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Everything You Heard Last Night Was Bull, Perry Might Want to Stay In, & a Newtlear Attack — As you wake up this morning, Rick Santorum only lost to Mitt Romney by 8 votes. Santorum spent about a dollar per vote and Romney spent hundreds of dollars for his votes.
Discussion:
Slate, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, The Politico, The Other McCain, National Review, Washington Examiner, American Spectator, Indecision Forever, Talking Points Memo, Outside the Beltway, Ballot Box, The Huffington Post, Weekly Standard, Patterico's Pontifications, Democracy in America, Guardian, Taylor Marsh, TalkLeft, Campaign Stops, The Gateway Pundit, GOP 12, BizzyBlog, Pundit & Pundette, Hot Air, Riehl World View and Sister Toldjah
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Newt the Destroyer — Gingrich is now on a single-minded mission to detonate Mitt Romney's presidential prospects. Will he blow up the GOP in the process? — Newt Gingrich has finally reached his destiny: destroyer of the GOP. — In a bitter and spiteful concession speech last night in Iowa …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, CNN, Gawker, Rod Dreher and Indecision Forever

Winning Ugly, but Winning — I don't care if you call it a win or a tie. In Iowa on Tuesday, Mitt Romney had a performance that looks ugly on the stat sheet , but which accomplished quite a bit when you consider it in its broader context. — The two most important things that Mr. Romney accomplished are as follows:
Discussion:
msnbc.com, National Review, ABCNEWS, Newshoggers.com and Associated Press


Ron Paul May Have Secretly Won The Iowa Caucuses — DES MOINES — Ron Paul may have officially come in third tonight, but if the campaign's caucus strategy went off as planned, then Paul may actually be the real winner of the first Republican voting contest.

Conservative elites to huddle — A group of movement conservatives has called an emergency meeting in Texas next weekend to find a “consensus” Republican presidential hopeful, POLITICO has learned. — “You and your spouse are cordially invited to a private meeting with national conservative leaders …
Discussion:
USA Today, The Hill, Indecision Forever, FreakOutNation, ThinkProgress and Connecting.the.Dots

Perry stays in presidential race, says it 'wasn't a hard decision' — Gov. Rick Perry said today he will continue his presidential campaign despite a fifth-place showing in the Tuesday Iowa caucuses and serious questions about whether he can continue. “I re-assessed,” Perry said as he left …
Discussion:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Los Angeles Times, Sister Toldjah and Pundit & Pundette


Bachmann Ends Presidential Run — Source — Rep. Michele Bachmann is suspending her presidential campaign, said a senior Republican official with direct knowledge of the lawmaker's plans. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Minnesota lawmaker, a favorite …


Gingrich Commits Political Malpractice — Rick Perry said, “Oops.” — Newt Gingrich lived oops. — Gingrich never committed the kind of nationally televised blunder that Perry did - failing to remember the three government agencies he would close if he became president. But make no mistake.
Discussion:
Hot Air and NO QUARTER


Morning Jay: What Iowa Tells Us About the State of the Race — Mitt Romney received eight more votes in the Iowa caucuses than Rick Santorum. The media is spinning this as if it matters who actually receives more votes. It really doesn't. This is a battle for delegates — a long one.

This Race is Far From Over — RUSH: I can't tell you the number …
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, GOP 12 and The Gateway Pundit

Obama wins Iowa — without even campaigning!
Discussion:
The Politico, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com and No More Mister Nice Blog

Michele Bachmann Drops Out of Presidential Race
Discussion:
CBS News, The Politico, The Other McCain, Above the Law, Datechguy's Blog, The Moderate Voice, BizzyBlog and American Spectator

Credit Santorum with sinking Ron Paul
Discussion:
Saint Petersblog


Rick Perry surprises staff, stays in race
Discussion:
The Hill, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Iowa Caucuses, American Prospect, Hit & Run and Daily Kos

Rickrolled: Three Lessons from Iowa
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Investor's Business Daily, The Daily Beast, Firedoglake, News Desk, Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, Balloon Juice, The New Republic, Austin American-Statesman, Wonkette, The Mahablog, FrumForum, Don Surber, Iowa Caucuses, The Politico, The Spectacle Blog, The Daily Dish and Political Mojo

Iowa Results Show Romney's Weakness Even Against GOP ‘Unelectables’
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, CANNONFIRE and Saint Petersblog

