memeorandum: Evangelicals Hurry to Find Alternative to Romney (Erik Eckholm/New York Times)

7:15 PM ET, January 7, 2012

Top Items:

Rick Santorum focuses on gay marriage — He suggests to a New Hampshire audience that an imprisoned father is preferable to a same-sex parent. — Mitt Romney leaves a campaign event outside an old peanut warehouse in Conway, S.C. (David Goldman, AP / January 6, 2012)

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Sky Dancing, The Camp Of The Saints, CANNONFIRE, Outside the Beltway, American Power, The Other McCain, The Political Carnival, Datechguy's Blog, Balloon Juice, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Dish and Joe. My. God.

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

All We Are Saying . . . The establishment usually wins. That, after all, is what it means to be an establishment. But not always. Three of the last six presidents—Jimmy Carter in 1976, Ronald Reagan in 1980, and Barack Obama in 2008—ran against their own party's powerbrokers …

Discussion: The Politico, American Spectator, Outside the Beltway and Washington Monthly

Danny Yadron / Washington Wire:

Santorum: All Students Shouldn't Be Pushed to Go to College — GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — Former Sen. Rick Santorum expanded his populist message into education Saturday, accusing President Barack Obama and others of “snobbery” for pushing all kids to go to college.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, The Hill and Mediaite

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

Rick Santorum to get Gary Bauer endorsement Sunday — Gary Bauer, a leader in the social conservative movement, will endorse Rick Santorum's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination Sunday in South Carolina, according to a person close to Bauer. — Bauer, who chairs the Campaign …

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Hot Air

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:

Gary Bauer to endorse Rick Santorum — Social conservative leader and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer will endorse Rick Santorum in South Carolina, he confirmed to The Hill on Saturday. — Bauer said that he didn't want to get into the details of the endorsement since …

Discussion: CNN

Travis Waldron / ThinkProgress:

Santorum Accuses Obama Of ‘Elitist Snobbery’ For Wanting Every Child To Go To College — ThinkProgress filed this report from Amherst, New Hampshire — President Obama has laid out an ambitious agenda for America's high school students, stating that by 2020, he wants the United States …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and The Political Carnival

Universal Uclick / uExpress:
SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES UNITE FOR SANTORUM

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Balloon Juice and National Review

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Romney pushing for four-state streak to steamroll GOP opponents

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and American Power

MiamiHerald.com:
Santorum again stresses social issues at event in N.H., criticizing gay marriage

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Little Green Footballs

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

Paul pushback on Huntsman video — Ron Paul supporters have pushed back furiously in the last 24 hours on the charge that one Paul backer posted an offensive video questioning Jon Huntsman's national loyalty, and showing clips of Huntsman speaking Mandarin with his adopted Chinese daughter.

Discussion: The Caucus, Erick's blog, The Spectacle Blog and Connecting.the.Dots

Emily Goodin / Ballot Box:

Huntsman's New Hampshire strategy: ‘Speak from the heart’ — MANCHESTER — Jon Huntsman stopped by his Manchester headquarters Saturday afternoon to drop off chicken tenders for his supporters and rally his troops. — The former Utah governor, who is counting on a strong performance …

Discussion: CNN

Jodi Kantor / New York Times:

Michelle Obama and the Evolution of a First Lady — Michelle Obama was privately fuming, not only at the president's team, but also at her husband. — In the days after the Democrats lost Edward Kennedy's Senate seat in January 2010, Barack Obama was even-keeled as usual in meetings …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Hullabaloo, JustOneMinute, The Impolitic, TalkLeft, Bangor Daily News, Weasel Zippers and Chicago magazine

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
‘The Obamas’: Book Reveals Friction Between Rahm Emanuel, Michelle Obama (UPDATE)

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Angry Black Lady Chronicles, iOwnTheWorld.com, Firedoglake, Guardian, The Politico and Lynn Sweet

Raf Sanchez / Telegraph:
Michelle Obama ‘raged against Rahm Emmanuel and White House advisors’

Discussion: Doug Ross, The Gateway Pundit and Atlas Shrugs

Ventura County / Ventura County Star Stories:

Rep. Elton Gallegly to retire — U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, the longest serving congressional representative in Ventura County history, announced this morning that he will not seek re-election and will retire at the end of the current Congress.

Discussion: Hullabaloo and Daily Kos

Peter Schroeder / The Hill: Rep. Gallegly to retire

Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:
Gallegly to retire — Rep. Elton Gallegly will not seek reelection …

Discussion: Capitol Alert

msnbc.com:

NBC/Marist Poll: Romney has 20-point lead in N.H.; Santorum gets Iowa bounce — A new NBC News-Marist poll of NH Republicans shows Romney with a 20-point lead. NBC's Chuck Todd reports. — Just four days until Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Scared Monkeys, The Moderate Voice, Franklin Center, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com and Rasmussen Reports

ABCNEWS:
Republican Candidates Ready to Rumble in Key New Hampshire Debate

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative and Power Line

Erik Eckholm / New York Times:
Evangelicals Hurry to Find Alternative to Romney

Discussion: The Caucus, ABCNEWS, Good As You, Washington Post, Prairie Weather and Daily Kos

Mark Steyn / National Review:

The Left's So-Called Empathy — Lest you doubt that we're headed for the most vicious election year in memory, consider the determined effort, within ten minutes of his triumph in Iowa, to weirdify Rick Santorum. Discussing the surging senator on Fox News, Alan Colmes mused on some of the “crazy things” he's said and done.

Discussion: Don Surber and Pundit & Pundette

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:

The G.O.P.'s ‘Black People’ Platform — That didn't take long. — As we've gotten around to casting votes to select a Republican presidential nominee, the antiblack rhetoric has taken center stage. — You just have to love (and despise) this kind of predictability.

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette, The PJ Tatler, CBS News, The Huffington Post, Wonkette and Booman Tribune

American Prospect:

Occupying Grand Central Station — Five hundred people returned to Zuccotti Park on New Year's Eve, with drums, chants of “Whose Year? Our Year!”, and a tent, which they say they gave to police in exchange for entrance to the park. An hour before midnight, police and occupiers attempting …