memeorandum: GOP: Ban welfare cash at strip clubs (Seung Min Kim/The Politico)

9:00 PM ET, February 1, 2012

Top Items:

Vanscottcnn / CNN:

Mitt Romney: middle income Americans are focus, not very poor — After winning the Florida primary, GOP presidential nominee hopeful Mitt Romney explains to CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien that he is focused on a particular portion of the American population in his campaign.

Jonah Goldberg / National Review:

What is Wrong With This Guy? — Congratulations to Mitt Romney for his big win last night. It was a win that, Romney supporters hoped, would help bury concerns about his ability to seal the deal to do what it takes. But I'm not so sure. If you're a straight-laced grown-up with money to burn …

Discussion: Ross Douthat, Business Insider, RedState, Pundit & Pundette and Political Insider

Rachel Weiner / Washington Post:

Romney, citing safety net, says he's ‘not concerned about the very poor’ — In an interview with CNN Wednesday morning that should have been a Florida victory lap, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney made a fumble that could give rivals an attack ad sound bite.

Discussion: Slate, ABCNEWS, National Review, Hot Air, Firedoglake, Campaign 2012, Outside the Beltway, USCatholic.org, Hullabaloo, GOP 12, The Reaction, Shakesville, History Musings, Connecting.the.Dots, Wake up America, Alas, a Blog, Daily Kos and The Page

Mackenzie Weinger / The Politico:

Mitt Romney: 'I'm not concerned about the very poor' — Mitt Romney said Wednesday he's “not concerned about the very poor.” — Romney told CNN's Soledad O'Brien during a morning interview after his Florida primary win that his focus is on the middle class — and not on the “very poor.”

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Why Romney Is ‘Not Concerned’ About the Poor

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Daily Dish, GOP 12 and Saint Petersblog

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Romney says ‘poor’ comment needs context

Discussion: Erick's blog, The Maddow Blog, The Reid Report, The Politico, Business Insider, The Reality-Based Community and National Review

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
Romney: 'I'm Not Concerned With The Very Poor'

Discussion: Harry's Place and Feministing

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:
The Morning Plum — * Romney: “I'm not concerned about the very poor” …

Discussion: NationalJournal.com, New York Times, The Maddow Blog, RedState, Balloon Juice and Eschaton

John McCormack / Weekly Standard:
Mitt Romney: “I'm not concerned about the very poor.”

Discussion: National Review, The Caucus and Business Insider

KLAS-TV 8 News Now:

BREAKING NEWS: Trump to Endorse Newt Gingrich Tomorrow — LAS VEGAS — An advisor to Donald Trump says he will make a major announcement in Las Vegas tomorrow. Sources tell the 8 News NOW I-Team Trump will endorse Newt Gingrich. — According to Trump advisor Michael Cohen …

Discussion: Hot Air, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, The Moderate Voice, Sister Toldjah and HotAirPundit

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:

Trump to make ‘major announcement’ on presidential race — Real estate mogul Donald Trump plans to make a big announcement related to the presidential race, he announced Wednesday. — “I will be making a major announcement tomorrow (Thursday, February 2) at 12:30 pm at Trump International Hotel & Tower …

Discussion: The Politico and Mediaite

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Gay Activists Glitter Bomb Romney, He Calls It ‘Confetti’ To Celebrate Florida Victory — Mitt Romney was “glitter bombed” by an advocate protesting the former governor's flimsy record on equality for gay and lesbian Americans as he took the stage at a campaign event in Eagan, Minnesota this afternoon.

Discussion: Gay Star News, The Raw Story, Mediaite and Towleroad News #gay

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Romney glitter-bombed in Minnesota, calls it ‘confetti’

Discussion: CNN and Althouse

BuzzFeed:
Watch Mitt Romney's Hair Sparkle After He Is Glittered In Minnesota

Discussion: Politics, The Hill, Hot Air and GOP 12

Sarah B. Boxer / CBS News:
Mitt Romney glitter bombed, calls it confetti

Discussion: New York Magazine, ABCNEWS, The Gateway Pundit and Jezebel

Glen Johnson / Boston Globe:
Mitt Romney heads to Minnesota amid talk of Michele Bachmann endorsement

Discussion: ABCNEWS, New York Times, The Politico, msnbc.com, Washington Monthly, The Page, Outside the Beltway and Joe. My. God.

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

Romney Now Leads Gingrich, 31% to 26% — Santorum in third place, ahead of Paul — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney has moved ahead of Newt Gingrich in national Republican registered voters' preferences for the 2012 GOP nomination, 31% to 26%, according to Gallup Daily tracking from Jan. 27-31.

Discussion: CNN, Ballot Box and Saint Petersblog

Carl Cameron / Fox News:

Florida primary might not be a done deal — TAMPA, Fla. — Florida's primary might not be over just yet. — The Newt Gingrich campaign is gearing up to challenge the results of the Florida Republican presidential primary based on the Republican National Committee's own rules which state …

Discussion: Hot Air, Frontloading HQ and Wake up America

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Florida fight rattles GOP leaders

Discussion: New York Times, Daily Kos and US Politics

Steve Benen / msnbc.com:
The GOP's ongoing turnout problem

Discussion: Prairie Weather and The Reality-Based Community

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
Romney Wins, but Turnout Lags

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Wonkette, southernstudies.org, Dean's World, RADAMISTO, Washington Monthly and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Zach Carter / The Huffington Post:

‘Gasland’ Journalists Arrested At Hearing By Order Of House Republicans (UPDATES) … House GOP , Environment , Gop , Politics , Republicans , Video , Brad Miller , First Amendment , Josh Fox , Arrest , Documentary , Fracking , Gasland , Hearing , Journalist , Politics News

Discussion: Mediaite, Firedoglake, Guardian, FishbowlDC, ANIMAL, Daily Kos, Suburban Guerrilla, The Raw Story and Lawyers, Guns & Money, more at Mediagazer »

Talia Buford / The Politico:

Josh Fox led away in handcuffs from hearing — Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Josh Fox was led away in handcuffs from a House Science Committee hearing Wednesday morning after refusing to pack up his camera. — Fox was led out by Capitol Police shortly after 10 a.m., before the hearing could be gaveled into order.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Taylor Marsh and Grist

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

House Dem abandons Susan G. Komen after Planned Parenthood decision — Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) on Wednesday morning said she would no longer support the Susan G. Komen Foundation because of that organization's decision to no longer provide funding to Planned Parenthood.

Discussion: The Politico, ThinkProgress, Jezebel, Wizbang and Weasel Zippers

Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:

Susan G. Komen Loses Support After Planned Parenthood Decision … Video , Susan G. Komen , Susan G. Komen For The Cure , Komen , Komen For The Cure , Komen Planned Parenthood , Planned Parenthood Breast Exams , Planned Parenthood Susan g Komen , Susan g Koman Planned Parenthood , Susan g Komen Planned Parenthood , Politics News

Discussion: TBogg, Political Mojo, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, The Maddow Blog, Balloon Juice, UrbanGrounds, Firedoglake and Democracy in America

Shari Roan / Los Angeles Times:
Komen breast cancer charity severs ties with Planned Parenthood

Discussion: Ricochet Conversations Feed, Associated Press, Colorlines, Campaign 2012, New York Times, The Atlantic Online, Wizbang, Feministing and Crooked Timber

Conn Carroll / Campaign 2012:

Gallup state numbers predict huge Obama loss — Gallup released their annual state-by-state presidential approval numbers yesterday, and the results should have 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue very worried. If President Obama carries only those states where he had a net positive approval rating in 2011 …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Right Scoop, Rush Limbaugh, Doug Ross, Shot in the Dark, Scared Monkeys, Hyscience, Don Surber, Weasel Zippers, ABCNEWS, National Review and Gallup

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Obama money advantage disappearing

Discussion: 2012 Decoded

Theodore B. Olson / Wall Street Journal:

Obama's Enemies List — David and Charles Koch have been the targets of a campaign of vituperation and assault, choreographed from the very top. — How would you feel if aides to the president of the United States singled you out by name for attack, and if you were featured prominently …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Campaign 2012, Sister Toldjah, Mediaite, Maggie's Farm, Booman Tribune, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Right Scoop, Atlas Shrugs and Instapundit

Shelby Grad / L.A. NOW:

‘Soul Train’ creator Don Cornelius dead in apparent suicide — “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning. — Law enforcement sources said police arrived at Cornelius' home around 4 a.m. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound …

Discussion: CNN, Outside the Beltway, The Informer, Scared Monkeys, Nation Now, Booman Tribune and THEROOT.COM

James C. McKinley Jr / New York Times:
Don Cornelius, ‘Soul Train’ Creator, Is Dead

Discussion: Mediaite, L.A. NOW, Boing Boing and Jack & Jill Politics

New York Times:

Campaign Finance Reports Show ‘Super PAC’ Donors — Newt Gingrich reimbursed himself for more than $200,000 in travel expenses. — Mitt Romney, his sons and his former colleagues at Bain Capital donated thousands of dollars to help retire Tim Pawlenty's debt after Mr. Pawlenty dropped …

Discussion: Washington Post, Washington Monthly, msnbc.com, Guardian, Daily Kos, Prairie Weather, The Daily Dish, Pensito Review, Wall Street Journal, Firedoglake, DealBook and The Caucus

Noreen Malone / New York Magazine:
Now We Know Who's Giving to Super PACs

Discussion: The Politico, Tablet Magazine and New York Times

Seung Min Kim / The Politico:

GOP: Ban welfare cash at strip clubs — The Republican-led House is going after strip clubs - again. — Up for a vote Wednesday evening is a bill that would ban welfare recipients from using their benefits at strip clubs, liquor stores and casinos. It's the same measure that was included …

Discussion: Pat Dollard and The Gateway Pundit

Russell Berman / The Hill:
House GOP seeks to bar the use of welfare funds at strip clubs

Discussion: Examiner, ThinkProgress, Wonkette, UrbanGrounds, Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and Weasel Zippers

RealClearPolitics Video Log:

Dem Congressman: West “Not Representative Of African-American Community” — “People like Mr. [Allen] West, and Governor Brewer and so on, particularly Mr. West, is not only not representative of the African-American community or of the Republican Party, let alone of the American public.

Discussion: Don Surber, Weasel Zippers, Leon_H_Wolf's blog, The Right Scoop and The Other McCain

Alex Alvarez / Mediaite:
Rep. Jim Moran (D): Rep. Allen West ‘Not Representative Of African-American Community’

Discussion: Hot Air, American Glob and The PJ Tatler

Elisabeth Bumiller / New York Times:

Panetta Sets End to Afghan Combat Role for U.S. in '13 — BRUSSELS — In a major milestone toward ending a decade of war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said on Wednesday that American forces would step back from a combat role there as early as mid-2013 …

Discussion: Washington Post, Business Insider, Danger Room, Outside the Beltway, USCatholic.org, American Power, Daily Kos and Reuters

Ann Coulter:

THREE CHEERS FOR ROMNEYCARE! — If only the Democrats had decided to socialize the food industry or housing, Romneycare would probably still be viewed as a massive triumph for conservative free-market principles — as it was at the time. — It's not as if we had a beautifully functioning free market …

Discussion: The Right Scoop, Campaign 2012, Mark America and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion