memeorandum: Crowd boos mentioning of McCain's name at Santorum event (Josh Lederman/The Hill)

12:50 AM ET, January 10, 2012

Top Items:

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: The Politico, CNN, Riehl World View, Weasel Zippers and Doug Ross

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.

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, ABCNEWS, Politics Blog, National Review, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Hot Air, The New Republic, Political Mojo and Applesauce

WSJ Blogs - WSJ:

Romney Gets Instant Flak for Saying ‘You Can Fire Them’ — NASHUA, N.H. — There was no mention of “pink slips,” but Mitt Romney on Monday was already trying to counteract the perception that he was out of touch when he said that there were times he feared getting fired. — It's unclear if he did so.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, New York Times and Washington Wire, more at Mediagazer »

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

Discussion: Politics, Talking Points Memo, News Corpse, Balloon Juice, ThinkProgress and Indecision Forever

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

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

Discussion: CNN and The Politico

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

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, The Right Scoop, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, DownWithTyranny!, GOP 12, Campaign 2012, Business Insider, Hot Air, The Politico and The Lonely Conservative

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

Discussion: Fortune, New York Times, Hot Air, The Page and DealBook

Reuters:
Mitt Romney and the Bain bomb

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, The Caucus, Swampland, About.com US Liberal Politics, TBogg, Wall Street Journal, The PJ Tatler, The Right Sphere and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

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)

The Politico:

Bill Daley resignation: Why he had to go — The Bill Daley era on Monday screeched to a jarring, clattering conclusion. — Daley, who departs after a little more than a year as President Barack Obama's chief of staff, was never a great fit inside the West Wing — and Obama …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online and The Spectacle Blog

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

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

Amie Parnes / The Hill:
Daley to leave White House

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

James Fallows / The Atlantic Online:

Why You Cannot Say You ‘Like’ Firing People — As Derek Thompson points out on our site, and as the Romney campaign will be fully justified in reiterating, obviously Mitt Romney did not mean that he enjoys the process of telling people “you're gone!” when he made his infamous “I like being able to fire people” remark in New Hampshire.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

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

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

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

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

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:

A way out on Texas? — Analysis — Well aware that it must act swiftly, the Supreme Court on Monday pondered two simple ways and one considerably more complex way to let Texas go forward with its 2012 elections for state legislature and Congress, but left open the possibility …

Discussion: The Politico and Election Law Blog

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
A weak defense of EPA (UPDATED)

Discussion: Cato @ Liberty, The Volokh Conspiracy, New York Times and The PJ Tatler

Rick Hasen / Election Law Blog:
What Will the Supreme Court Do in the Texas Redistricting Case?

Discussion: Ballot Box and Off the Kuff

ABCNEWS:
Supreme Court Hears Messy Texas Redistricting Case

Discussion: CNN and SCOTUSblog

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, The Moderate Voice, Power Line and Ron Paul 2012 Presidential …

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

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

Discussion: Hot Air

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

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 …

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

Michael Barbaro / The Caucus:

Paul Cuts Off CNN, Again — HOLLIS, N.H. — What's left of Ron Paul's patience with the news media appears to be running out. — During a campaign stop here Monday morning, Mr. Paul abruptly cut off a brief interview with the CNN reporter Dana Bash when she asked about his ability to connect with voters in New Hampshire.

Discussion: Slate, Washington Post and The Hill

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
Media mob chases Ron Paul from campaign stop in New Hampshire

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

Reuters:

Merkel, Sarkozy press for quick Greek solution — (Reuters) - Germany and France warned Greece on Monday it will get no more bailout funds until it agrees with creditor banks on a bond swap and pressed for an early deal to avert a potential default in the euro zone's most debt-stricken nation.

Discussion: Truthdig