential Elections improve the Nominating Process.”  We spoke earlier today …

Santorum: States Should Have The Right To Outlaw Birth Control  —  Rick Santorum reiterated his belief that states should have the right to outlaw contraception during an interview with ABC News yesterday, saying, “The state has a right to do that, I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that.

Gingrich: Mitt Romney is a liar  —  PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO  —  Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose support in Iowa has withered after riding on top of the polls, today called former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney a liar who would lie to the American people if elected to the White House …

When will media demand that Mitt Romney back up his claims about jobs?  —  I don't know how to be any clearer about this, but here goes.  It is now beyond doubt that Mitt Romney will be resting his case against Obama on two core claims.  —  The first: At Bain Capital, Romney created over 100,000 jobs …

Michelle Obama's backside is your business how?  —  Can you imagine how the incident would play out if an African American congressman made a crude remark about First Lady Laura Bush's body?  It certainly would have taken more than an insincere apology to wash that sin away.

Bad-Faith Journalism  —  PolitiFact tacks right, further illustrating why its approach is wrong.  —  It's not as eagerly awaited as Time's “Man of the Year” was back when people paid attention to Time, but PolitiFact's “Lie of the Year” nonetheless manages to generate a lot of chatter, aimed as it is at those who chatter for a living.

RNC: Five states to lose half their delegates  —  The five states that bucked national Republican Party rules by moving up their primary or caucus dates have been penalized with the loss of half their delegates to the August nominating convention in Tampa, Fla. — and there is no chance they're getting them back.

Taliban leaders held at Guantánamo Bay to be released in peace talks deal  —  US agrees in principle to releasing top officials from Afghanistan insurgent group in exchange for starting process of negotiations  —  The US has agreed in principle to release high-ranking Taliban officials …

Perry: ‘This is Omaha Beach’  —  WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — With a sense of history on the biggest political day — to date — of the 2012 cycle, Texas Gov. Rick Perry today compared the GOP's quest to defeat President Barack Obama to one of the deadliest battles of the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944.

Krugman's response to Alex  —  You'll read it here, see also various (mostly weak) responses in the comments to Alex's original post.  Most of you, including Krugman, are missing Alex's point.  The issue is not that Krugman changed his mind (I've done that plenty, Alex too).

Huckabee: Rs more interested in defeating Obama than in rebuilding USA (audio)  —  Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, victor in the 2008 Iowa Caucuses, called into the Radio Iowa newsroom this morning for a chat.  I'll be posted snippets over the next few hours.

New York City Police Arrest Suspect in String of Firebomb Attacks  —  Police arrested a suspect Tuesday in connection with the firebombing of an Islamic cultural center and four other New York City area sites.  —  The suspect confessed to five incidents in total, including the attack …

Iran warns U.S. carrier not to return to Persian Gulf  —  Handout/Reuters - Iranian naval ships take part in a naval parade on the last day of the Velayat-90 war game in the Sea of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.  Iran's army chief has warned an American aircraft carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf.

Meteor shower to kick off 2012  —  If you snooze you'll lose Wednesday morning, when a little known but active meteor shower will start 2012 for people stalwart enough to brave the chilly hours before dawn.  —  The Quadrantids, named for a now-extinct constellation, will be visible …

God Tells Robertson that ‘Radical’ Obama will Bring Down America  —  Last year, Robertson claimed God told him that America's future will be bleak because of debt and divisions, and today on The 700 Club said that God again communicated to him that financial problems and partisan politics are going to bring America into decline.

US Closes 2011 With Record $15.22 Trillion In Debt, Officially At 100.3% Debt/GDP, $14 Billion From Breaching Debt Ceiling  —  While not news to Zero Hedge readers who knew about the final debt settlement of US debt about 10 days ahead of schedule, it is now official: according to the US Treasury …

Romney Gets More Tart on Newt with Sean  —  On Hannity's radio show Tuesday afternoon, Bay Stater says, “Newt's obviously a very angry person.”  —  Ex-MA Guv: “I'm glad that Newt is no longer relentlessly positive.  Now apparently he's going to try the relentlessly negative.

W.H. to Boehner: Ditch the GOP, pass bills  —  John Boehner walks to a news conference on the payroll tax cut with Eric Cantor on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011.  AP Photo  —  A senior White House official challenged House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to buck his own Republican conference …

TPMDC  —  Obama Misses Key Window For Empowering Top Consumer Watchdog  —  Today was the day that legal experts and many aides in both parties thought President Obama would provide a recess appointment to Richard Cordray, his nominee to administer the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Iran Missile Drill Results Exaggerated, Images Photoshopped Previously  —  TEHRAN, Iran - At first, Iran claimed it had launched three long range missiles; a pronouncement at the end of ten days of war games in the Strait of Hormuz designed to test the patience of western nations as they weigh how to sanction Iran's oil exports.

The Next War: Pentagon to Present Vision of Reduced Military  —  WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is set this week to reveal his strategy that will guide the Pentagon in cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from its budget, and with it the Obama administration's vision …