memeorandum: Greece takes step closer to default (Financial Times)

10:45 PM ET, February 5, 2012

Top Items:

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:

Dick Armey: Gingrich campaign turned into ‘first-rate vendetta’ against Romney — Freedom Works chairman and former Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas) blasted Newt Gingrich for his continued tough attacks on Mitt Romney saying Gingrich was carrying out a vendetta against the Republican frontrunner.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Business Insider, Riehl World View, The Caucus, The Other McCain, The Lonely Conservative and NO QUARTER

Lucy Madison / CBS News:

Biographer: Mitt grew up in “series of bubbles” — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — After back-to-back wins in Florida and Nevada, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has regained some of the inevitability factor that has for months been connected with his presidential campaign.

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney up in Colorado, close race in Minnesota — Last night's results in Nevada were bad news for Newt Gingrich and PPP's first day of polling in Colorado and Minnesota indicates things may only get worse for him in the coming days. — In Colorado Mitt Romney looks primed for another big Western win to match his one in Nevada.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, nation.foxnews.com and Saint Petersblog

Dick Armey / CNN:
Gingrich a lost cause for tea party base

Discussion: The Impolitic and HotAirPundit

Erik Wasson / The Hill: Gingrich: Goal is to get to Super Tuesday

Tim Mak / Politico:

Super Bowl ads: Pete Hoekstra's hits a nerve — The campaign of former Rep. Peter Hoekstra for U.S. Senate explained a racially charged Super Bowl advertisement they developed - complete with an Asian actress speaking in broken English - as a reflection of China's increasingly competitive education system.

Discussion: CNN, Lez Get Real, Associated Press, The Atlantic Online, No More Mister Nice Blog and Outside the Beltway

Megan R. Wilson / The Hill:

Watch the five most politically controversial Super Bowl ads of all time — Super Bowl advertisements have a long history of attracting political controversies, and this year is no different. — While the match-up between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants will be country's focus on Sunday …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Politico, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice and Power Line

David McGrath Schwartz / Las Vegas Sun:

Economic woes, anti-Obama sentiment fail to draw large turnout — Votes are counted for Precinct 7405 during the Republican presidential caucus at Green Valley High School in Henderson on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. Ron Paul won the precinct with 16 votes. Mitt Romney came in second with 10 votes.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Political Carnival, Dean's World, Associated Press, The Strata-Sphere, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Taegan Goddard's …, Little Green Footballs, Wake up America and Los Angeles Times, more at Mediagazer »

Maggie Haberman / Politico:
Nevada caucuses 2012: 5 takeaways

Discussion: Pirate's Cove, Gothamist, State of the Union, The Atlantic Online, Reuters and Ballot Box

Gerald Herbert / ABCNEWS:
Romney's Big Win: Who Turned Out for Romney

Discussion: Politico and Saint Petersblog

Emily Schultheis / Politico:
Facebook/POLITICO poll: Trump endorsement a net negative for Romney

Discussion: Mediaite and AlterNet

Financial Times:

Greece takes step closer to default — By Kerin Hope in Athens, Alex Barker in Brussels and Quentin Peel in Munich — Lucas Papademos, the Greek premier, failed to make party leaders accept harsh terms in return for a second €130bn bail-out, pushing Athens closer to a disorderly default as early as next month.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, National Review and Mish's Global Economic …

Niki Kitsantonis / New York Times: Greek Talks at a Delicate Point, Official Says

Cynthia R. Fagen / New York Post:

Teen mistress addresses relationship, pol's Cold War fears in memoir — It was a chilling insight. — When the president wasn't keeping the world from descending into war, there was plenty of wild partying. One instance was a raucous Hollywood bash at Bing Crosby's desert ranch.

Discussion: The Other McCain and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Owais Jaffery / The Express Tribune:

‘Honour’ crime: Three women killed ‘for loose morals’ — DERA GHAZI KHAN: — Kot Chuttha police have arrested a man who has admitted to killing his wife, Samina, her sister (his brother's wife) and their mother in collusion with his brother in a Dera Ghazi Khan village.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch

Erick Erickson / RedState:

The Perversion of the Words of Our Lord Jesus Christ by the Sinner Barack H. Obama — I'm afraid we need a little Sunday morning theology. Hopefully someone at the White House will read this and realize just how ill advised the President was to do what he did this week and we should be praying hard …

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Glenn Harlan Reynolds / Washington Examiner:

It's takers versus makers and these days the takers are winning — “Fifty thousand for what you didn't plant, for what didn't grow. That's modern farming — reap what you don't sow.” — That's a line from a song about farm subsidies, “Farming The Government,” by the Nebraska Guitar Militia.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Balloon Juice, Daily Pundit and The Lonely Conservative

David D. Kirkpatrick / New York Times:

Egypt Will Try 19 Americans on Criminal Charges — CAIRO — Egyptian authorities on Sunday referred 19 Americans and two dozen others to criminal trials as part of a politically charged investigation into the foreign financing of nonprofit groups that has shaken the 30-year alliance between the United States and Egypt.

Discussion: Truthdig

Julian Pecquet / Ballot Box:

Santorum looking to next round of contests after Nevada drubbing — Rick Santorum is banking on a better showing in the next three races Tuesday to reenergize his struggling campaign after his last-place drubbing in Nevada's GOP caucuses Saturday. — The former Pennsylvania senator told Fox News Sunday …

Discussion: Politico

Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times:
Mitt Romney cruises to victory in Nevada caucuses

Discussion: The Caucus

New York Times:
Romney Takes a Solid Win in Nevada Caucuses, Fueling Momentum

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, The Caucus, The Moderate Voice and CNN

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
Mitt Romney wins overwhelming victory in Nevada caucuses

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Outside the Beltway and Las Vegas Sun

San Francisco Chronicle:

Police hold smaller Occupy Oakland protest in check — A week after a violent protest by Occupy demonstrators resulted in more than 400 arrests, calm reigned Saturday night as a small crowd of about 100 marchers was turned away from the Oakland Police Department, then paraded around downtown and North Oakland.

Discussion: L.A. NOW and Jammie Wearing Fools