memeorandum: Republican Sponsor Of Bill To Require Drug Testing For Georgia Welfare Recipients Arrested For DUI (Judd Legum/ThinkProgress)

12:15 AM ET, January 16, 2012

Top Items:

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:

Huntsman Says He's Quitting G.O.P. Race — CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jon M. Huntsman Jr. informed his advisers on Sunday that he intends to drop out of the Republican presidential race, ending his candidacy a week before he had hoped to revive his campaign in the South Carolina primary.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Moderate Voice, msnbc.com, Hot Air, Mediaite, FiveThirtyEight, Outside the Beltway, Little Green Footballs, Weasel Zippers, The Page, The Hill, The Other McCain, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Rumproast, The Hinterland Gazette, The Right Scoop, Gawker and Ricochet Conversations Feed

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Sources: Huntsman to drop out of 2012 race tomorrow, endorse Romney — Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor who was seen by Democrats months ago as the potential biggest threat to President Obama in a general election, is dropping out of the race tomorrow and will endorse Mitt Romney, a campaign official confirms to POLITICO.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

ABCNEWS:

Huntsman to Drop Out of GOP Race; Will Endorse Romney — Jon Huntsman will drop out of the Republican presidential race on Monday, a campaign spokesman told ABC News. — A source close to the Huntsman campaign said the former ambassador to China and Utah Governor was “proud of the race that he ran” …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Campaign 2012 and National Review

The State:

Huntsman could bring us back together — AFTER MONTHS of flirting with candidates who considered inexperience an asset, obstinance and vitriol a virtue and extremism — even flakiness — a job requirement, Republican voters seem to be settling down. Increasingly, they are rallying around …

Discussion: The Spectacle Blog, Outside the Beltway, Washington Post, The Hinterland Gazette and msnbc.com

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Huntsman Drops Out: Is Set To Endorse Romney, Whom He Called ‘Unelectable’ — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) informed his advisers today that he is dropping out of the presidential race. After his third place finish in New Hampshire's primary, Huntsman declared that he had a “ticket to ride” …

Discussion: CBS News and US Politics

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Huntsman to exit, back Romney — MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Jon Huntsman will drop out of the GOP presidential race Monday morning and endorse Mitt Romney, POLITICO has confirmed. — Huntsman will endorse Romney in a speech at 11 a.m. Monday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center

Discussion: CNN

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:

Colbert Super PAC Goes Negative On Romney In First South Carolina Ad — Brands him “Mitt the Ripper” for “corporations are people” line. — The Super PAC formerly run by Stephen Colbert, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, has released its first ad to air in South Carolina this week.

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Runnin' Scared

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Gingrich faces tough questions at SC campaign event with black church

Discussion: The Politico, The Hinterland Gazette and CNN

Amy Bingham / ABCNEWS:
SuperPAC Satire: Colbert Tells ABC About Faux Run

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Politico

Brendan Sasso / Ballot Box:
Perry vows to fight on, regardless of result in South Carolina primary

Discussion: CNN, The Politico, Hot Air, Pundit & Pundette, ABCNEWS, Campaign 2012, Wake up America and Outside the Beltway

Jeff Mason / Reuters:
Romney opens 21-point lead in South Carolina: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, CBS News, Big Government, No More Mister Nice Blog and Hot Air

New York Times:
Conservative Religious Leaders, Seeking Unity, Vote to Back Santorum

Discussion: The Caucus, Washington Monthly, Towleroad News #gay and US Politics

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:

Republican Sponsor Of Bill To Require Drug Testing For Georgia Welfare Recipients Arrested For DUI — A Georgia Republican who wants all welfare reciepients subject to drug tests failed one himself after he ran a red light on Friday morning. The Atlanta Journal Constiution has the story on State Rep. Kip Smith (R):

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Suburban Guerrilla

Washington Examiner:

Barone: Obama's 1-man rule thumbs nose at Founders — Of course President Obama is not concentrating on campaigning, White House press spokesmen assured us — as the president headed off to Chicago for three fundraisers and a drop-in at his campaign headquarters, two days …

Discussion: Doug Ross

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

We Must Be Really, Really Stupid! — As you may have heard by now, Newsweek's forthcoming issue headlines, “Why are Obama's critics so dumb?” — Well, sure. We who who are unhappy that unemployment has increased on Obama's watch, that over-regulation has stymied economic growth …

Discussion: Instapundit

Josh Gerstein / The Politico:

Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich appeal for slots on Virginia ballot — Texas Gov. Rick Perry's lawyers filed a motion with a federal appeals court Sunday, seeking to win him a place on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Virginia even though his campaign failed to gather the 10,000 signatures required by state law.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and The Other McCain

Anthony Shadid / New York Times:

Syria, in Deep Crisis, May Be Slipping Out of Control — BEIRUT, Lebanon — The failure of an Arab League mission to stanch violence in Syria, an international community with little leverage and a government as defiant as its opposition is in disarray have left Syria descending into a protracted …

Discussion: American Prospect and Truthdig