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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.
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Slate, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com, The Politico, The Other McCain, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, National Review, Campaign 2012, American Spectator, Washington Examiner, Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, Patterico's Pontifications, Indecision Forever, Guardian, Taylor Marsh, Ballot Box, Weekly Standard, Democracy in America, TalkLeft, Outside the Beltway, Campaign Stops, The Daily Dish, The Gateway Pundit, GOP 12, Hot Air, BizzyBlog, Pundit & Pundette, Daily Pundit, 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:
CNN, The Atlantic Online, BuzzFeed, Rod Dreher, Indecision Forever, Gawker and Balloon Juice


After Iowa caucuses, GOP elites seek ‘consensus’ candidate — 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 …
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CNN, USA Today, The Caucus, Reuters, 2012 Decoded, The Hill, Indecision Forever, Washington Post, FreakOutNation, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos, Mediaite and Business Insider

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:
New York Times, The Caucus, msnbc.com, National Review, Feministing, ABCNEWS, Newshoggers.com, Associated Press, CNN, neo-neocon, The Week and Saint Petersblog

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 …
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Los Angeles Times, Sister Toldjah and Pundit & Pundette

Newt won't congratulate Mitt on win — POLITICO's Ginger Gibson reports:
Discussion:
Reuters and TheBlaze.com

This Race is Far From Over — RUSH: I can't tell you the number of people — and I stayed up all the way until they found the votes. My gosh, I thought I was watching the Democrats last night. Ninety-nine percent of the votes in and they can't find the votes from two counties. They couldn't find 'em.
Discussion:
Campaign 2012 and The Gateway Pundit

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

Rick Santorum is coming for your birth control
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Crooks and Liars, Guardian, Political Mojo and Booman Tribune

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

For McCain, a Choice Between Old Enemies
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Washington Monthly, Philly.com, Sister Toldjah and Connecting.the.Dots

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

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

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

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

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.
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Political Mojo, Washington Monthly, American Prospect, The Hill, Daily Kos, Main Street, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Big Government
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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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Speaker, WSJ Blogs - WSJ, The Hill, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Jared Bernstein, The Radio Patriot, Main Street, The Raw Story, Business Insider, The Politico, Weasel Zippers, Marathon Pundit, The Hill, American Glob, Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress, The New Republic and White House Dossier

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.
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National Review, Hot Air, Mediaite and Weasel Zippers

Obama under strong pressure to break precedent on recess appointments — President Obama is under strong pressure from liberals to use his recess-appointment power during the congressional break, but doing so would break 20 years of precedent, putting him in a tough position.
Discussion:
The Politico, CNN, The Daily Caller, Washington Post and Moe Lane

Richard Cordray: Any Legislation Which Has Even “Incidental Effects on the Economy” is a “Valid Exercise of Congressional Authority” — President Obama announced today that he was going to take a new step in the expansion of executive authority by recess appointing a head …
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Hot Air, NationalJournal.com, Political Mojo, The Heritage Foundation, Verum Serum and Prairie Weather

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

America's Consumer Watchdog
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tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, Washington Post, Cato @ Liberty, Associated Press, Firedoglake, The Caucus, The Politico, The Volokh Conspiracy, The New Republic, Washington Wire, The Hill, A plain blog about politics, Taylor Marsh, Booman Tribune, The Heritage Foundation, ACS Blog, Michelle Malkin, The Raw Story and National Review

President Obama defies lawmakers with recess appointments to NLRB
Discussion:
CNN and Outside the Beltway

Court fight over recess appointments ‘almost certain,’ Chamber says
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit


Obama makes 3 NLRB recess appointments
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The White House, Hot Air, ACS Blog, ThinkProgress and The Political Carnival

Recess Appointment of Richard Cordray Despite Pro Forma Sessions

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

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

McConnell's concern for ‘precedent’
Discussion:
U.S. Senate Republican …, Balloon Juice and Crooks and Liars


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.
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Firedoglake, theGrio, utsandiego.com, Gawker, Hullabaloo, The Raw Story, msnbc.com, emptywheel and The Agitator


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.
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Army soldier rallying for Paul violated military ban on political activity
Discussion:
Political Mojo, Outside the Beltway and Big Government

Credit Santorum with sinking Ron Paul
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Saint Petersblog

Suddenly, a fun candidate
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Mediaite, Don Surber, ABCNEWS, The Daily Caller and Eunomia


Keith Olbermann Blasts Current TV; Internal Memo Reveals Tension Over GOP Primary — “I was not given a legitimate opportunity to host under acceptable conditions,” Olbermann said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. “They know it and we know it. Telling half the story is wrong.”
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Hot Air, Mediaite, National Review and The Politico, more at Mediagazer »

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, Towleroad News #gay and Joe. My. God.


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