Top Items:
Justin Sink / Ballot Box:
Poll: Romney slipping in South Carolina, holds just 2 point lead over Gingrich — Despite a historic sweep of the first two nominating contests in the GOP field, Mitt Romney holds just a two percentage point lead in South Carolina, his smallest lead of 2012.
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
‘When Mitt Romney Came to Town’ — We knew the short film from Newt Gingrich's Super PAC, targeting Mitt Romney's private-sector work, was on the way. We didn't know just how devastating it would be. — Probably the easiest-to-see version of “When Mitt Romney Came to Town” …
Rasmussen Reports:
Florida GOP Primary: Romney 41%, Gingrich 19%, Santorum 15% — Mitt Romney is now running away with the race in the latest Rasmussen Reports' survey of the end-of-the-month Florida Republican Primary. — Coming off his decisive win in Tuesday's New Hampshire Primary …
Discussion:
Don Surber, Saint Petersblog, Hot Air, Guardian, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, LifeNews.com, The PJ Tatler, GOP 12, CNN, Campaign 2012 and National Review
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Giuliani to Newt: ‘What the hell are you doing?’ — Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has recently called Mitt Romney “a man without a core,” defended the GOP frontrunner's record as an executive at Bain Capital, calling the attacks against him “ignorant and dumb.”
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Riehl World View
A.Killough / CNN:
Perry donor defects to Romney, citing Bain attacks — Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) - One of Rick Perry's leading financial supporters in South Carolina is defecting to Mitt Romney - and he told CNN Thursday that Perry's sharp criticisms of Romney as a “vulture capitalist” were the main factor in his decision.
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, The Political Carnival, Hot Air, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Don Surber, The Caucus and The Lonely Conservative
Reid J. Epstein / Reuters:
Mitt Romney readies Bain Capital counterattack — COLUMBIA, S.C. - Mitt Romney's done defending his Bain Capital record. He's going on offense. — The former Massachusetts governor arrived here Wednesday fresh off his New Hampshire primary win armed with a new plan for a multi-pronged response …
Publius / Big Government:
BREAKING: Palin Urges Romney to Release Tax Returns, Provide Proof of 100,000 Jobs Created at Bain Capital — Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has called for Gov. Mitt Romney to release his tax returns, as well as the data that could substantiate his claim of having created 100,000 jobs as CEO of Bain Capital.
Karl Rove / Wall Street Journal:
Romney Makes History — South Carolina is the last chance for most of his rivals, but the front-runner needs to better answer the Bain attacks. — In an open race for the GOP nomination, no Republican has won both Iowa and New Hampshire, as Mitt Romney has.
Discussion:
The Daily, New York Times, The Politico, The State and The PJ Tatler, more at Techmeme »
Benjy Sarlin / 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com:
TPM2012 — Dems Prepare To Hammer Romney With The REAL Bain Onslaught
Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Newt Gingrich: South Carolina will be ‘Armageddon’
Discussion:
The Politico, CNN, Booman Tribune and Daily Kos
Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
Mitt Romney's extreme defense of capitalism
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, FAIR Blog, Sky Dancing, Riehl World View and Applesauce
NBC's Andrew Rafferty / msnbc.com:
Santorum: Attacks on Romney are attacks on capitalism
Discussion:
WFAA-TV, Washington Wire, Wonkette, TechCrunch and The Lonely Conservative
Keach Hagey / The Politico:
Mitt Romney's Bain Capital days: A black box
Discussion:
The Caucus, Washington Post, CNN, The Raw Story, ABCNEWS, Patterico's Pontifications, The Mahablog, Riehl World View, New York Times and Sky Dancing
Arthur S. Brisbane / The Public Editor's Journal:
Should The Times Be a Truth Vigilante? — I'm looking for reader input on whether and when New York Times news reporters should challenge “facts” that are asserted by newsmakers they write about. — One example mentioned recently by a reader: As cited in an Adam Liptak article on the Supreme Court …
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Jay Rosen / Pressthink:
So whaddaya think: should we put truthtelling back up there at number one?
