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Romney Ramps Up Attack Ads Against Gingrich to Unprecedented Levels — In the most negative primary season ever, Mitt Romney is outspending Newt Gingrich 5 to 1 on attack ads ahead of today's primary in Florida, stopping the ex-speaker's momentum coming off a South Carolina win.
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Florida Primary Overview and Forecast — The shift away from Newt Gingrich in the Florida polls has been as significant as the one toward him in South Carolina. The first two polls released after South Carolina showed Mr. Gingrich with a lead of 8 and 9 points, respectively.
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Mark America, Guardian, The Strata-Sphere and The Huffington Post


Mute Gingrich — How Romney stole Gingrich's voice in Florida.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, ABCNEWS, Daily Kos and The Politico

Gingrich: I won't debate Obama if media moderates
Discussion:
Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Race 4 2012 and The Other McCain

Morning Briefing: January 31, 2012
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Hill, Washington Post and Prairie Weather, more at Mediagazer »

Buoyant Romney Speaks of Victory in Florida
Discussion:
msnbc.com, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, ABCNEWS, americanthinker.com, Taegan Goddard's … and The Caucus

Romney headed for Florida victory
Discussion:
The Politico, Daily Kos, Pirate's Cove, Washington Post and GOP 12

House GOP closer to vote on making English the official language
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog and msnbc.com

Democrats in Congress step up tax-the-rich efforts
Discussion:
Washington Post, Sweetness & Light, Campaign 2012, The Heritage Foundation and Reuters

The Great Divorce — I'll be shocked if there's another book this year as important as Charles Murray's “Coming Apart.” I'll be shocked if there's another book that so compellingly describes the most important trends in American society. — Murray's basic argument is not new, that America is dividing into a two-caste society.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, The Demos Blog, Political Mojo, Marginal Revolution and Brad DeLong


Stephen Colbert's FEC report: Big money! — No kidding: Comedian Stephen Colbert's satirical super PAC raised some serious cash. — Between July 1 and Dec. 31, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow collected more than $825,400, ending the year with nearly $674,000 cash on hand …
Discussion:
CNN, Taylor Marsh and Outside the Beltway
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Huntsman's father accounts for 70 percent of pro-Huntsman super-PAC donations
Discussion:
The Politico

Holder's fantastical claim about ‘Fast and Furious’ — Philosophers and poets have argued for at least three millennia about who is more valuable. Poets claim they tell tales that inspire men to do things they would otherwise never accomplish. But philosophers argue that this requires …
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications
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Rick Perry's campaign burned through millions — Texas Gov. Rick Perry burned through the bulk of a once-sizable campaign war chest late last year in what became an increasingly desperate attempt to right his listing — and ultimately doomed — presidential campaign, federal financial disclosures released late Monday show.

THE BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: FISCAL YEARS 2012 TO 2022 — Each January, CBO prepares “baseline” budget projections spanning the next 10 years. Those projections are not a forecast of future events; rather, they are intended to provide a benchmark against which potential policy changes can be measured.
Discussion:
Washington Wire, New York Times, Business Insider, The Enterprise Blog, Econbrowser and National Review

Newt Battles Mush From the Wimps — “Ford Declares Reagan Can't Win” — Headline in The New York Times, March 1, 1980 — Yet still more mush from the wimps. — To borrow a famous Reagan phrase: “Well, there they go again.” — Somewhere an exasperated Gipper is doubtless shaking his head.

Occupy support drops more than 20 points in ... San Francisco? — One would think that the Occupy movement and San Francisco were made for each other. Perhaps at one time they were, but a new Survey USA poll shows that even the City by the Bay has its limits.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Campaign 2012
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Oakland couple Susan Poff, Robert Kamin mourned
Discussion:
Verum Serum, The Gateway Pundit, moonbattracker.com/wordpress, Hyscience and Jammie Wearing Fools

Republicans have only themselves to blame — On Saturday night, at precisely 9:19 and 30 seconds, my iPhone, my iPad, my computer and, for all I know, my toaster were informed that Herman Cain had endorsed Newt Gingrich. The ping-ping of the devices suggested that something momentous had happened …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, NewsBusters.org and Mediaite


College Says It Exaggerated SAT Figures for Ratings — Claremont McKenna College, a small, prestigious California school, said Monday that for the past six years, it has submitted false SAT scores to publications like U.S. News & World Report that use the data in widely followed college rankings.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, Associated Press and News Desk

Newt Gingrich says Mitt Romney denied Jewish seniors kosher meals while governor — TAMPA, Fla. - Newt Gingrich kept up the criticism of Mitt Romney as he barnstormed Florida today, accusing Romney of running roughshod over the religious convictions of Catholic hospital administrators …
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, The Raw Story, Shakesville, Gallup, msnbc.com, MiamiHerald.com, The Loyal Opposition, CNN and Mediaite
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Santorum says Gingrich should stop pressuring GOP rivals to drop out
Discussion:
The Politico and CNN


Demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street movement threw condoms on Catholic schoolgirls, refused to allow a Catholic priest to give a closing prayer, and shouted down a pro-life speaker at a Rhode Island right to life rally on Thursday, according to its organizer.


Cynthia Nixon: Being Bisexual “Is Not a Choice” — Actress Cynthia Nixon is bisexual and that “is not a choice,” she said in an exclusive statement to The Advocate. — The former star of Sex and the City who is now on Broadway in Wit has been the focus of heated discussion among …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, American Prospect, Last Word, PinkNews.co.uk, msnbc.com and Gay Star News


Ranger zaps off-leash dog walker with shock weapon — A Montara man walking two lapdogs off leash was hit with an electric-shock gun by a National Park Service ranger after allegedly giving a false name and trying to walk away, authorities said Monday. — The park ranger encountered Gary Hesterberg …

US drone strike kills 11 AQAP leaders, fighters: report — Eleven terrorists, including four local commanders, are reported to have been killed in a US drone airstrike in a southern Yemeni province where al Qaeda's affiliate controls significant ground. — Remotely piloted Predators …
Discussion:
Daily Mail, The Enterprise Blog and Lawfare
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At least 12 militants killed in Yemen air strike
Discussion:
Shakesville, ABCNEWS and Weasel Zippers

Janet Howell, Virginia State Senator, Attaches Rectal Exam Amendment To Anti-Abortion Bill … Video , Janet Howell , Mandatory Sonogram , Mandatory Ultrasound , Mandatory Ultrasound Bill , Mandatory Ultrasound Virginia , Rectal Exam Amendment , Virginia Abortion , Virginia Mandatory Ultrasound , Politics News
Discussion:
Virginian-Pilot, Feministe, The Daily What, Sister Toldjah and Hullabaloo

Jindal's Education Moon Shot — Louisiana's Governor pushes vouchers and tenure reform. — Newt Gingrich wants the U.S. to return to the moon, but as challenges go he has nothing on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's school reform plans. — Mr. Jindal wants to create America's largest …
Discussion:
Hot Air and Betsy's Page


Catholics hear anti-Obama letter in church — During church services on Sunday, Catholics around the country were read a blistering letter assailing the Obama administration for an “assault on religious liberty” in the form of a coming requirement that most church-linked organizations …
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Bishops Refuse to Comply With Obamacare Birth Control Mandate
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Hot Air, Nice Deb and Pundit & Pundette