memeorandum: Huntsman Says He's Quitting G.O.P. Race (Jeff Zeleny/The Caucus)

11:25 PM ET, January 15, 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.

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

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

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: Washington Post, The Hinterland Gazette and msnbc.com

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, Wake up America, Campaign 2012 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

Christopher Seward / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
State Rep. Kip Smith charged with DUI in Buckhead

Discussion: 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

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

Gschwarzcnn / CNN:

Perry: Obama administration over-reacting to Marine controversy — (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Sunday that Marines videotaped urinating on dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan made a “dumb” mistake, but should not face criminal prosecution. — In an interview Sunday on CNN's …

Discussion: CBS News, US Politics and Hullabaloo

Nycsouthpaw / BuzzFeed:

Huffington Post Twitter Feed Got Hacked — The widely followed Twitter account @HuffingtonPost has been posting homophobic and strange messages Sunday afternoon. One tweet attributes the hacking to the “New York Post.”

Discussion: Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »