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4:00 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.

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: Outside the Beltway, USCatholic.org, National Review, Campaign 2012, Hullabaloo, The Agonist, Shakesville, Hot Air, GOP 12, Alas, a Blog, Connecting.the.Dots, Wake up America and Daily Kos

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Why Romney Is ‘Not Concerned’ About the Poor — For Pete's sake — you're running for office! — Mitt Romney has been implying, for a while, that he doesn't really care about the poor. Last night, he took the unfortunate step of actually saying so:

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

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Romney: 'I'm Not Concerned With The Very Poor' — Coming off his big win in Florida last night, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney told CNN this morning that helping the poor is not his priority, suggesting that Democrats worry enough about the “plight of the poor” already: … Watch it:

Discussion: Harry's Place and Feministing

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: CNN and Jared Bernstein

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

The Morning Plum — * Romney: “I'm not concerned about the very poor”: Before we get to last night's results, this quote from Mitt Romney on CNN will prove to be important: … Romney seems to have meant that the “very poor” have a safety net while the middle class doesn't, and that the latter will be the focus of his campaign.

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

Gerald Herbert / ABCNEWS:
Romney ‘Not Concerned About the Very Poor’

Discussion: New York Times, The Caucus and Daily Kos

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, Guardian, ANIMAL, FishbowlDC, Suburban Guerrilla and Daily Kos, 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: Taylor Marsh, ThinkProgress and Grist

Glen Johnson / Boston Globe:

Mitt Romney heads to Minnesota amid talk of Michele Bachmann endorsement — TAMPA, Fla. - Mitt Romney is carrying a full head of steam after winning the Florida primary, but the Republican presidential contender isn't headed first today for Nevada or Maine, the next two states to vote.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Politico, Washington Monthly, The Page, ABCNEWS and Joe. My. God.

New York Times:
Romney Wins Big in Florida Primary

New York Times:
Campaign Finance Reports Show ‘Super PAC’ Donors

Discussion: msnbc.com, The Daily Dish, Daily Kos, Guardian, Pensito Review, Wall Street Journal and The Caucus

ABCNEWS: Michele Bachmann Calls Mitt Romney Endorsement Rumors ‘Completely False’

Steve Benen / msnbc.com:

The GOP's ongoing turnout problem — There can be little doubt that Mitt Romney dominated in Florida's Republican presidential primary, but there were a few tidbits in the exit polls that stood out, including this one: — This has to be discouraging for the former governor and his campaign.

Discussion: The Politico, Prairie Weather and The Reality-Based Community

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Romney Wins, but Turnout Lags — In the first three early-voting states, Republican turnout was up from 2008 — just slightly in Iowa and New Hampshire, but significantly in South Carolina, where it jumped by 35 percent. — The pattern did not hold in Florida on Tuesday.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, southernstudies.org, Wonkette and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Peter Hamby / CNN:
February Republican primary cheat sheet

Discussion: The Maddow Blog

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Santorum picks up key Colorado endorsements

Discussion: CNN

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: Ricochet Conversations Feed, Sister Toldjah, Campaign 2012, Maggie's Farm, Atlas Shrugs and Instapundit

Ross Douthat / Campaign Stops:

Gingrich 2012? Going, Going, Gone — Last week, New York magazine's John Heilemann pointed out a deep truth about Newt Gingrich's peculiar presidential campaign: The very media elite that Gingrich delights in hammering has actually been in his corner all along.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Washington Examiner, neo-neocon, New York Times, Hot Air, NationalJournal.com, ABCNEWS, Right Wing Nut House, The Daily Dish and Vox Popoli

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Newt Gingrich loses Florida — and reminds us why

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, Business Insider, The PJ Tatler, The Politico and The Gateway Pundit

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Why February Could Matter — I wonder if three features …

Discussion: National Review, American Spectator, Catholic Bandita, Pundit & Pundette, Rick Santorum for President and Public Policy Polling

Amanda Marcotte / Slate:

Susan B. Komen's Act of Cowardice … - How Newt Lost Florida: It Wasn't Just His Bad Debating and Moon Base Nonsense — What Is Causing the Mass Hysteria Afflicting Those Girls in Upstate New York? — America Has a Huge, Pent-Up Desire—for Getting Divorced

Discussion: ThinkProgress, TBogg, Right Wing Watch, Pharyngula, pandagon.net, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Taylor Marsh, National Review, Daily Kos and Planned Parenthood

Laura Bassett / The Huffington Post:
Komen Cuts Planned Parenthood Grants Months After Arrival Of New VP, Who Is Abortion Foe

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, UrbanGrounds, Democracy in America, Hot Air, Feministing, Washington Post, Feministe, DISSENTING JUSTICE, skippy the bush kangaroo, Pirate's Cove and Comments from Left Field

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

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

Nick Paton Walsh / CNN:

Secret NATO Taliban report revives Pakistan fears — Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — Pakistan continues to support the Taliban in Afghanistan, a secret NATO report says, according to a journalist who has read it, despite years of Pakistani denials and American pressure to stop backing the insurgency

Discussion: Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch

Josh Rogin / Foreign Policy:
Administration briefs Senate leaders on Taliban transfer

Discussion: Associated Press, The Hill, Weasel Zippers, Lawfare and New York Times

Paul Bedard / Campaign 2012:

Obama warns of fall Romney ‘smear’ machine — The Obama-Biden reelection campaign, which just announced it banked $224 million in 2011, is stepping up fundraising as it steels for an expected fall “smear” machine from GOP front-runner Mitt Romney. — In an email to supporters this morning …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler

Washington Post:
Super PACs helping Republican candidates close in on Obama

Discussion: The New Republic, The Democratic Daily, Guardian, New York Times, Prairie Weather, ThinkProgress and The Page

Wall Street Journal:

Check With Climate Scientists for Views on Climate — Do you consult your dentist about your heart condition? In science, as in any area, reputations are based on knowledge and expertise in a field and on published, peer-reviewed work. If you need surgery, you want a highly experienced expert …

Discussion: Power Line, Dot Earth, Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress, Guardian, Watts Up With That?, Grist, The Huffington Post and Gothamist

BBC:

Four men admit London Stock Exchange bomb plot — The men planned to terrorise people and to damage the economy and property — Four men inspired by al-Qaeda have admitted planning to detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange. — Mohammed Chowdhury, Shah Rahman …

Discussion: Guardian, The Investigative Project …, Harry's Place, The Jawa Report, msnbc.com and The Daily Caller

Alison Gendar / NY Daily News:

Anthony Weiner used campaign money to hire private investigators to chase down his lie about crotch-shot tweet, financial statements reveal — Weiner hired T&M while in full spin mode over controversy that eventually led to his resignation — Infamous photo that Anthony Weiner tweeted.

Discussion: Jammie Wearing Fools, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, UrbanGrounds, The Daily Caller and Runnin' Scared

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: Gallup, Hot Air, Los Angeles Times, Scared Monkeys, Shot in the Dark and Hyscience

Mike Allen / The Politico:

How Fox News has stayed on top — Roger Ailes and about 20 of his producers and executives — including experts in lighting, graphics and engineering — gather now and then in a conference room on the second floor of Fox News headquarters in midtown Manhattan and watch the channel for eight hours straight.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, FishbowlDC, The New Republic and Roger Ailes, more at Mediagazer »

Russell Berman / The Hill:

House GOP seeks to bar the use of welfare funds at strip clubs — House Republicans don't want Uncle Sam paying for any more lap dances. — A bill that GOP leaders are bringing to the House floor Wednesday would require states to prevent welfare recipients from accessing or spending …

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

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: Towleroad News #gay