memeorandum: Key Perry supporter will back Romney (Wallacegw/CNN)

3:05 PM ET, January 19, 2012

Top Items:

Jennifer Jacobs / Iowa Caucuses:

REGISTER EXCLUSIVE: 2012 GOP caucus count unresolved — THE RESULTS: Santorum finished ahead by 34 votes — MISSING DATA: 8 precincts' numbers will never be certified — PARTY VERDICT: GOP official says, 'It's a split decision' — Rick Santorum - Final total: 29,839 Change: -168

A.Killough / CNN:

FIRST ON CNN: Sources: Perry dropping out of GOP race — Charleston, South Carolina (CNN) - Rick Perry is telling supporters that he will drop his bid Thursday for the Republican presidential nomination, two sources familiar with his plans told CNN. — The Texas governor will make the announcement …

Brian Ross / ABCNEWS:

Exclusive: Gingrich Lacks Moral Character to Be President, Ex-Wife Says — Newt Gingrich lacks the moral character to serve as President, his second ex-wife Marianne told ABC News, saying his campaign positions on the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family values do not square …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Esquire, Mail Online, Hot Air, Washington Wire, Campaign 2012, Washington Post, Wonkette, National Review, Politics Blog, The Spectacle Blog, msnbc.com, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Taylor Marsh and The Stranger …

The Politico:

Rick Perry to drop 2012 campaign for president, endorse Newt, Sources say — Rick Perry is expected to drop out later this morning at an 11 a.m. press conference and endorse Newt Gingrich, two sources confirmed to POLITICO. — The news was first reported by CNN.

Discussion: Guardian, ThinkProgress, Erick's blog, Jihad Watch, The American Independent, Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers, Pat Dollard, Taylor Marsh, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Feministing and CNN

John Matthews / 105.9 FM WMAL:

WATCH: Gingrich's Ex Says Newt Asked Her For An Open Marriage — WASHINGTON — Newt Gingrich's second ex-wife says the former House Speaker lacks the ‘moral character’ to be President. — In an interview with ABC's Brian Ross that was recorded last week and which will air in its entireity …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Pundits Blog, Outside the Beltway, The Atlantic Online, NO QUARTER, Pat Dollard, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Lynn Sweet, National Review, Mail Online, The Caucus, The Raw Story, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Pundit & Pundette, Weasel Zippers, The Lonely Conservative and The Powers That Be

James V. Grimaldi / Washington Post:

Marianne Gingrich, Newt's ex-wife, says he wanted ‘open marriage’ — Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in 1999 asked his second wife for an “open marriage” or a divorce at the same time he was giving speeches around the country on family and religious values, his former wife, Marianne, told The Washington Post on Thursday.

Discussion: The Politico, NY Daily News, Little Green Footballs, PolitickerNY, Religion Dispatches, The Moderate Voice, msnbc.com and The Page

The Caucus:

Perry Ends Bid for Presidency — Mr. Perry speaking at a campaign event in Mason City, Iowa, on Dec. 30, 2011. Mr. Perry is poised to end his candidacy and endorse Newt Gingrich on Thursday. — Updated — NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Gov. Rick Perry of Texas dropped out of the Republican presidential race …

Discussion: Democracy in America, Campaign 2012, FiveThirtyEight, Outside the Beltway, The Stranger …, The Impolitic, Washington Monthly, The Powers That Be, The Democratic Daily, Washington Post, Connecting.the.Dots, Booman Tribune, Political Mojo and The Reaction

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Gingrich leads Romney on 1st night of tracking — Newt Gingrich led Mitt Romney 34-28 in PPP's South Carolina polling last night, the first of what will be three nights of tracking. Ron Paul at 15%, Rick Santorum at 14%, Rick Perry at 5%, and Buddy Roemer at 3% round out the field.

