memeorandum: Climate change skepticism seeps into science classrooms (Neela Banerjee/Los Angeles Times)

1:50 PM ET, January 17, 2012

Top Items:

Kevinliptak / CNN:

Romney says his effective tax rate is 15% — Florence, South Carolina (CNN) - Mitt Romney said Tuesday he pays roughly a 15% effective tax rate on his income - an acknowledgment that the multi-millionaire pays a smaller percentage of taxes on his income than many middle-income Americans.

David Brooks / New York Times:

South Carolina Diarist — Sumter, S.C. — When I started covering presidential primaries, the best part was getting to know the candidates. We journalists would ride around in vans and buses with them and get an intimate look at what it's like to endure this soul-destroying process.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, The State, Poynter and CNN

Emily Goodin / The Hill:

Attacks fly in Republican debate — Newt Gingrich was put on the defensive with the first question of Monday night's GOP presidential debate when he was asked about his recent attacks on Mitt Romney. — The former speaker repeatedly avoided making the same strident attacks on Romney's private-sector record he's made in recent weeks.

Discussion: CNN, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, Questions and Observations, NY Daily News, The Other McCain, American Spectator, The Hinterland Gazette, Don Surber, Daily Kos, Michelle Malkin, The Moderate Voice, Ballot Box, Shakesville and Media Decoder

Washington Examiner:
Will frontrunner Romney keep debating?

Discussion: GOP 12 and Hot Air

Justin Sink / Ballot Box:
GOP debate: Crowd gets rowdy when candidates talk foreign policy

Discussion: The Politico, The Mahablog and Weasel Zippers

Washington Examiner:
York: Final count could show Romney lost Iowa

Discussion: The Spectacle Blog, Weasel Zippers, Wake up America, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Nice Deb, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Brad DeLong and Iowa Caucuses

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Gingrich gets vote from S.C. lieutenant governor

Discussion: The Hill

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Gingrich pushes Romney to release tax returns before SC primary

Discussion: The Politico and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

New York Times:
Forceful Attack Against Romney in G.O.P. Debate

Discussion: Politics, Washington Post, The Caucus, The Politico, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, Wall Street Journal, The Page and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »

Zeke Miller / Politics: Santorum Rattles Mitt Romney

Mark Halperin / The Page:
“Easy Answer,” Hard Ad

Discussion: Wake up America, 2012 Decoded, Taylor Marsh, The Other McCain, Weekly Standard, USA Today and The Hill

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Gingrich: A vote for Rick Santorum is a vote for Mitt Romney

Discussion: The Reaction, The Other McCain, Campaign 2012, The Lonely Conservative, The Politico, ABCNEWS and Hot Air

Fox News Insider:

TRANSCRIPT: Fox News Channel & Wall Street Journal Debate in South Carolina — Here's a full transcript from tonight's GOP debate in South Carolina: — BAIER: Thanks, Bill, and welcome to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the Republican presidential debate.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Washington Wire, Hit & Run, The Moderate Voice, ThinkProgress, The New Republic, Law Blog, RedState, Informed Comment, Hot Air, Booman Tribune, Wake up America, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, 24Ahead and The Stranger …

Kevinliptak / CNN:

Turkey responds angrily to Perry remarks — Istanbul (CNN) - Most of Turkey was fast asleep when Republic presidential candidates engaged in a spirited debate in South Carolina Monday night. — Turkish newspapers had already gone to print by the time Texas Gov. Rick Perry declared …

Discussion: USA Today, Mediaite and Jihad Watch

ABCNEWS:
Rick Perry Camp Explains Suggestion That Turkey Is Led By ‘Islamic Terrorists’

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Hill, Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, The Caucus, News Desk and Outside the Beltway

Rosie Gray / Politics: Perry Camp Smooths Over Turkey “Islamic Terrorists” Response

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Obama warns left: You won't like budget — Top White House officials are warning liberal and labor leaders to brace themselves for President Obama's budget proposal. — Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, sought in meetings last week to lift the left's gloom …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Liberal Values, The Politico, Pirate's Cove, Prairie Weather and Shakesville

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney, Dewhurst lead in Texas — Rick Perry's Presidential campaign is doing about as bad in Texas now as it is everywhere else in the country. When PPP last polled the state in September he was at 49%, leading Mitt Romney by 39 points. Now Perry's support has declined by 31 points, leaving him in 3rd place at 18%.

