memeorandum: NBC's Chuck Todd Blasts Stephen Colbert: ‘He Is Making A Mockery Of The System’ (Nando Di Fino/Mediaite)

9:10 PM ET, January 20, 2012

Top Items:

Chuck Norris / WND:

MY ENDORSEMENT FOR PRESIDENT — Exclusive: Chuck Norris reveals his choice for Republican nomination — Our republic as America's founders created it is under assault from extremists outside our country and anti-constitutionalists inside our country. Combined with the flailing American economy …

Discussion: The Hill, Balloon Juice, Pat Dollard, Riehl World View, Mediaite, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Gawker, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

Wallacegw / CNN:

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: The Politico, FITSNews, Telegraph, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Other McCain, American Spectator, 2012 Decoded, Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, TVNewser, The Daily Caller, Washington Post and Daily Kos

Frank Newport / Gallup:

Romney's National Lead Down to 10 Points — Romney 30%, Gingrich 20% in the latest Gallup Daily tracking — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney is a considerably weaker front-runner among Republican registered voters nationally than he was at the beginning of the week.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Pat Dollard, Washington Post, 2012 Decoded, The Political Carnival, CNN, Indecision Forever, Daily Kos, The Daily Dish, The Caucus and Connecting.the.Dots

Clemson University:

Clemson Palmetto Poll finds Gingrich leading, 20% of S.C. voters still uncommitted — CLEMSON, S.C. — With polls opening in less than 24 hours for the important South Carolina presidential primary election, the final Palmetto Poll shows Newt Gingrich leading over Mitt Romney in a gritty battle fraught …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, The Politico, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, The Hill, American Spectator, Guardian, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Booman Tribune, weaskamerica.com, Trail Blazers Blog, National Review, Campaign 2012, Public Policy Polling and Washington Times

Dr. Keith Ablow / Fox News:

Newt Gingrich's three marriages mean he might make a strong president — really — Former Speaker of the House and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich was attacked Thursday in an interview on ABC News by his second wife Marianne. She accused him of beginning an affair …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Little Green Footballs, The Political Carnival, Wonkette and The Stranger …

Conn Carroll / Campaign 2012:

America hates Newt Gingrich — Unlike Mitt Romney, who occasionally beats President Obama in general election poll match ups, Newt Gingrich trails far behind President Obama in every survey. But just how bad are Gingrich's unfavorable among the general public compared to Obama and Romney?

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

A.Killough / CNN:

Colbert: Vote for Cain, he's on the ballot — Charleston, South Carolina (CNN) - Call it the rally for wannabe candidates. — Comedian and faux television host Stephen Colbert took the stage Friday with former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, whose name still remains on the South Carolina primary ballot.

Discussion: The Politico

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:

A Test for Gingrich as Political Strategist — CHARLESTON, S.C. — If Newt Gingrich soars on his strong debate performances this week, overcomes the blowback within his party from attacking Mitt Romney as a corporate buyout king, and goes on to do well when South Carolina voters go to the polls on Saturday …

Discussion: TalkLeft and The Caucus

Matt Stout / Boston Herald:

Sen. Scott Brown urges Romney, Gingrich — come clean — U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, fresh off announcing his re-election campaign, said the two front-runners for the GOP presidential nomination should own up to their criticisms — and give the public the answers it craves.

Discussion: The Politico, ThinkProgress, Hot Air and The Hill

Dylan Byers / The Politico:
Mitt Romney leaves NBC Florida Republican debate uncertain

Discussion: Daily Kos, Naked Politics, ABCNEWS and No More Mister Nice Blog

Kristin Ford / Faith in Public Life:
Catholic Leaders Challenge Gingrich and Santorum on Divisive Rhetoric Around Race and Poverty

Discussion: ThinkProgress and The American Independent

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Romney adviser: We could lose South Carolina

Discussion: The Politico, Hot Air, Guardian, Telegraph and The Daily Caller

Shushannah Walshe / ABCNEWS:
Santorum: Newt Has ‘Issues of Character’

Discussion: Hot Air and Wonkette

Marc Caputo / Naked Politics:
‘Cautiously optimistic’ Mitt Romney hints he could lose South Carolina, talks tax returns

Discussion: Guardian and Ricochet Conversations Feed

Jonathan Martinand Alexander Burns / Reuters:
Why Newt Gingrich is surging in South Carolina

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Washington Monthly, FITSNews, Washington Post, Hardball Blog, Washington Wire, Wake up America and Taylor Marsh

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Romney's ‘Prevent Defense’ Yielding Big Gains to Opponents

Discussion: Guardian, A plain blog about politics, The New Republic, Wonkette, Outside the Beltway, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, American Prospect, Ricochet Conversations Feed and The Mahablog

Peter Overby / NPR:
As ‘Citizens United’ Turns 2, SuperPACs Draw Protests

Discussion: Guardian, Hit & Run, Prairie Weather and The Huffington Post

Rick Hasen / Election Law Blog:

Breaking News: Supreme Court Decides Texas Redistricting Case, Reverses Lower Court — In a unanimous per curiam opinion, the Supreme Court (with Justice Thomas concurring separately in the judgment) has reversed the maps drawn by the three judge court and remanded to draw new maps under new standards.

