memeorandum: Nine reasons Michele Bachmann's campaign fizzled (Jennifer Jacobs/Iowa Caucuses)

4:35 PM ET, January 13, 2012

Top Items:

Four Pinocchios for ‘King of Bain’ — Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. … — Voice-over from “King of Bain” video promoted by a pro-Newt Gingrich super PAC, “Winning Our Future.” — Newt Gingrich, meet Michael Moore! — The 29-minute video “King of Bain” is such an over-the-top assault …

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

How low can he go? — Everyone has probably heard the corny “I once caught a fish this big” joke. A guy boasts about the size of the fish he reeled in, but when pressed, he gradually reduces the actual size of his catch. The little comedic routine is about exaggeration. — I wonder if Mitt Romney has heard it.

Discussion: Washington Post, Wonkette, ThinkProgress, The Maddow Blog, Daily Kos, Applesauce and The Mahablog

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

New poll in S.C. indicates tight race for top spot — (CNN) - With eight days to go until the South Carolina primary, a new poll suggests a close contest in the first southern state to vote in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. — According to an American Research Group …

Discussion: The Politico, Ballot Box, American Prospect, Hit & Run, The Daily Caller and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Emily Schultheis / The Politico:

Judge rules against Rick Perry's Virginia ballot suit — Following a hearing in Richmond today, U.S. district judge John Gibney ruled against Rick Perry's challenge to the Virginia ballot rules. — In his opinion, Gibney says Perry, and the other candidates who joined the challenge, waited too long to bring the suit.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Guardian and Washington Post

Alana Semuels / Los Angeles Times:

Perry pivots away from Romney, focuses on defense — Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at a campaign stop at the Hilton Head Diner in Hilton Head, S.C. (AP Photo/David Goldman / January 13, 2012) — Fresh off a visit to a local shooting range …

Discussion: New York Magazine and Mediaite

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Report: Rick Perry calls on a mannequin at SC town hall

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Ballot Box

Rich Lowry / National Review:
‘The Leni Riefenstahl of the blistering attack documentary’

Discussion: The PJ Tatler

Zeke Miller / Politics:
Gingrich Repudiates Super PAC For Inaccurate Video He Praised

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, GOP 12 and Hot Air

Scott Powers / Los Angeles Times:
Newt Gingrich calls on ‘super PAC’ to pull anti-Romney ads in S.C.

Discussion: The Loyal Opposition, The Stir By CafeMom and Washington Post

Aaron Katersky / ABCNEWS:
Tea Party Leader Sen. Jim DeMint: Mitt Romney Should be More Empathetic

Discussion: ThinkProgress, American Spectator, Rumproast and The Other McCain

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:
GOP House freshmen urge WH hopefuls to lay off Bain attacks

Discussion: CNN

Ashley Parker / The Caucus:
New Romney Ad Defends Candidate's Record at Bain

Discussion: New York Times, The Moderate Voice, ThinkProgress, The Week, News Desk, Washington Monthly, Freedom Line Blog, GOP 12, Washington Post, Connecting.the.Dots and Wonkette

Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:
Mitt Romney no stranger to tax breaks, subsidies

Discussion: American Spectator, Daily Kos, ABCNEWS and The Political Carnival

Terrance Heath / ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*:
Palin Advises Romney On Bain

Discussion: Paul Krugman, Indecision Forever, Washington Wire and Crooks and Liars

ABCNEWS:
John McCain: SuperPACs Will ‘Destroy Political Process,’ Predicts ‘Scandal’ Because of Them

Discussion: Hot Air

Toni Sandys / ABCNEWS:

Rick Perry Lists 3 Departments He'd Cut, But Adds One, Misses Another — BLUFFTON, S.C. - Oops he did it again. When asked to name and provide the number of federal departments he'd eliminate as president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry managed to list three, but they weren't the three agencies …

Discussion: Politics, Tales from the Trail, Mediaite, The Other McCain, The Political Carnival, The Hill, Connecting.the.Dots and The Stranger …

msnbc.com:

First Thoughts: Best of times (and worst of times) for Romney — NBC's David Gregory talks to TODAY's Matt Lauer about whether fierce attacks on Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney will backfire against his rivals or stop what seems to be Romney's inevitable march to the nomination.

Discussion: The Caucus, Faith in Public Life, New York Times, No More Mister Nice Blog, Saint Petersblog, Wonkette, The Moderate Voice, ThinkProgress and Washington Monthly, more at Mediagazer »

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Oops, He Did It Again: Perry Forgets The Three Federal Agencies He Wants To Abolish

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette

Washington Post:

Obama seeks more power to merge agencies, streamline government — President Obama asked Congress on Friday for the power to consolidate parts of the federal government, proposing a first step of merging several trade- and commerce-related agencies under a plan that the White House …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Campaign 2012, Washington Monthly, Hit & Run, The Hill, The PJ Tatler, Daily Kos and Ron Paul 2012 Presidential …

Nando Di Fino / Mediaite:

Soledad O'Brien Hammers Jodi Kantor Over Her Controversial Book On The Obamas — Soledad O'Brien welcomed The Obamas author Jodi Kantor on Starting Point Friday morning, and things got a little heated as O'Brien continuously tried to ask Kantor to defend her methodology in reporting the book.