Romney Wins Iowa Caucus by 8 Votes
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Politico, Washington Post, CNN, Pressthink, Campaign 2012, Iowa Caucuses, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Ballot Box, ABCNEWS, Associated Press, Reuters, ThinkProgress, Feministing, Outside the Beltway, pandagon.net, Firedoglake, Scared Monkeys, No More Mister Nice Blog, Capital New York, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Gothamist and Wake up America

Gingrich Floats Idea of Anti-Romney Alliance
Discussion:
Reuters, Los Angeles Times, Wake up America, Atlas Shrugs and Michelle Malkin

Perry: ‘Here we come, South Carolina!’ (Updated)
Discussion:
CNN, GOP 12 and LifeNews.com


AP sources: Obama bucks GOP, OKs consumer watchdog — WASHINGTON (AP) — In a defiant display of executive power, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will buck GOP opposition and name Richard Cordray as the nation's chief consumer watchdog even though the Senate contends the move is inappropriate …
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Breaking: Obama also set to make recess appointments to the NLRB — It isn't just Richard Cordray. Obama is also set to use recess appointments to install his picks to the National Labor Relations Board, according to White House officials and others familiar with ongoing discussions.

Reid backs Obama after using pro forma sessions to block Bush — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who previously held pro forma sessions to block recess appointments by President George W. Bush, said Wednesday he supported President Obama's decision to ignore those sessions to push through one of his key nominees.
Discussion:
National Review, Mediaite and Weasel Zippers

President Obama defies lawmakers with recess appointments to NLRB — President Obama will recess-appoint his nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), bypassing a likely filibuster from Senate Republicans to keep the controversial agency operating in 2012.
Discussion:
CNN and Outside the Beltway


Obama makes 3 NLRB recess appointments — After making an end run around Senate Republicans with a recess appointment to fill the top job at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday, President Barack Obama ran the same play again a few hours later with three recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board.
Discussion:
The White House, ACS Blog, Hot Air, ThinkProgress and The Political Carnival

Court fight over recess appointments ‘almost certain,’ Chamber says — The recess appointments President Obama announced Wednesday are “almost certain” to be challenged in court, according to a top official with the nation's largest business lobby. — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit

America's Consumer Watchdog
Discussion:
tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, Firedoglake, Cato @ Liberty, Washington Post, Associated Press, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Politico, The Caucus, The Hill, Political Mojo, A plain blog about politics, The New Republic, Washington Wire, The Heritage Foundation, Outside the Beltway, ACS Blog, Booman Tribune, Michelle Malkin and The Raw Story

Recess Appointment of Richard Cordray Despite Pro Forma Sessions

Obama defies Congress with ‘recess’ picks
Discussion:
The Heritage Foundation and Campaign 2012


BREAKING: Obama To Make Recess Appointments To National Labor Relations Board
Discussion:
The Political Carnival

GOP blasts Obama for ‘unprecedented power grab’ with appointment
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Shakesville, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Monthly, Speaker, ThinkProgress, Nice Deb, Pat Dollard and emptywheel

Obama to GOP: Get the heck out of the way
Discussion:
Reuters, Daily Kos and Campaign 2012

Obama under strong pressure to break precedent on recess appointments
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, CNN, Washington Post and Moe Lane

McConnell's concern for ‘precedent’
Discussion:
U.S. Senate Republican …, Crooks and Liars and White House.gov Blog


Dallas teen missing since 2010 was mistakenly deported — DALLAS - “It's very frustrating,” Lorene Turner said. — She has spent hours on Facebook trying to find her granddaughter, Jakadrien. — “Once I get home I am up until 3 or 4 in the morning searching and looking,” Turner said.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, theGrio, utsandiego.com, Gawker, The Raw Story, msnbc.com and emptywheel

Gregoire proposes legislation to legalize gay marriage — Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday said she'll put forward legislation to legalize marriage for gay and lesbian couples. — The proposal will be introduced during the legislative session that starts Monday.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Daily Kos, Taegan Goddard's … and Towleroad News #gay

California Train Plan Hits Bump Over Funds — SAN FRANCISCO—California's ambitious plan for a high-speed rail system hit a big roadblock Tuesday, as an independent panel urged lawmakers to deny authorizing the issuance of $2.7 billion in bonds to kick off the $98.5 billion project.
Discussion:
Via Meadia, The Informer and ThinkProgress
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The Meaning of Mitt — Mitt Romney has long been a front-runner for the G.O.P. nomination—even if no one really knows who he is. Digging into the candidate's record as a Mormon leader, his business deals at Bain Capital, and that infamous car trip with the family dog strapped to the roof …
Discussion:
Wonkette, Craig Crawford's Trail Mix and FishbowlDC