memeorandum: Gingrich places fourth, slams Romney and praises Santorum (Matthew Boyle/The Daily Caller)

11:05 PM ET, January 4, 2012

Top Items:

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 Daily Caller, CNN, Rod Dreher, Indecision Forever, The Atlantic Online, Gawker, msnbc.com, BuzzFeed and Balloon Juice

Kevin Drum / Political Mojo:

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Mitt Romney? — Mitt Romney has a win in Iowa under his belt and is now headed to the friendlier environs of New Hampshire, where he's got a good chance of all but wrapping up the Republican nomination. Turns out, though, that this poses a problem for the Obama campaign …

Discussion: Swampland, New York Times and Truthdig

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

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 …

Discussion: CNN, Liberal Values, The Caucus, Taegan Goddard's …, USA Today, Washington Post, Reuters, Indecision Forever, FreakOutNation, 2012 Decoded, Washington Monthly, The Hill, ThinkProgress and Business Insider

George F. Will / Washington Post:

Suddenly, a fun candidate — The complaint that Iowa is not a typical American state is true but trivial because there is no such state. Can you name one whose political culture, closely considered, is more like than unlike any other state's? Anyway, someplace has to go first …

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, Mediaite, Don Surber, The Daily Caller, ABCNEWS and Eunomia

Emily Schultheis / The Politico:

Newt won't congratulate Mitt on win — POLITICO's Ginger Gibson reports:

Discussion: Hot Air, TheBlaze.com and Reuters

Jay Cost / Weekly Standard:

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.

Discussion: Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Power Line, Associated Press, Progressive Policy Institute, Washington Wire, Vodkapundit, The Atlantic Online and New Hampshire Journal

Erick Erickson / Erick's blog:
Everything You Heard Last Night Was Bull, Perry Might Want to Stay In, & a Newtlear Attack

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Winning Ugly, but Winning — I don't care if you call it a win or a tie.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Caucus, Feministing, National Review, msnbc.com, Wake up America, ABCNEWS and Newshoggers.com

Bill / Pundits Blog:
Obama wins Iowa — without even campaigning!

Discussion: The Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog and 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com

Irin Carmon / Salon:
Rick Santorum is coming for your birth control

Discussion: Political Mojo, Campaign 2012, Guardian and Booman Tribune

Major Garrett / NationalJournal.com:
Gingrich Commits Political Malpractice

Discussion: Hot Air and NO QUARTER

Jonathan Weisman / The Caucus:
For McCain, a Choice Between Old Enemies

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, Washington Monthly, Philly.com and Connecting.the.Dots

Ron Fournier / NationalJournal.com:
Bachmann Ends Presidential Run — Source

Discussion: CNN, Washington Monthly, Wonkette, Big Government, THEROOT.COM, American Prospect, Indecision Forever, Right Wing Watch, The Caucus, The Hinterland Gazette and Towleroad News #gay

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:
Gingrich places fourth, slams Romney and praises Santorum

Discussion: Slate, Washington Post, Eunomia, Patchwork Nation, Online NewsHour, Iowa Caucuses, Daily Pundit, Gawker and GOP 12

Stephen Gutowski / MRCTV:

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 …

Discussion: Hot Air, NationalJournal.com, Outside the Beltway, Verum Serum, Nice Deb and Prairie Weather

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

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.

Discussion: Political Mojo, Speaker, ThinkProgress, The Hill, Firedoglake, American Prospect, Main Street, The Political Carnival, The Heritage Foundation, Daily Kos, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Monthly, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Breitbart.tv

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

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, Washington Post, CNN, The Daily Caller and Moe Lane

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

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

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

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: The Politico, National Review, Thoughts From A …, Weasel Zippers, Speaker, Hot Air, Mediaite, Viking Pundit and White House Dossier

Dan Pfeiffer / White House.gov Blog:
America's Consumer Watchdog

Brad Plumer / Washington Post:
With Cordray appointment, Obama sets new precedent

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Caucus, Political Mojo, ThinkProgress and The New Republic

Washington Times:
Obama defies Congress with ‘recess’ picks

Discussion: Power Line, The Heritage Foundation and Campaign 2012

Richard Cordray / The White House:
President Obama Announces Recess Appointments to Key Administration Posts

Discussion: ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

John Elwood / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Recess Appointment of Richard Cordray Despite Pro Forma Sessions

Discussion: Law Blog, Campaign 2012, White House.gov Blog, The Caucus, Outside the Beltway, Gawker, Daily Kos, The Heritage Foundation, Los Angeles Times, National Review, Michelle Malkin and Daily Pundit

Jason Embry / Austin American-Statesman:

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, New York Times, Hot Air, Los Angeles Times, Sister Toldjah and Pundit & Pundette

Grace Wyler / Business Insider:
Ron Paul May Have Secretly Won The Iowa Caucuses

Discussion: NPR, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Firedoglake, Wake up America, The Hill, NO QUARTER, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Hit & Run, A plain blog about politics, New York Times and Guardian

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Credit Santorum with sinking Ron Paul

Discussion: Saint Petersblog

Rush Limbaugh:
This Race is Far From Over — RUSH: I can't tell you the number …

Discussion: Campaign 2012 and The Gateway Pundit

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Rick Perry surprises staff, stays in race

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Iowa Caucuses, Hot Air, LifeNews.com, Hit & Run, GOP 12, The Hill and Daily Kos

Chris Carlson / ABCNEWS:
Michele Bachmann Drops Out of Presidential Race

Discussion: CBS News, Above the Law, The Politico, BizzyBlog, The Moderate Voice, The Other McCain, American Spectator and Datechguy's Blog

NRO Symposium / National Review:
What Iowa Means — The Iowa caucuses provide four big takeaways:

Discussion: Salon.com, Clayton Cramer's Blog, Roger L. Simon, Guardian, Campaign Stops, The Huffington Post and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Rebecca Lopez / WFAA-TV:

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

Hollie McKay / Fox News:

Do Musicians Block GOP Candidates From Using Their Songs? — When GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's team was looking for a theme song for his campaign, Kid Rock's hit “Born Free” hit a chord. But instead of doing what countless other politicians before him had done …

Discussion: Big Hollywood and No More Mister Nice Blog

Wall Street Journal:

Kodak Teeters on the Brink — Eastman Kodak Co. is preparing to seek bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would cap a stunning comedown for a company that once ranked among America's corporate titans. — The 131-year-old company …

Discussion: Guardian, The Verge, Atlas Shrugs and AllThingsD, more at Techmeme »

Marisa Guthrie / Hollywood Reporter:

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.”

Discussion: Hot Air, National Review, Mediaite and The Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Marie Diamond / ThinkProgress:

New Hampshire GOP Bill Mandates That New Laws Find Their Origin In 1215 English Magna Carta — New Hampshire Republicans are taking textual originalism to a whole new level: three lawmakers have proposed a bill that requires that all legislation find its origin not in the U.S. constitution, but an English document crafted in 1215.

Discussion: Wonkette and Angry Black Lady Chronicles

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Romney vs. Obama on job creation — “And I'm very happy in my former life; we helped create over 100,000 new jobs. By the way, we created more jobs in Massachusetts than this president's created in the entire country. So if the president wants to talk about jobs, and I hope he does …