memeorandum: Ex-Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley dead at 63 (David Eldridge/Washington Times)

9:10 PM ET, January 8, 2012

Top Items:

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: Hullabaloo, Politics, The New Republic, PERRspectives, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Little Green Footballs, Taegan Goddard's … and ThinkProgress

Buzzfeed Politics / Politics:

Romney's Inexplicable Debate Fibs — Why not just tell the truth? The odd, small shadings of truth were the talk of the spin room in Concord after Sunday's debate. — (AP / Elise Amendola) — CONCORD, New Hampshire — Mitt Romney's generally strong debate performance was marred …

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Power Line

ABCNEWS:

Mitt Romney Says He Feared Getting ‘Fired’ — ABC News' Russell Goldman and Michael Falcone report: — ROCHESTER, N.H. — Mitt Romney attempted his own version of an “I-feel-your-pain” moment at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, telling a crowd that like so many Americans he too has worried about getting fired.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
Romney: elected office is for the rich

Discussion: The Reaction, Booman Tribune and No More Mister Nice Blog

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com: TPM2012 — Mitt Romney: Don't Run For Office If You Need The Salary

Robert Walker / The Huffington Post:

Santorum and the ‘Anti-contraception’ Conservatives — If the current GOP presidential primary campaign is remembered for nothing else, it will be known for the meteoric rise of the “anti-contraception conservatives.” — The Republican leadership has been anti-abortion since time immemorial …

Discussion: Washington Post

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:
Stephanopoulos struggles with fairness during NH debate

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Wizbang, bustardblog, Wake up America, The Gateway Pundit, NO QUARTER, Doug Ross, RedState, The Lonely Conservative and Instapundit

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:
Romney tells voters he knows what it's like to fear getting a ‘pink slip’

Discussion: The Politico

ABCNEWS:
Why Mitt Romney Didn't Get Attacked In Saturday Night's Debate

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Hot Air, msnbc.com, The Daily Caller, Connecting.the.Dots, American Spectator, Taylor Marsh, The Other McCain and Outside the Beltway

ABCNEWS:
Anti-Romney Movie Attacks to Bain Career

Discussion: NewsHounds blog, Mediaite, TomDispatch and The Gateway Pundit

Gautham Nagesh / Ballot Box:
GOP debate: Gingrich, Romney trade barbs over super-PAC ads

Discussion: The Politico, CBS News and ThinkProgress

Michael O'Brien / msnbc.com:
The latest political headlines powered by NBC News and msnbc.com

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, blogs.telegraph.co.uk and The Caucus

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Marriage Equality Opponent Mitt Romney To Gay People: 'I Don't Discriminate'

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay

Michael O'Brien / msnbc.com:
Sunday debate offers GOP hopeful second chance at fireworks

Discussion: Slate, Washington Monthly, The Gateway Pundit and Reuters

David Eldridge / Washington Times:

Ex-Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley dead at 63 — Tony Blankley, a noted conservative author and commentator and former editorial page editor of The Washington Times, died Sunday morning, according to family sources. He was 63 and had been battling stomach cancer.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Other McCain, Scared Monkeys, The Sundries Shack, NewsBusters.org and Outside the Beltway

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Tony Blankley, conservative author, dies at 63 — Washington (CNN) - Tony Blankley, the conservative author and commentator, has died. He was 63. — Blankley's death was confirmed Sunday by Craig Brownstein, a publicist at Edelman Public Relations, where Blankley served as executive vice president.

New York Post:

White House threw secret ‘Alice in Wonderland’ bash during recession — It was the tea party the Obamas just couldn't resist. — A White House “Alice in Wonderland” costume ball — put on by Johnny Depp and Hollywood director Tim Burton — proved to be a Mad-as-a-Hatter idea that was never …

Discussion: Telegraph, Verum Serum, Don Surber, Weasel Zippers, Atlas Shrugs, New York Magazine, Doug Ross and The Lonely Conservative

Carol E. Lee / Washington Wire:

New Book Portrays Explosive White House Dynamics — A new book about the Obama White House is gaining attention for some explosive exchanges between the east and west wings, including tension between Michelle Obama and her husband's first chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and an expletive-laced scene …

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Black Man Confronts Gingrich On Food Stamps Comments: ‘Stop Using Blacks As A Punching Bag’ — MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich defended himself today against charges of racial insensitivity by noting that he's worked with African-American leaders in the past.

Discussion: CBS News

Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:

New Hampshire Debate: The Trickless-Dick Mitt Fix Is In — MANCHESTER, N.H — At this moment, I am still digesting the incredible farrago of gibbering nonsense, vengeful religious rage, political chickens**t, and Mandarin Chinese that combined to make the 45,670th of 62,390 scheduled Republican …

Discussion: Sky Dancing and Suburban Guerrilla

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: ThinkProgress, his vorpal sword, 24Ahead, The Impolitic, Little Green Footballs, Outside the Beltway and The Raw Story

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

2012 ABC/Yahoo!/WMUR New Hampshire GOP primary debate (Transcript) — SAWYER: And good evening to all of you. Welcome to Saint Anselm College and the first debate of the year, 2012. The voting is underway. And, George, those eight votes in Iowa reminded us on Tuesday every vote counts.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly and Althouse

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

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Crooks and Liars and The Lonely Conservative

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

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

And Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

Romney Is the Main Target in a Caustic G.O.P. Debate — CONCORD, N.H. — The five major Republican presidential candidates who are not named Mitt Romney ferociously attacked him during a debate here Sunday morning, questioning his conservative credentials, his authenticity and even his honesty …

Discussion: The Caucus, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, FiveThirtyEight, The Page, msnbc.com and The Mahablog

Kevinliptak / CNN:

TRENDING: Christie takes on protesters chanting at Romney rally — Exeter, New Hampshire (CNN) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fired back at protesters at a rally Sunday for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. — The brash Republican governor …

Discussion: The Politico

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: Hot Air, Capital New York, Crooks and Liars, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Caller and The Politico