Top Items:

Palin: ‘Dumb arses’ in media ‘overplayed their hand’ with Gingrich — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has now weighed in on the controversy surrounding an ABC interview with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's ex-wife, and Palin had some tough words for the media.
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh, The Caucus, The Politico, Don Surber, Connecting.the.Dots, Hot Air, Mediaite, Wizbang and The Reaction, more at Mediagazer »
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Why Newt Gingrich is surging in South Carolina — NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — The final debate before the South Carolina primary brought into sharp relief why Newt Gingrich is re-emerging as a contender and Mitt Romney is stumbling toward the finish line. — With a rousing denunciation …
Discussion:
Washington Wire, The Politico, Hardball Blog, Washington Post, The Atlantic Online and Wall Street Journal

“I THINK GRANDIOSE THOUGHTS” — Location — A Selection Of Speaker Gingrich's Thoughts Over The Years — Gingrich on Gingrich: — “I Am Essentially A Revolutionary.” (Adam Clymer, “House Revolutionary,” The New York Times, 8/23/92) — “Philosophically, I Am Very Different …

Fake CNN email used as dirty trick in South Carolina — CNN did not send out the email alert. — Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @politicalticker — It's not clear how many people received the fake email, though at least two members of the South Carolina GOP Executive Committee …
Discussion:
weaskamerica.com, Outside the Beltway, FITSNews, Trail Blazers Blog and The Politico


TPM2012 — Newt: CNN ‘Despicable’ To Bring Up ‘Trash’ Open Marriage Story
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Oliver Willis, Hullabaloo and Seeing the Forest

Gingrich maintains 6 point lead
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, Politics, Wonkette, The Hill, ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, Daily Kos and Taegan Goddard's …

The power of conservative victimhood
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, Rush Limbaugh, Salon.com and ThinkProgress

Moralizing's High Cost
Discussion:
Washington Post, Opinion L.A. and NewsBusters.org blogs

Gingrich lashes out at media in debate
Discussion:
CNN, NY Daily News, The Politico, The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, Ballot Box and ABCNEWS

Romney: I Won't Release My Tax Returns Because 'I Don't Want To Give The Democrats A Nice Little Present' — GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney endured a hail of boos during the CNN debate last night when he refused to commit to releasing his 2011 tax returns.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Towleroad News #gay and Daily Kos
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Speaker Newt Gingrich and Mrs. Gingrich Release 2010 Income Tax Return and Gingrich Foundation Tax Return
Discussion:
Washington Post, americanthinker.com, Campaign 2012, The Page, Telegraph, CNN, Taylor Marsh, Washington Wire and Mediaite

GOP Debate: Gingrich Kills Infidelity Question, and That's Just the Start
Discussion:
Indecision Forever

Republican Debate Audience Boos Mitt Romney Over Releasing Tax Returns
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Campaign 2012 and Washington Post

Reid Statement On Intellectual Property Bill … Washington, D.C. - Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement today on the Senate's PROTECT I.P. Act: — “In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday's vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Daily Caller, Policy Blog, GigaOM, Threat Level, Techdirt and Wake up America, more at Techmeme »
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SOPA and PIPA dead ? for now — House and Senate leaders abandoned plans to move on SOPA and PIPA on Friday — the surest sign yet that a wave of online protests have killed the controversial anti-piracy legislation for now and maybe forever. — SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith …
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, Wake up America and RedState

Senate Dems released from PIPA, sources say
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos, PolitickerNY and Guardian

Taxes at the Top — Call me peculiar, but I'm actually enjoying the spectacle of Mitt Romney doing the Dance of the Seven Veils — partly out of voyeurism, of course, but also because it's about time that we had this discussion. — The theme of his dance, for those who haven't been paying attention, is taxes — his own taxes.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Prairie Weather, Paul Krugman and Greg Mankiw's Blog
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How Much the Rich Pay — Mitt Romney, the 1% and taxes. — Mitt Romney's disclosure this week that his effective federal tax rate is “probably closer to the 15% rate than anything” has created the predictable political uproar. The White House and its media allies figure they've now got …
Discussion:
Althouse

Rejecting the Keystone pipeline is an act of insanity — President Obama's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico is an act of national insanity. It isn't often that a president makes a decision that has no redeeming virtues and — beyond the symbolism …
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Secretary Clinton won't testify on Keystone pipeline rejection
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, The Politico and New York Times


Anonymous Goes on Megaupload Revenge Spree: DoJ, RIAA, MPAA, and Universal Music All Offline — Anonymous has sure been quiet lately, but today's federal bust of Megaupload riled 'em up good: a retaliatory strike against DoJ.gov (and plenty of other foes) leaving them completely dead.
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Why the feds smashed Megaupload
Discussion:
Hit & Run, Digits, The Lede, Gizmodo, New York Times, TechCrunch and Wall Street Journal, more at Mediagazer »

Supreme Court Rejects Judge-Drawn Maps in Texas Redistricting Case — The Supreme Court on Friday instructed a lower court in Texas to take a fresh look at election maps it had drawn in place of a competing set of maps from the Texas Legislature. The justices said the lower court …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, RedState and The Stranger …
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Afghanistan's Soldiers Step Up Killings of Allied Forces — KABUL, Afghanistan — American and other coalition forces here are being killed in increasing numbers by the very Afghan soldiers they fight alongside and train, in attacks motivated by deep-seated animosity between the supposedly allied forces …
Discussion:
emptywheel, Pat Dollard, Battleland and The American Conservative
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Obama Administration Approves Rule That Guarantees Near-Universal Contraceptive Coverage — Our guest blogger is Jessica Arons, Director of the Women's Health and Rights Program at American Progress. — Today, in a huge victory for women's health, Health and Human Services Secretary …
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money


Singing legend Etta James dies at 73 — Etta James, here performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2009, died Friday, January 20, due to complications from leukeimia, said her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. The singer was 73. — HIDE CAPTION — Etta James through the years
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online

The GOP's suicide march — “Are you better off today than you were $4 trillion ago?” — former presidential candidate Rick Perry — It's the campaign line of the year, and while the author won't be carrying it into the general election, the eventual nominee will.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune and Betsy's Page


Best Companies list hits gay rights milestone — NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — For the first time ever, all 100 firms on Fortune's Best Companies To Work For list this year have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation. — In 2008, 95 of the top 100 Best Companies to Work …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Shakesville and Joe. My. God.