Discussion: Reuters, American Prospect, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Los Angeles Times, ACS Blog, SCOTUSblog, Off the Kuff and Political Watch

Adam Liptak / New York Times:

Supreme Court Rejects Judge-Drawn Maps in Texas Redistricting Case — WASHINGTON — 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.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, ProPublica, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Election Law Blog, ABCNEWS and msnbc.com

Lyle Denniston / SCOTUSblog:
Court rejects Texas maps, delays W.Va. map

Discussion: TEXAS REDISTRICTING, Election Law Blog, Swampland and Greg's Opinion

Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:
SCOTUS kills judge-drawn Texas map

Discussion: CNN, The Moderate Voice and RedState

Julian Pecquet / The Hill:

Health plans ordered to cover birth control without co-pays — Most healthcare plans will be required to cover birth control without charging co-pays or deductibles starting Aug. 1, the Obama administration announced Friday. — The final regulation retains the approach federal health officials proposed …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The Politico, Washington Monthly, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Little Green Footballs and The Lonely Conservative

ThinkProgress:

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: Religion Dispatches, Salon, The Gateway Pundit, Hullabaloo, Firedoglake, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Nando Di Fino / Mediaite:

NBC's Chuck Todd Blasts Stephen Colbert: ‘He Is Making A Mockery Of The System’ — Appearing at a Winthrop University panel Thursday, MSNBC host and NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd ripped into Stephen Colbert and his not-yet-official run, suggesting that Colbert might …

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Huffington Post, Indecision Forever, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog, Big Journalism and Rumproast, more at Mediagazer »

Todd Leopold / CNN:

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: THEROOT.COM, Washington Post, TalkLeft, Gothamist and The Democratic Daily

New York Times:
Etta James, Powerful Voice Behind ‘At Last,’ Dies at 73

Discussion: Guardian and LGBT|POV

Tanya Somanader / ThinkProgress:

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: Towleroad News #gay, Washington Monthly, Guardian and Daily Kos

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Four Years Ago, Romney's Wealth Was Not an Issue

Discussion: The Mahablog

Ben Fischer / bizjournals:

Supreme Court's Antonin Scalia sounds off at law gathering … Justice Antonin Scalia said Thursday he is prepared to discard a major precedent in abortion law when considering a future challenge to state regulations that require extra staff and expensive equipment at abortion clinics, such as one approved in Virginia last year.

Discussion: LifeNews.com and Shakesville

Sydney Morning Herald:

Love online: 100,000 Grindr users exposed in hack attack — The Grindr app, left, and founder Joel Simkhai's profile. — A popular “meat-market” smartphone app that spawned a sexual revolution in Australia's gay community has been compromised by a Sydney hacker, potentially exposing …

Discussion: Gawker, Towleroad News #gay, AKSARBENT and The Raw Story

Tjfang / CBS San Francisco:

Bankrupt Solyndra Caught Destroying Brand New Parts — FREMONT (CBS 5) — After filing for bankruptcy last year, Fremont solar company Solyndra still owes American taxpayers half a billion dollars. But CBS 5 caught them destroying millions of dollars worth of parts.

Discussion: Hot Air, Hit & Run and Atlas Shrugs

Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:

House Republicans on retreat focus on picking their fights in election year — A battle-weary conference of House Republicans is focused on picking its fights in the face of an election year. — Members attending the three-day issues retreat described a “serious” more “businesslike” …

Discussion: The Politico

Keith Laing / The Hill:

Lawmakers reach deal to clear FAA funding for takeoff — Lawmakers have reached a deal on a long-term funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that is likely to prevent shutdowns of the beleaguered agency for the foreseeable future, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said late Friday afternoon.

Discussion: The Politico, CNN and ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

William Tucker / American Spectator:

Environmentalism and the Leisure Class — This week President Obama handed down what may prove to be one of the most fateful decisions of his entire administration when he rejected the plan to build the Keystone XL Pipeline carrying oil from the tar sands of Canada to the refineries of Houston.

Discussion: The Hill, Power Line and Ed Driscoll

Molly Wood / CNET:

Anonymous goes nuclear; everybody loses? — #OpMegaUpload: like watching “War Games” play out, but with cyber-bombs. — In the aftermath of Wednesday's SOPA/PIPA blackout protests, the Internet community amassed quite a bit of goodwill, flexed its muscles in a friendly, humorous …

Discussion: New York Times, Gawker, CNN, AllThingsD, BuzzFeed and Techdirt, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

After immigration crackdown, Ga. and Ala. farmers unsure about crop size amid labor concerns — ATLANTA — It's unclear whether farmers in Georgia and Alabama will face a shortage of workers due to tough new laws targeting illegal immigration, but some producers said they have begun changing …

Discussion: ThinkProgress

William La Jeunesse / Fox News:

Federal official in Arizona to plead the fifth and not answer questions on ‘furious’ — The chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona is refusing to testify before Congress regarding Operation Fast and Furious, the federal gun-running scandal that sent U.S. weapons to Mexico.