Discussion: THEROOT.COM

The White House:
Government Reorganization Fact Sheet

Discussion: American Prospect, White House.gov Blog, Opinion L.A., The Volokh Conspiracy and Swampland

Dylan Byers / The Politico:

CNN's Loesch champions Marine video — CNN political analyst Dana Loesch celebrated the U.S. Marines who appear to have urinated on the bodies of dead Taliban members during her radio show on Thursday. — “Now we have a bunch of progressives that are talking smack about our military …

Discussion: St. Louis Activist Hub, Little Green Footballs, Taylor Marsh, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite, CNN, Mercury Rising and Hullabaloo

Dana Loesch / Big Journalism:

Correcting the Progressive Spin on My Defense of the Marines — Yesterday on my radio show I discussed the topic of the Marines videotaping themselves urinating on dead Taliban fighters. The usual mob of progressive haters started campaigning on Twitter and complaining to CNN. — Video still

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The New Civil Rights Movement and Battleland

New York Times:

U.S. Warns Top Iran Leader Not to Shut Strait of Hormuz — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is relying on a secret channel of communication to warn Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that closing the Strait of Hormuz is a “red line” that would provoke an American response …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Guardian, Questions and Observations, Tikun Olam, Outside the Beltway, The Atlantic Online, Ricochet Conversations Feed and Battleland

Daniel J. Wakin / New York Times:

Ringing Finally Ended, but There's No Button to Stop Shame — They were baying for blood in the usually polite precincts of Avery Fisher Hall. — The unmistakably jarring sound of an iPhone marimba ring interrupted the soft and spiritual final measures of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 at the New York Philharmonic on Tuesday night.

Discussion: newsfeed.time.com, The Verge, DownWithTyranny!, Gothamist, The Maddow Blog, Superconductor and Boing Boing

Sharyl Attkisson / CBS News:

Tax dollars backing some “risky” energy projects — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — WASHINGTON - Solar panel maker Solyndra received a $528 million Energy Department loan in 2009 - and went bankrupt last year. The government's risky investment strategy didn't stop there, as a CBS News investigation …

Discussion: Hot Air, Verum Serum, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller, Campaign 2012 and The Enterprise Blog

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Allen West on the Marines Incident: ‘Shut Your Mouth, War Is Hell’ — Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army lieutenant colonel, sends THE WEEKLY STANDARD an email commenting on the Marines' video, and has given us permission to publish it. — “I have sat back and assessed the incident …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Politico, Outside the Beltway and Weasel Zippers

Cameron Joseph / Ballot Box:

Bob Kerrey returns fire on Karl Rove — Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) has returned fire from Karl Rove's American Crossroads group, seeking to reinforce his connections to the state. — Rove's group is running radio ads blasting Kerrey, who is mulling a Senate run in Nebraska but has lived …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Reuters:

Tea Party may get rebuffed in tax cut showdown — (Reuters) - House Speaker John Boehner, hoping to spare fellow Republicans a second embarrassing defeat over payroll tax cuts, is prepared to navigate around rebellious Tea Party-aligned lawmakers to get a deal, according to congressional aides.

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, The Raw Story and The Hill

Tim Mak / Reuters:

Chris Christie praises Obama political skills — In a wide-ranging interview with Oprah Winfrey, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has kind words for President Barack Obama, calling him “charismatic,” “genuine” and “as good a politician as I've ever seen.” — Winfrey, who is a well-known friend …

Discussion: Associated Press, Mediaite and CNN

Jennifer Jacobs / Iowa Caucuses:

Nine reasons Michele Bachmann's campaign fizzled — Michele Bachmann speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's straw poll in Ames Aug.13. Her first place finish that day was the height of her campaign's success. It tipped downward after that. (Register file photo)

Discussion: Politics, Ballot Box, GOP 12 and The Daily Caller

Chris Cannon / WTVF-TV:

Proposed State Bathroom Bill Would Limit Transgender Options — NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A bill that would limit who could enter public restrooms has been filed in the Tennessee General Assembly. The proposed legislation would restrict access to public restrooms and public dressing rooms designated by sex …

Discussion: Times Free Press, ThinkProgress, The New Civil Rights Movement, Towleroad News #gay and Joe. My. God.

The Politico:

Dude, where's my candidate? — A new group that hopes to tap into a rising appetite for a third-party presidential challenger has discovered that $30 million in secret cash can buy ballot access and attention, but not necessarily a dream candidate. — The group, Americans Elect …

Discussion: CNN, TBogg, The Atlantic Wire, Alas, a Blog, Reuters and Indecision Forever

Associated Press:

Edwards' trial delayed because of heart condition — GREENSBORO, N.C. — A federal judge on Friday delayed John Edwards' trial on alleged campaign finance violations for at least two months because the two-time Democratic presidential candidate is suffering from a heart condition.

Discussion: Associated Press, The Politico, KABC-TV and Raleigh News & Observer