Discussion: Trail Blazers Blog, Ballot Box and Campaign 2012

Kevin Derby / Sunshine State News:
Mitt Romney Routing the GOP Pack in Florida, Sunshine State News Poll Shows

Discussion: GOP 12

Washington Post:
NET LEANED VOTE PREFERENCE

Discussion: Ballot Box, ThinkProgress, Poll Watch Daily, Hot Air and Fox News

Washington Post:
Most in poll think Romney will clinch GOP nomination

Discussion: The Caucus, msnbc.com, The Huffington Post, Guardian, Hot Air, ABCNEWS and Prairie Weather

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Romney way up in Florida — Mitt Romney's in a strong position …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, The Atlantic Online, Prairie Weather, Daily Kos, Scared Monkeys, Hot Air, The Moderate Voice, Poll Watch Daily and Gallup

Pat Garofalo / ThinkProgress:

Romney Admits His Tax Rate Is About 15 Percent, Lower Than Many Middle Class Families — Citizens for Tax Justice a few months ago estimated that Mitt Romney, due to most of his income coming from investments, pays a tax rate of around 14 percent, a far cry from the 35 percent top income tax rate.

Discussion: ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Hot Air and Daily Kos

ABCNEWS: Romney Says He ‘Probably’ Pays 15 Percent in Fed Taxes

Pat Garofalo / The Atlantic Online:
The Real Scandal in Private Equity? It's the Taxes

Discussion: Wonkette

Marie Diamond / ThinkProgress:

Santorum Staffer Says Women Shouldn't Be President Because It's Against God's Will — In an article about the reasons Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign fizzled, the Des Moines Register points to “sexism among conservatives,” singling out an offensive email written by a staffer to Rick Santorum:

Discussion: The Hinterland Gazette and Wonkette

David Edwards / The Raw Story:

GOP debate audience boos Romney's Mexican heritage — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney may be in the lead in the Palmetto state, but that doesn't mean South Carolinians necessarily like him. — During a Fox News debate at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Monday …

Discussion: pandagon.net and Booman Tribune

Jim Morrill / The Charlotte Observer:

Obama to speak at Bank of America stadium — On the final night of this fall's Democratic National Convention, President Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech at Bank of America stadium, party sources told the Observer on Monday night. — Convention officials are expected …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Taegan Goddard's …, The Daily Caller and The Hinterland Gazette

Jim Watson / ABCNEWS:

New Polls Show Signs Of Serious Vulnerability For President Obama — There are plenty of Democrats and even some Republicans who view the Republican primary as a gift to President Obama. Sixteen debates, web videos and “you can't even make this up” candidate behavior …

Discussion: Big Journalism and Gallup

Gary Langer / ABCNEWS:
Riding Electability & Expectations, Romney Rolls to 35 Percent Support

Discussion: Investor's Business Daily, Pundit & Pundette and The Page

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama adviser Jarrett defends church pulpit criticism of GOP — Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett is defending critical comments she made of the GOP made from a church pulpit. — Jarrett ripped congressional Republcians for blocking President Obama's jobs bill …

Discussion: The Politico, White House Dossier, The Hinterland Gazette and Weasel Zippers

Neela Banerjee / Los Angeles Times:

Climate change skepticism seeps into science classrooms — Some states have introduced education standards requiring teachers to defend the denial of man-made global warming. A national watchdog group says it will start monitoring classrooms. — A fisherman on the Ilulissat Icefjord on the west coast of Greenland.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, NCSE and Green

Seung Min Kim / The Politico:

Nancy Pelosi: GOP knows Mitt Romney can't win — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday launched political grenades at Mitt Romney, arguing that Republicans haven't coalesced behind the GOP frontrunner because they don't believe he can beat President Barack Obama in November.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers