memeorandum: Simon Johnson on the Proposed Foreclosure Fraud Settlement: “This is a law enforcement issue.” (David Dayen/Firedoglake)

12:40 PM ET, January 23, 2012

Top Items:

Mitt Romney tells ‘interrupters’ at rally to ‘take a hike’ — Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns at Allstar Building Materials in Ormond Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak / January 22, 2012) — Mitt Romney opened an aggressive new phase …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, The PJ Tatler, Shakesville, Riehl World View, Booman Tribune, The Caucus, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and The Raw Story

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:

What are Newt Gingrich's big ideas? — On Saturday's edition of “Up With Chris Hayes,” Gary Johnson brought up an old Newt Gingrich idea I hadn't heard before: Putting individuals who brought more than two ounces of marijuana into the United States to death. That sounded extreme, even for Gingrich.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Democracy in America, Law Blog, Cato @ Liberty and The Volokh Conspiracy

Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:

Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich is a ‘failed leader,’ ‘disgrace’ — ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Mitt Romney landed here Sunday with a simple message: Newt Gingrich is a failure and a fraud. And a disgrace. And a hapless showman. — Standing under a brilliant orange Florida sunset …

Discussion: CNN, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Towleroad News #gay, Campaign 2012, Riehl World View, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, The Hill, Weekly Standard and Ballot Box

NewsMax.com:
Newt Surges to Lead in Fla., Romney Trails by 8 Points

Discussion: The Politico, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler, New York Magazine and The Political Carnival

Wall Street Journal:
The Gingrich Challenge — A test for Romney, GOP officials …

Discussion: GOP 12 and The Enterprise Blog

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:
Poll: Gingrich surges to lead in Florida primary

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, GOP 12, Prairie Weather and Naked Politics

Jim Vandeheiand Mike Allen / The Politico:
Newt Gingrich: The master of disguise

Discussion: Hot Air, Taylor Marsh, Pirate's Cove, Gothamist and Reuters

Alexander Burnsand Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Mitt Romney's misery, in a word: Bain

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Hot Air, New York Times, The Caucus, Washington Post, ABCNEWS, Connecting.the.Dots, The Moderate Voice and Reuters

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:
Coulter: ‘With Newt Gingrich you throw out the baby and keep the bath water’ [VIDEO]

Discussion: Big Government, Don Surber, The Gateway Pundit, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Power Line, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, New York Times, msnbc.com, alicublog and The Politico

Matthew Boyle / The Daily Caller:

Sen. Rand Paul ‘detained’ by TSA in Nashville, TSA denies — Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul's press secretary Moira Bagley tweeted on Monday that Transportation Security Administration officials were detaining her boss in Nashville, Tenn. — “Just got a call from @senrandpaul,” Bagley tweeted at about 10 a.m. on Monday.

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Hit & Run, Caffeinated Thoughts, The Mahablog, RedState, The Raw Story, Gothamist and LewRockwell.com Blog

A.Killough / CNN:

BREAKING: Spokeswoman: TSA turns away Sen. Rand Paul — (CNN) - Authorities blocked U.S. Sen. Rand Paul at the Nashville airport Monday after the Kentucky Republican refused a pat-down at a security checkpoint, his spokeswoman said. — Paul went through a scanner at the airport and set off an alarm …

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and National Review

Tim Mak / The Politico:

Rand Paul detained by TSA — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was detained Monday by the Transportation Security Administration in Nashville, Tenn., after refusing a full body pat-down, POLITICO has confirmed. — “I spoke with him five minutes ago and he was being detained indefinitely,” Paul spokesperson Moira Bagley said.

Discussion: Campaign 2012

ABCNEWS:

Rand Paul in Pat-Down Standoff With TSA in Nashville — Sen. Rand Paul told his communications director this morning he was being detained by TSA in Nashville. — @moirabagley, the Twitter account associated with Paul staffer Moira Bagley tweeted around 10 a.m., ET, “Just got a call from @senrandpaul.

Discussion: Hot Air, PolitickerNY, The Gateway Pundit, Big Government, Outside the Beltway and Mediaite

David Kravets / Threat Level:

Warrants Needed for GPS Monitoring, Supreme Court Rules — The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that law enforcement authorities need a probable-cause warrant from a judge to affix a GPS device to a vehicle and monitor its every move. — The decision (.pdf) in what is arguably …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Above the Law, Gizmodo and Gov 2.0, more at Techmeme »

Jennifer Haberkorn / The Politico:

Supreme Court says no to debate over Elena Kagan health care role — The Supreme Court on Monday denied a request for debate over whether Justice Elena Kagan should recuse herself from the health care reform case due to be argued in March. — Freedom Watch, a group led by Larry Klayman …

Discussion: CNN and Hit & Run

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:

THE OBAMA MEMOS … - POLITICS - PROFILES - THE TALK OF THE TOWN - COMMENT - TABLE OF CONTENTS - THE FINANCIAL PAGE - NEWS DESK - THE POLITICAL SCENE

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, ThinkProgress, The New Republic, Washington Post, Paul Krugman and News Desk

Mark Steyn / National Review:

The Man Who Gave Us Newt — The nature of this peculiar primary season - the reason it seems at odds with both the 2009-2010 political narrative and the seriousness of the times - was determined by Mitt Romney. Even if you don't mind RomneyCare, or the abortion flip-flop, or any of the rest …

Discussion: GOP 12, Ross Douthat, Jay Bookman, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Wonkette, Betsy's Page and News Desk

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

U.S. Economy Most Toxic of 24 Issues — Scope of government and U.S. morality also rankle Americans — PRINCETON, NJ — As President Barack Obama prepares his annual address to Congress, Americans are broadly dissatisfied with the state of the nation in several specific issue areas …

Discussion: The Politico, Don Surber, Weasel Zippers and National Review

The Politico:

Mitt faces a perfect mess — Perfect resume, perfect looks, perfect family, and a perfect roster of skilled campaign operatives and blue-chip endorsements: Mitt Romney has them all. — Yet he comes out of his drubbing in South Carolina with a perfect problem.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Hill

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Santorum Promises To Outlaw Gay Civil Marriage Because It Does Not Reflect 'God's Will For Us' — Rick Santorum told CNN's Piers Morgan on Friday that he would never change his opposition to same-sex marriage because it does not reflect “God's will for us.”

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:

Federal employees owe $1.03 billion in unpaid taxes — (Daniel Acker - BLOOMBERG) Congressional staffers owed about $10.6 million in unpaid taxes in 2010, a slight increase from the previous year and a growing slice of the roughly $1 billion owed by federal and postal workers nationwide.

Discussion: COURAGE IN AMERICA

Daniel Klaidman / The Daily Beast:

Obama Team to Break Silence on al-Awlaki Killing — Inside the White House debate over how to talk about al Qaeda's Anwar al-Awlaki. — After months of internal debate, the Obama administration is planning to reveal publicly the legal reasoning behind its decision to kill the American-born leader …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, americanthinker.com and emptywheel

KMOV-TV:

St. Louis groups protest Kirkwood Walmart, Lowe's — KIRKWOOD (KMOV) - Members of Occupy St. Louis and the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined forces Sunday afternoon to protest outside the Kirkwood Walmart and Lowe's over advertising dispute. — Organizers say they are protesting …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit

David Dayen / Firedoglake:

Simon Johnson on the Proposed Foreclosure Fraud Settlement: “This is a law enforcement issue.” — Someone should investigate (2008 photo: Danny McL) … DD: So we've heard about an imminent settlement for a while now. Why do you think we're in such a crucial stage now?

Discussion: naked capitalism

Martin Frost / The Politico:

The electoral train wreck scenario — Train wrecks don't happen often in American politics. But there could be one in this presidential election. And if it occurs, it will be big. — Consider: The Constitution has a specific provision regarding an Electoral College deadlock.

Raymond Hernandez / New York Times:

Under the Name of a Senate Hopeful, Blog Posts on Sex and Drugs — As he travels New York trying to build support for a Senate candidacy, Marc Cenedella has impressed Republican leaders with his Ivy League credentials, his success in building a business and his promise to tap his wealth in the race.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Gothamist and TBogg