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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:
TalkLeft, Slate, National Review, Washington Examiner, The Politico, The Huffington Post, Democracy in America, Taylor Marsh, Ballot Box, American Spectator, Patterico's Pontifications, Weekly Standard, Talking Points Memo, Ross Douthat, Campaign Stops, Sister Toldjah, The Gateway Pundit, Pundit & Pundette, Riehl World View, BizzyBlog, GOP 12, Daily Pundit, Erick's blog and New York Times
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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:


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 …


Romney Wins Iowa Caucus by 8 Votes — “Onto New Hampshire, let's get that job done!” Mitt Romney told supporters before being declared the winner. More Photos » — DES MOINES — Mitt Romney's quest to swiftly lock down the Republican presidential nomination with a commanding finish …
Discussion:
The Caucus, ThinkProgress, Washington Post, The Politico, Campaign 2012, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, ABCNEWS, Iowa Caucuses, CNN, Guardian, Ballot Box, Pressthink, Reuters, Firedoglake, The Iowa Republican, The Atlantic Online, Capital New York, No More Mister Nice Blog, Shakesville, Outside the Beltway, pandagon.net, Scared Monkeys, Marbury, Wake up America, Gothamist and The Page, more at Mediagazer »

McCain To Endorse Romney Tomorrow — The 2008 Republican nominee will endorse his former rival in New Hampshire, a source tells BuzzFeed. The move will give Romney some high-profile good news after a close and ambiguous finish in Iowa. — (Getty Images / Mark Wilson)

Michele Bachmann Drops Out of Presidential Race — Rep. Michele Bachmann will “suspend her campaign,” a senior campaign official told ABC News today, hours after placing last in the Iowa caucuses and vowing to continue in South Carolina. — Bachmann cancelled plans to travel to South Carolina …
Discussion:
Above the Law, The Moderate Voice, The Other McCain and American Spectator

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:
ThinkProgress and GOP 12


Rickrolled: Three Lessons from Iowa … - Is the Virginia Law Keeping Perry and Gingrich Off the Ballot Constitutional? — The Real Threat to Marriage Isn't Gay Marriage—It's Straight Civil Unions — The App That Keeps You Going to the Gym by Charging You Money When You Don't
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The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, The Mahablog, Washington Post, Austin American-Statesman, Political Mojo, Don Surber, The Politico, Wonkette, The New Republic, Iowa Caucuses, LifeNews.com, FrumForum, The Spectacle Blog, Weekly Standard, The Daily Dish, RedState, Campaign 2012, GOP 12 and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »


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.

Bachmann ends GOP presidential bid — (CNN) - Michele Bachmann ended her bid for the Republican presidential nomination Wednesday, hours after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. — The Minnesota congresswoman suspended her campaign, a legal technicality that will allow …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Breitbart.tv, Bleeding Heartland, Wonkette, Taylor Marsh and The Gateway Pundit

Gingrich Floats Idea of Anti-Romney Alliance — In an interview with Laura Ingraham, Newt Gingrich raised the possibility of creating an anti-Mitt Romney alliance with Rick Santorum. — Ingraham: Can you see a scenario under which the two of you would align together to try to defeat the establishment candidate, Mitt Romney?
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Wake up America, Atlas Shrugs and Michelle Malkin


Iowa Results Show Romney's Weakness Even Against GOP ‘Unelectables’ — What can you say about an alleged frontrunner who could barely top the Man-on-Dog guy? If Mitt Romney can't beat Rick Santorum, he ought to find another party to run in. — You gotta love a party in which Mitt Romney …
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE and Saint Petersblog


Bachmann ends campaign — Michele Bachmann announced Wednesday morning that she would drop her presidential bid following her sixth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday. — “Last night, the people in Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, and so I have decided to step aside,” Bachmann told supporters in West Des Moines.
Discussion:
The Politico, Pundits Blog, The Political Carnival and Outside the Beltway

First Thoughts: What we learned from last night
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Washington Wire, The Politico, Associated Press, The Atlantic Online and Wall Street Journal

DNC chairwoman: Romney's Iowa caucus win is ‘a loss’
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Politico, CNN and Weasel Zippers

Bachmann cancels South Carolina trip
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Associated Press, Mediaite, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, Nice Deb and PoliPundit.com

Bachmann Ends Presidential Bid
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TalkLeft, Esquire, CNN, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice and Political Watch

Rick Santorum, Social Conservative Hero
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neo-neocon and Outside the Beltway

Iowa caucus results: Reality check coming for Santorum
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The Daily Beast, New York Times, The Week, USA Today, ABCNEWS, Mediaite and Ballot Box

Rick Santorum Compares ‘Social Welfare Programs’ Like Medicaid To Fascism In Iowa Speech
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money

Oedipus Rex Complex
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Prairie Weather and The Moderate Voice

Iowa's Opening Skirmish
Discussion:
BizzyBlog, The Radio Patriot and National Review

“We have nearly reached the Rubicon when the ‘not Romney’ crowd is pining for Jon Huntsman”
Discussion:
USA Today, CNN, Erick's blog, CBS News, americanthinker.com, Reaganite Republican, Brilliant at Breakfast and Pirate's Cove


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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America's Consumer Watchdog — Today the President will appoint Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He has one important job: look out for the best interest of American consumers. He'll work on behalf of millions of families across the nation to ensure they're …

GOP blasts Obama for ‘unprecedented power grab’ with appointment — Republican leaders in the House and Senate are blasting President Obama's move to recess-appoint a key nominee as an “unprecedented power grab.” — Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the president …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, U.S. Senate Republican … and Pat Dollard


Boehner: Richard Cordray appointment ‘unprecedented power grab’ by Obama
Discussion:
Balloon Juice

White House Concludes It Can Appoint Cordray
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Firedoglake, The Politico, Bloomberg, Political Mojo, ThinkProgress and americanthinker.com

Obama bypassing Senate to appoint Richard Cordray consumer chief
Discussion:
The Hill, The Volokh Conspiracy and American Spectator

Perry: ‘Here we come, South Carolina!’ (Updated) — Despite his announcement last night that he would return to Texas and “reassess” his campaign, Rick Perry's tweet just now suggests he's not done just yet: … Perry's continued presence in the race is a net positive for Romney …
Discussion:
LifeNews.com and GOP 12
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Rick Perry not suspending campaign, going to South Carolina (Reader poll added)
Discussion:
The Hill, Hot Air, Iowa Caucuses and Marathon Pundit


Ron Paul calls Newt Gingrich a ‘chickenhawk’ — Ron Paul came out swinging Wednesday against Newt Gingrich for calling him a dangerous candidate, dubbing Gingrich a chickenhawk who avoided the Vietnam War. — “I don't want to fight a war that's unconstitutional and I'm the dangerous person?
Discussion:
Hot Air and The Hinterland Gazette
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TRENDING: Paul: Gingrich a ‘chickenhawk’
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The Hill, Indecision Forever and CBS News