Discussion: Ballot Box, Talking Points Memo, Taegan Goddard's …, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos and Wake up America

Washington Post:

Santorum finished 34 votes ahead of Romney in new Iowa tally; votes from 8 precincts missing — Former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) officially won the Iowa caucuses Thursday — 16 days after the last vote was cast — when state GOP officials said a final count showed him 34 votes ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Discussion: The Spectacle Blog, Weasel Zippers and The Political Carnival

Drudge Report:

NEWT EX-WIFE UNLOADS ON CAMERA; NETWORK DEBATES ‘ETHICS’ OF AIRING BEFORE SC PRIMARY — Marianne Gingrich has said she could end her ex-husband's career with a single interview. — Earlier this week, she sat before ABCNEWS cameras, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

James Hohmann / Reuters:
POLITICO Poll: Newt closing in

Discussion: CNN, National Review, The Politico, Palmetto Public Record, Colorlines, Political Insider and Weekly Standard

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Limbaugh On Gingrich Cheating On His Ex-Wife: 'Newt's A Victim'

Discussion: Gawker, Rush Limbaugh and Washington Post

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:
Despite Publicly Backing One Man-One Woman Marriage, Newt Asked Ex-Wife To ‘Share Me’ With Other Women

Discussion: Booman Tribune and Prairie Weather

NBC's Mark Murray / msnbc.com:
NBC poll: Newt Gingrich gains ground on Mitt Romney in South Carolina

Discussion: New York Post, Associated Press, Washington Post, NY Daily News, New York Times, CNN, Shakesville, Outside the Beltway, Political Watch, Hardball Blog, The Moderate Voice, Reuters and Daily Kos

Melinda Henneberger / Washington Post:
As far back as the '90s, Marianne Gingrich has been saying …

Discussion: CNN, Politics, Boston Herald, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Wire, Daily Kos, Althouse, Betsy's Page, TalkLeft, The Politico and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Cop Out for the Ages!! — The Republican party of Iowa …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, ABCNEWS, Guardian, Outside the Beltway and Balloon Juice

Wallacegw / CNN:
Key Perry supporter will back Romney

Discussion: Hot Air

Washington Post:
Rick Perry ends presidential candidacy, endorses Newt Gingrich

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Wake up America, The New Republic and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Alex Pappas / The Daily Caller:
Exclusive: 100 tea party leaders to announce support for Newt

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Perry's Voters May Not Flock to Gingrich

Discussion: The Caucus, Talking Points Memo and The Stranger …

Michael Barone / Campaign 2012:
New poll has Gingrich leading Romney in S.C.

Discussion: News Desk, Weasel Zippers and The Raw Story

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Marianne Gingrich speaks

Discussion: CNN, Big Journalism and The Reaction

Marist Poll:
1/19: Romney Leads Gingrich by 10 Points in South Carolina; 5 Points Post-Debate

Discussion: Firedoglake, Wall Street Journal, Hot Air, Political Insider, Ballot Box and Washington Wire

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Gingrich: Decision to air interview with ex-wife ‘simply wrong’

Discussion: Ballot Box

OpenCongress:

Protect IP Act Senate whip count — This page is an OpenCongress community project. — We are seeking to get each U.S. senator on-record with their position on the Protect IP Act of 2011 (known as “whipping the vote” in DC-speak). By forcing votes out into the open …

Discussion: Mashable!, CNET, Electronic Frontier Foundation and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »

David Dayen / Firedoglake:

SOPA Activism Moves Republicans More Than Democrats — Yesterday's SOPA strike was enormously successful, not only raising attention to the issue but moving a tremendous amount of politicians for a one-day event. Over 4.5 million people signed Google's petition against SOPA.

Discussion: Techdirt, Althouse, Daily Kos and The Verge

Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica:
PIPA support collapses, with 13 new Senators opposed

Discussion: Business Insider, The Raw Story, Insert Coin, Threat Level and Towleroad News #gay, more at Techmeme »

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Bain gives more campaign money to Democrats than it does to Republicans — Democrats have accepted more political donations than Republicans from executives at Bain Capital, complicating the left's plan to attack Mitt Romney for his record at the private equity firm.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org blogs, Hot Air and Don Surber

Wall Street Journal:
Bain Capital Saved America

Discussion: Mitt Romney Central, NewsBusters.org blogs and The Enterprise Blog

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Dems propose ‘Reasonable Profits Board’ to regulate oil company profits — Six House Democrats led by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) want to set up a “Reasonable Profits Board” to control gas profits. — The Democrats, worried about higher gas prices, want to set up a board that would apply a …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Washington Post:

Obama's Keystone pipeline rejection is hard to accept — ON TUESDAY, President Obama's Jobs Council reminded the nation that it is still hooked on fossil fuels, and will be for a long time. “Continuing to deliver inexpensive and reliable energy,” the council reported …