memeorandum: Romney under fire as first primary vote approaches (CNN)

10:00 PM ET, January 9, 2012

Top Items:

Romney at Bain: Big Gains, Some Busts — Mitt Romney's political foes are stepping up attacks based on his time running investment firm Bain Capital, tagging him with making a fortune from the rougher side of American capitalism—even as Mr. Romney says his Bain tenure shows he knows how to build businesses.

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Gingrich Swift Boats Romney — There is an informal set of rules governing attacks in the presidential primary campaigns, so as to keep things within the healthy, winnowing spirit of Darwinian competition, and away from dangerous subversion of the eventual nominee.

Discussion: The Caucus, Politics Blog, RedState, The New Republic, USA Today, Political Mojo and Applesauce

Michelle Malkin:
The abysmal incompetence of the non-Romneys; Huntsman, Gingrich, Perry all go Occupier; Santorum declines

Discussion: The Right Scoop, NationalJournal.com, Washington Post, Ballot Box, Campaign 2012, Business Insider, The Politico and The Lonely Conservative

Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Newt Goes Full ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Against Romney

Discussion: News Corpse, Balloon Juice, ThinkProgress and Indecision Forever

Emily Goodin / Ballot Box:
Romney looks forward to South Carolina

Discussion: CNN and The Politico

Reuters:
Mitt Romney and the Bain bomb

Discussion: CNN, The Caucus, About.com US Liberal Politics, The Politico, Swampland, TBogg, The PJ Tatler, The Right Sphere and Ballot Box

WSJ Blogs - WSJ:
Romney Gets Instant Flak for Saying ‘You Can Fire Them’

Discussion: Washington Wire, Crooks and Liars and Hot Air

A.Killough / CNN: McCain: Super PACs will result in scandal, corruption

The Caucus:
Gingrich's Own Close Tie to Buyout Industry

Discussion: Fortune, Hot Air, The Page and DealBook

Michael D. Shear / New York Times:
Romney Waves Away Opponents' Intensifying Attacks

Discussion: The Caucus, Firedoglake and Washington Examiner

CNN:
Romney under fire as first primary vote approaches

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Christi Parsons / Los Angeles Times:

William Daley to step down as Obama's chief of staff — White House Chief of Staff William Daley, left, confers with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney as President Barack Obama addresses the media in the briefing room of the White Hous. (Win McNamee/Getty Images / December 8, 2011)

Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Daley to leave White House

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Outside the Beltway and The PJ Tatler

Mark Landler / The Caucus:
Lew to Replace Daley as White House Chief of Staff

Discussion: News Desk, A plain blog about politics, Political Mojo, Connecting.the.Dots and Washington Wire

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

Texas Voting Rights Case Heard by Supreme Court — WASHINGTON — Several members of the Supreme Court appeared frustrated on Monday as they surveyed the available options and looming deadlines in a major voting rights case from Texas that could help decide control of the House.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and msnbc.com

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
Supreme Court grapples with messy Texas redistricting case

Discussion: Off the Kuff, CNN and SCOTUSblog

ABCNEWS: Supreme Court Hears Messy Texas Redistricting Case

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
A way out on Texas?

Discussion: The Politico and Election Law Blog

American Prospect: Battle of the Supremes — The Montana Supreme Court …

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

Romney didn't really say he enjoys firing people — Dems are jumping up and down this morning because, as Taegan Goddard puts it, they've “caught him on video saying he likes firing people.” — Let me go on record saying it would be misleading and unfair to clip the video in question …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Riehl World View, The Hill, Mediaite, Hot Air, GOP 12, ThinkProgress, Campaign 2012, Outside the Beltway and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
‘I like being able to fire people’

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, The Caucus, The Impolitic, The Loyal Opposition, No More Mister Nice Blog, Wonkette, New York Magazine, Balloon Juice, The TrogloPundit and Towleroad News #gay

ABCNEWS:
Romney Likes ‘Being Able to Fire People’

Discussion: Washington Post, The Atlantic Online, The New Republic, ThinkProgress and The Daily Caller

Byron Tau / The Politico:
Obama spokesman: ‘!!!’ — Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt tweets …

Discussion: American Prospect and The Raw Story

Santina Leuci / ABCNEWS:

Todd Palin Endorses Newt Gingrich — ABC News' Santina Leuci and Z. Byron Wolf report: — Sarah Palin's husband is endorsing Newt Gingrich for president, Todd Palin told ABC News today. — But Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and John McCain's 2008 Republican running mate …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, The Reaction, The Gateway Pundit, Tales from the Trail, Rush Limbaugh, The Hill, CNN, Mediaite, Campaign 2012, Hot Air, iOwnTheWorld.com, Washington Post, The Right Scoop, The Raw Story, Wake up America, Conservatives4Palin and The Other McCain

Matthew Breen / Advocate:

Gayest Cities in America, 2012 — It's no secret that megalopolises New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles have robust LGBT life — and we've even heard tell of little queer hoods like the Castro and P-Town. This isn't that list. — There's the official census with information …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Knoxville News-Sentinel, Truthdig and Joe. My. God.

Torie Bosch / Slate:

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie Responds to Female Hecklers With Offensive Oral Sex Joke … - New Hampshire Debate: Gingrich Attacks Romney for His “Pious Baloney” - CBS Stakes Its Claim as the Adult Contemporary of the Network Morning Shows — Chris Christie Responds to Female Hecklers With Lame …

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Taylor Marsh, The PJ Tatler, TBogg, Washington Monthly, National Review and CNN

Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:

GOP Voters Still Unenthused About Presidential Field — Romney Ahead Nationally, Santorum Gains Ground — OVERVIEW — On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, Republican voters continue to express mixed views of the party's presidential field. Roughly half (51%) of Republican …

Discussion: Hot Air, 2012 Decoded, The Politico and Taegan Goddard's …

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Record-High 40% of Americans Identify as Independents in '11 — More Americans identify as Democrats than as Republicans, 31% to 27% — PRINCETON, NJ — The percentage of Americans identifying as political independents increased in 2011, as is common in a non-election year …

Discussion: Ricochet Conversations Feed, Firedoglake, Washington Monthly, Hit & Run, National Review, The PJ Tatler, United Republic, Taylor Marsh, Questions and Observations, Shakesville, The Politico, The Raw Story and The Moderate Voice

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:

Poll: Among GOP hopefuls, Romney fares best against Obama — CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney holds a two-point lead against President Obama …

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, Power Line and Ron Paul 2012 Presidential …

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Poll: 58% of Republicans want more presidential choices

Discussion: Hot Air

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:

Media mob chases Ron Paul from campaign stop in New Hampshire — MANCHESTER, N.H. — A campaign stop at a New Hampshire eatery unraveled into a bit of a circus when the media scrum chasing Ron Paul apparently became too much for the 76-year-old Texas congressman to handle.

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Wonkette, FiveThirtyEight, Business Insider, The Other McCain and The Lonely Conservative

Michael Barbaro / The Caucus:
Paul Cuts Off CNN, Again

Discussion: Slate, Washington Post and The Hill

Jay Nordlinger / National Review:

Conservatives vs. Capitalism — The last two presidential election cycles have revealed a stinking hypocrisy in conservatives: They profess their love of capitalism and entrepreneurship, but when offered a real capitalist and entrepreneur, they go, “Eek, a mouse!” And they tear him down in proud social-democrat fashion.

Christian Newswire:

Satan Cheers Graham, Osteen, Starr for Not Telling the Truth About Mormonism — Contact: Bill Keller, bkeller@liveprayer.com, 727-420-7005 — Bill Keller, the world's leading Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, with over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide reading …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and Dependable Renegade

Josh Lederman / The Hill:

Crowd boos mentioning of McCain's name at Santorum event — SOMERSWORTH, N.H. — Drawing an implicit contrast with Mitt Romney on the eve of the first-in-the-nation primary, Rick Santorum on Monday implored New Hampshire not to settle for a centrist, establishment candidate.

Discussion: CNN, The Politico, Weasel Zippers and Doug Ross

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Mia B. Love - A conservative political star rises in ... Utah — If you haven't heard of Ludmya “Mia” B. Love before, you will be hearing a lot more about her. Mia has the potential to be the next big thing in conservative politics. And you heard about her here first!

Discussion: Hot Air, YID With LID, Right Wing News and RedState

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Mitt Romney Campaign Disavows Pro-Gay Rights Flyer From 2002 … GOP Debate , Mitt Romney , Republican Debate , Video , New Hampshire Primary , Romney Gay Rights , Romney New Hampshire , Mitt Romney 2012 , New Hampshire Primary 2012 , New Hampshire Romney , Social Issues , Politics News