Top Items:

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.
Discussion:
The Other McCain, Don Surber, The Hinterland Gazette, ABCNEWS, The Moderate Voice, The Mahablog and Shakesville
RELATED:

Obama up 5 on Romney nationally — PPP's first national poll of 2012 finds Barack Obama with his best standing against Mitt Romney since last May, right after the killing of Osama bin Laden. Obama leads Romney 49-44. — It's not as if Obama's suddenly become popular.
Discussion:
Gothamist, No More Mister Nice Blog, Ballot Box, Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Guardian, The Caucus and INSTAPUTZ


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:
The Huffington Post, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*, Hot Air, The Hinterland Gazette, The Raw Story and Daily Kos


Mitt Romney to release tax returns, estimates rate at about 15 percent — FLORENCE, S.C. — Bowing to pressure from his Republican rivals as well as the Democrats, Mitt Romney told reporters here Tuesday that he plans to release his federal income tax returns this spring and estimated his rate at about 15 percent.
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The New Republic, Washington Monthly, Paul Krugman, Campaign 2012 and Political Mojo


The Real Scandal in Private Equity? It's the Taxes
Discussion:
New York Times and Wonkette

Mitt says he pays close to 15 percent rate
Discussion:
The Hill and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

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 Huffington Post, washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr, The Atlantic Online, OpenSecrets.org, 24Ahead, The Daily Caller, iWatch News, PERRspectives, ThinkProgress, Hit & Run, Washington Wire, The New Republic, Hot Air, RedState, Booman Tribune, Law Blog, Informed Comment, Politics K-12, The Moderate Voice, Wake up America, Daily Kos, Michelle Malkin and The Stranger …
RELATED:

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


Chris Matthews Accuses Newt Gingrich Of Racially Charged Use Of The Name ‘Juan’ — A big moment of last night's debate came when moderator Juan Williams and Newt Gingrich argued over Gingrich's comments that many have seen as condescending towards blacks. However, Williams …
Discussion:
Rush Limbaugh, THEROOT.COM and National Review
RELATED:

Gingrich doubles down on promise to follow Obama around the country to force debates
Discussion:
CNN

GOP debate audience boos Romney's Mexican heritage
Discussion:
pandagon.net and Booman Tribune

Newt Gingrich and the Art of Racial Politics
Discussion:
Mediaite, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Atlantic Online and The Daily Dish

Gingrich: ‘I Would Be Delighted’ With a Santorum Endorsement
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Post and Hot Air

Democrats to file 1 million signatures for Walker recall — By Patrick Marley and Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel — Madison - Democrats and organizers will file petitions with more than a million signatures Tuesday afternoon as they seek to force a recall election against Gov. Scott Walker …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Daily Caller, Media Trackers, Marathon Pundit and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
RELATED:

Dems gather more than one million signatures to recall Scott Walker — Wisconsin Democrats are telling reporters that they have gathered more than one million signatures to recall Governor Scott Walker — a remarkable number that could have real ramifications for this year's presidential race.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, US Politics and JSOnline

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:
Hit & Run, Trail Blazers Blog, Ballot Box and Campaign 2012
RELATED:

Court rejects Perry's Va. ballot appeal — In a 22-page order, a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court today rejected Rick Perry's appeal to appear on the Virginia ballot. — Perry initially challenged the state's stringent ballot laws on Dec. 27, after he and Newt Gingrich failed …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway

Perry: Santorum a ‘good Catholic’
Discussion:
CNN, GOP 12, The Hill and Questions and Observations


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:
Investor's Business Daily, Big Journalism, Taylor Marsh and Gallup
RELATED:

Nancy Pelosi: GOP knows Mitt Romney can't win
Discussion:
Wizbang and Weasel Zippers

‘Occupy Congress’ protesters arrested
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, nation.foxnews.com and The Gateway Pundit


Will frontrunner Romney keep debating? — MYRTLE BEACH, SC — After a debate in which Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney faced attacks from all sides, the Romney campaign says it has not yet accepted invitations to participate in two high-profile debates leading up to the January 31 Florida primary …
Discussion:
The Politico, GOP 12, American Spectator, Hot Air and The Daily Caller
RELATED:

South Carolina Diarist
Discussion:
The State, No More Mister Nice Blog, Booman Tribune, Prairie Weather, Poynter and CNN

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


An Economic Recovery Is Not Fated for 2013 — Can this be fixed by 2013? - Calculated Risk job loss chart Click to see enlarged original at CR — I've seen a spate of stories recently suggesting that a economic recovery is fated to happen by 2013, and whoever wins the Presidential election …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and The New Republic
RELATED:

Who will get the ‘Recovery Presidency’? — Julie Schmit reports …
Discussion:
USA Today, The Daily Dish and Political Mojo

English Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout — To: English Wikipedia Readers and Community From: Sue Gardner, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director … Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide …
RELATED:


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


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:
msnbc.com, Sister Toldjah, Taylor Marsh, The Daily Caller, The Hinterland Gazette and New York Magazine