Discussion:
Brad DeLong and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »
Fox News:
Panetta orders probe of video allegedly showing Marines urinating on dead Taliban — The top commanders of the Marine Corps U.S. forces in Afghanistan are investigating a video that purports to show U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered …
RELATED:
Steve Clemons / The Atlantic Online:
U.S. Soldiers Give Ammo to Taliban — As Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, US military officers — incumbents and retired — and others in DC's firmament condemn the US soldiers that apparently urinated on dead Taliban militants, I'm wondering how long it will take for a movement to grow inside …
Discussion:
Little Green Footballs
Ali Gharib / ThinkProgress:
While U.S., Afghans, NATO Condemn Marines Urinating On Dead Taliban, Right Wing Says ‘I Could Care Less’
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Washington Post and The Politico
BBC:
Afghan leader Karzai condemns ‘US Marines body desecration’ video
Discussion:
FP Passport, Biased BBC and Joe. My. God.
Associated Press:
Coalition, Karzai condemn video of urination on corpses
Discussion:
Guardian, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress, Weasel Zippers, Yourish.com, News Desk and American Power
Pamela Geller / Atlas Shrugs:
CAIR Condemns Alleged “Desecration” of Dead Jihadists by U.S. Marines in Afghanistan
Discussion:
Washington Post
Kenneth P. Vogel / The Politico:
3 billionaires who'll drag out the race — Meet the three billionaires who could drag out the GOP presidential primary, bloody up front-runner Mitt Romney and weaken the odds of defeating President Barack Obama: Sheldon Adelson, Foster Friess and Jon Huntsman, Sr.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Time, Big Journalism, Washington Wire, Christian Science Monitor, Applesauce, Media Decoder, CNN, ABCNEWS and Taylor Marsh, more at Techmeme »
Jeremy Wallace / HT Politics:
Laura Bush wanted Jeb to run for president in 2012 — SARASOTA — Former first lady Laura Bush wishes there were one more candidate in the Republican presidential primary: Jeb Bush. — Speaking to a sold-out Sarasota audience on Wednesday, Bush said she had hoped that her brother-in-law …
Discussion:
GOP 12, CNN, The Daily Caller, The Politico, Taegan Goddard's …, Saint Petersblog and USA Today
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
The Department of Justice offered a defense Thursday for President Obama's controversial decision to make several recess appointments while Congress was holding pro forma sessions. — In a memo, Justice argued the pro forma sessions held every third day in the Senate do not constitute …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Weasel Zippers, Congressman Diane Black and The Huffington Post
RELATED:
Josh Gerstein / Reuters:
Justice Department approved recess appointments — President Barack Obama's decision last week to snub Congress and make a series of recess appointments while the Senate claimed it was technically in session had the legal blessing of the Justice Department, according to a formal legal opinion released Thursday.
Discussion:
CNN and The New Republic
Al Kamen / Washington Post:
President Obama's got sons? — President Obama, speaking last night in Chicago at a fundraiser at a private home, unloaded this bombshell: — Obama, according to the White House transcript, talked about “The first bill I signed — a bill that said that we're going to have equal pay …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and Jammie Wearing Fools
Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:
GOP Rep. Jerry Lewis to retire from House — Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, will retire at the end of this term, he announced on Thursday. — Lewis, a 17-term lawmaker from southern California, was pushed into a Democratic-leaning district …
Discussion:
CNN
RELATED:
Ben Goad / Press-Enterprise:
2012 ELECTIONS: Veteran Rep. Lewis to retire
Discussion:
Daily Kos and FlashReport
Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Obama Campaign Raises $42 Million in Fourth Quarter — WASHINGTON — President Obama's presidential campaign raised $42 million during the final three months of 2011, giving him what his campaign manager called a “pretty good quarter” going into his re-election bid.
Discussion:
The Loyal Opposition and Outside the Beltway
RELATED:
Glenn Thrush / The Politico:
Obama's 2011 fundraising haul: Bush's league
Discussion:
Big Journalism, Nice Deb and CNN
CNN:
Ohio landlord wants commission to reconsider ruling on ‘white only’ sign — An antique pool sign that reads “white only” hangs at the pool of a Cincinnati, Ohio residence. Michael Gunn has filed a discrimination claim against the homeowner. — (CNN) — A landlord wants …
Discussion:
Clutch Magazine and Jezebel
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life:
Mormons in America — Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society — With a Mormon candidate among the front-runners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, a musical about Mormons playing on Broadway and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) …
Discussion:
Swampland, The Politico and New York Times
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