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Romney's Taxes: $3 Million — Candidate Paid a 14% Effective Tax Rate for 2010 on $21.7 Million in Income — WASHINGTON—GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney paid a 14% effective income tax rate in 2010 after making $3 million in tax-deductible charitable donations and drawing …
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Mitt Romney's tax returns shed some light on his investment wealth — Mitt Romney offered a partial snapshot of his vast personal fortune late Monday, disclosing income of $21.7 million in 2010 and $20.9 million last year — virtually all of it profits, dividends or interest from investments.

Newt up 5 in Florida — PPP's first post-South Carolina poll in Florida finds Newt Gingrich with a small lead. He's at 38% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 13% for Rick Santorum, and 10% for Ron Paul. — Gingrich has gained 12 points since a PPP poll conducted in Florida a week ago. Romney has dropped 8 points.

Romney's released tax return reveals 13.9% rate, holdings in foreign ‘tax havens’ — TAMPA, Fla./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records on Tuesday indicating he will pay $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $45.2 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.
Discussion:
American Prospect, Washington Post and Zandar Versus The Stupid

Calling Mitch Daniels — For months now, even as the rest of the conservative commentariat has gradually resigned itself to the existing presidential field, the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol has continued to pine — publicly, unstintingly, immune to either embarrassment or fatigue— for another candidate to jump into the race.

Romney, Gingrich tussle in GOP debate — Mitt Romney unleashed his harshest attacks to date on Newt Gingrich Monday in an antagonistic debate in Florida. — He chipped away at the former House Speaker's record from every direction as he worked to fend off the rival who has unexpectedly put Romney's hold …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Politico, ABCNEWS, Taylor Marsh and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog


‘Super PAC’ for Gingrich to Get $5 Million Infusion
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, Media Decoder, The Other McCain, News Desk and The Caucus

Gingrich's former firm releases Freddie Mac contract
Discussion:
New York Times, Hot Air, ThinkProgress, Naked Politics and Guardian

Debate Winner: Mitch Daniels
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, New York Times and The Daily Caller


Photos: Protesters “glitter-bomb” Santorum's town hall meeting — 2012 Republican presidential contender Rick Santorum's town hall meeting in Lady Lake ended with an unexpected twist, Monday afternoon, when two protesters rushed the stage, throwing glitter and shouting at the candidate.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit
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Santorum To Rape Victims: ‘Make The Best Out Of A Bad Situation’
Discussion:
TBogg, Wonkette, Shakesville, Zandar Versus The Stupid and Little Green Footballs


The classiest telling off in concert hall history? Witty musical response of violinist who was interrupted mid-solo by mobile phone ringtone — It is the most infuriating addition to any performance for artist and audience alike. — While engrossed in a captivating piece of theatre …


John Kerry, on the right wing, breaks nose — Senator John Kerry sported a broken nose and two black eyes at a White House event today honoring the Stanley Cup champs, the Boston Bruins. He suffered the injuries in a pickup hockey game. (REUTERS/Larry Downing)
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11 stunning revelations from Larry Summers's secret economics memo to Barack Obama — A lengthy piece in The New Yorker looks at policymaking in the Obama White House. A key source for writer Ryan Lizza is a 57-page, “Sensitive & Confidential” memo written by economist Larry Summers …
Discussion:
Right Wing News, Connecting.the.Dots, Doug Ross, The Politico, Washington Post, Weasel Zippers, Politics, ThinkProgress and The PJ Tatler
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Barack Obama attacked Hillary Clinton in negative campaign leaked memos show
Discussion:
Don Surber and Weasel Zippers

The Summers Memo — In a piece this week on Barack Obama's shift …
Discussion:
Political Mojo, Jared Bernstein, The Atlantic Online, DealBook, Firedoglake, Paul Krugman and New Yorker


Former CIA officer charged in alleged leaks — The Justice Department on Monday charged a former CIA officer with repeatedly leaking classified information, including the identities of agency operatives involved in the capture and interrogation of alleged terrorists.
Discussion:
The Politico, msnbc.com, Erick's blog, RedState, Atlas Shrugs, Weasel Zippers and The Talking Dog, more at Mediagazer »
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Ken Aden's Campaign Manager Comes Home To Find Cat Killed; “LIBERAL” Written On Its Corpse — This post includes a graphic picture. It is included here not for shock value, but to show just how heinous some people can be. — Last night, I got the most chilling phone call I have ever received.
Discussion:
Reuters, ThinkProgress, Crooks and Liars, Balloon Juice, Towleroad News #gay, The Huffington Post, RADAMISTO, BuzzFeed, Gawker and The Raw Story
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Judge: Americans can be forced to decrypt their laptops — American citizens can be ordered to decrypt their PGP-scrambled hard drives for police to peruse for incriminating files, a federal judge in Colorado ruled today in what could become a precedent-setting case.
Discussion:
The Verge, Gizmodo, msnbc.com and Vox Popoli, more at Techmeme »

From Gingrich To Palin To Gingrich — Let us now play the tiniest violin for what is called the “Republican Establishment”. I'm not sure what this phrase means or represents any more - the Chamber of Commerce? John Boehner? The Bush family? But the concept of a responsible, sane …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway, driftglass, Eunomia, Washington Examiner, A plain blog about politics and Enik Rising


Five Things To Watch For In the State of the Union — Given the blizzard of White House briefings to eager reporters in recent days, we already have some sense of what the president will say in tonight's State of the Union address. But in considering the speech, we shouldn't forget to judge …
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online


Rand Paul on TSA detainment: 'I was barked at: 'Do not leave the cubicle! " — Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul told The Daily Caller that being “detained” by the Transportation Security Administration at the Nashville airport Monday was a major ordeal that underscores flaws in TSA's procedures …
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White House sides with TSA in Rand Paul standoff
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Hit & Run, The Other McCain, The Gateway Pundit, The Politico and LewRockwell.com Blog

Reactions to Jones v. United States: The government fared much better than everyone realizes — Below, Lyle recaps and analyzes the Court's opinion. Given the significance of the decision and the uncertainty about its precise holding, I thought I would add a few thoughts.
Discussion:
Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Agitator and New York Times

More Americans Uninsured in 2011 — However, more adults aged 18 to 26 now covered … WASHINGTON, D.C. — More American adults lacked health insurance coverage last year than in any year since Gallup and Healthways started tracking it in 2008. The uninsured rate has been increasing since 2008, climbing to 17.1% in 2011.
Discussion:
The Politico


Gov. Christie nominates two for state Supreme Court, including gay African-American mayor — TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today nominated an openly gay African-American Republican mayor and a Korean-American assistant attorney general to the state's highest court.
Discussion:
New York Magazine and Towleroad News #gay
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N.J. Gov. Christie Nominates Bruce Harris - Out Gay, Black Mayor - to State Supreme Court
Discussion:
Washington Blade and Joe. My. God.