memeorandum: Romney Trips On Contraception Question: 'It's Working Just Fine, Just Leave It Alone' (Tommy Christopher/Mediaite)

10:55 AM ET, January 8, 2012

Top Items:

Why Mitt Romney Didn't Get Attacked In Saturday Night's Debate — The assumption was that Saturday's ABC/WMUR debate was going to produce some serious fireworks. — After all, you have a front-runner who is quickly assuming the mantle of the “inevitable” nominee.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Outside the Beltway

Buzzfeed Politics / Politics:

Romney: Politics For The Rich — His father told him he shouldn't go into politics if he had a mortgage to pay. Most people have mortgages to pay. — (Reuters / JIM BOURG) — Mitt Romney suggested in today's debate that only rich people should run for office, and then quickly celebrated …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and ThinkProgress

New York Times:

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: JustOneMinute, FiveThirtyEight, The Caucus and The Enterprise Blog

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

Michael O'Brien / msnbc.com:

Sunday debate offers GOP hopeful second chance at fireworks — MANCHESTER, N.H. — Republican presidential hopefuls will have a renewed opportunity to draw contrasts with each other in their second of two debates in a 12-hour span on Sunday morning. — A Saturday night debate …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Slate, The Gateway Pundit, Reuters and Outside the Beltway

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

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

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

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

Discussion: The Politico, Los Angeles Times and Hot Air

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

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

Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:

Romney Trips On Contraception Question: 'It's Working Just Fine, Just Leave It Alone' — At tonight's ABC News/WMUR Republican presidential debate at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney stumbled badly on a Constitutional question …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Los Angeles Times and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Byron York / Campaign 2012:

Team Romney: Steph ‘obsessed’ with contraception — MANCHESTER, NH — Aides to Gov. Mitt Romney were left shaking their heads late Saturday night after a question directed to Romney by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on the issue of contraception. After the debate, one top Romney aide …

Discussion: Instapundit

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Debbie Wasserman Schultz: Romney's A ‘Job Cremator’

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

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 Moderate Voice, The Daily Caller and The Politico

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Social conservatives start to coalesce around Santorum

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Romney up in South Carolina

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

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: The Other McCain, Don Surber, Hot Air and ABCNEWS

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 and The Reality-Based Community

Alexander Burns / The Politico:
Paul pushback on Huntsman video

Discussion: Doug Ross, 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’

Discussion: The Politico and CNN

Associated Press:

MSNBC chief: No decision on Pat Buchanan's return — (AP) PASADENA, Calif. — MSNBC's top executive said Saturday that he hasn't decided whether conservative commentator and author Pat Buchanan will be allowed back on the network. — Buchanan, a former GOP presidential candidate …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story and Outside the Beltway

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

The Grating Santorum — MANCHESTER, N.H. — RICK SANTORUM was locking down the youth vote. — The man who fondly recalls nuns rapping his knuckles with rulers did some verbal knuckle-rapping of his own on Thursday with students at a forum in Concord hosted by New England College.

Discussion: Prairie Weather

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

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

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