memeorandum: Crisis for America — This newspaper has endorsed Newt Gingrich … (Joseph W. McQuaid/unionleader.com)

9:15 AM ET, January 8, 2012

Top Items:

Romney Eludes Rivals' Attacks at Republican Debate in N.H. — GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — A relaxed and self-assured Mitt Romney sailed above the fray at a crucial debate on Saturday night as his Republican rivals engaged in a spirited fight to determine which of them would emerge as his most formidable opponent …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, JustOneMinute, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Caller, FiveThirtyEight and The Caucus

Alexander Burns / The Politico:

New Hampshire primary: Mitt Romney rises above squabbling pack — GOFFSTOWN, N.H. - The Republican presidential debate Saturday broke out into a volley of charges and counter-charges between the candidates, but left front-runner Mitt Romney almost entirely unscathed in the second-to-last forum before Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.

Discussion: National Review and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:

GOP debate: No love for gay marriage — Republican presidential candidates staked out their positions on gay marriage during a Saturday debate in New Hampshire, where gay couples have been legally permitted to marry since 2010. — Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney want gay couples to enjoy certain benefits …

Discussion: The Politico

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:

TPM2012 — Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Romney's A ‘Job Cremator’ — Democrats are in full force at Saturday night's Republican debate in New Hampshire, ostensibly to rebut the GOP field, but in practice mostly to go after frontrunner Mitt Romney. — Well, not necessarily, the frontrunner.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story, The Reality-Based Community and The Political Carnival

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
Romney's private sector record cross-examined in NH Republican debate

Discussion: The Politico

A.Killough / CNN:
Gingrich in friendly attack-mode ahead of debate

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Politico and Hot Air

Byron York / Campaign 2012:
Team Romney: Steph ‘obsessed’ with contraception

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Instapundit

James Pethokoukis / The Enterprise Blog:
Why is Romney doing such a lousy job defending his record at Bain Capital?

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and Crooks and Liars

Peter J. Boyer / The Daily Beast:
New Anti-Romney Video Attacks Bain Capital Work

Discussion: About.com Conservative …, Hot Air, Los Angeles Times, msnbc.com, Conservatives4Palin and US Politics

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney up in South Carolina — Mitt Romney's taken a modest lead in South Carolina. He's at 30% there to 23% for Newt Gingrich and 19% for Rick Santorum. None of the other candidates hit double digits- Ron Paul at 9%, Rick Perry at 5%, Jon Huntsman at 4%, and Buddy Roemer at 1% round out the field.

Discussion: The Politico, 2012 Decoded, Guardian, Taegan Goddard's …, Taylor Marsh, Balloon Juice and Weekly Standard

James V. Grimaldi / Washington Post:

Billionaire Adelson gives millions to Gingrich Super PAC — Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has given $5 million to an independent committee supporting GOP presidential aspirant Newt Gingrich, the first of what is expected to be many millions the Las Vegas billionaire plans to spend this election year.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and The Politico

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:

Social conservatives start to coalesce around Santorum — Conservative Christian leaders are beginning to unite behind Rick Santorum to try to avoid a repeat of 2008, when their movement fractured between candidates and denied former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee the Republican presidential nomination.

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Gary Bauer to endorse Rick Santorum

Discussion: Reuters, The Politico and CNN

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Rick Santorum to get Gary Bauer endorsement Sunday

Discussion: Don Surber, The Other McCain, Hot Air, ABCNEWS and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Trailing in New Hampshire, Jon Huntsman takes the long view — MANCHESTER, N.H. — More than 160 New Hampshire events and counting to his name, Jon Huntsman is hoping to pull off a political miracle Tuesday with the same shoe-leather campaign Rick Santorum ran with success in Iowa.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

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

Emily Goodin / Ballot Box:
Huntsman's New Hampshire strategy: ‘Speak from the heart’

Discussion: CNN

ThinkProgress:

Didn't matter, Matthew said, since the medicine obviously wasn't for him. … The situation got worse from there. Melbourne put his wife on the phone and even Googled the medication to show the pharmacist there was no law against selling it to a man. But “she didn't want to see it,” he said.

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Crooks and Liars and Jezebel

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Black Woman Confronts Santorum Over Comments: ‘Why Do You Have A Problem Against Black People?’ — ThinkProgress filed this report from Hollis, New Hampshire — At a campaign event outside a pharmacy in Hollis, New Hampshire Saturday afternoon, an African-American woman confronted Rick Santorum …

Discussion: field negro

Joseph W. McQuaid / unionleader.com:

Crisis for America — This newspaper has endorsed Newt Gingrich in Tuesday's Primary for one simple and important reason. America is at a very dangerous point, and the current economic hole we are in is just part of the problem. — Former Speaker Gingrich is the one candidate who has the experience …

Discussion: The Politico and The Page

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: The Camp Of The Saints, Don Surber and Pundit & Pundette

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 Political Carnival and The Huffington Post