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.

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)

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

California Bars Prisoner From Reading ‘The Atlantic’  —  We received an unusual letter last week here at The Atlantic, from the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, one of the larger prisons in the California state system (and home to the state's death row for women).