memeorandum: Navigating minefield of STOCK Act (Molly K. Hooper/The Hill)

12:20 PM ET, February 22, 2012

Top Items:

Chris Christie: Rick Santorum's Satan Comments Are Relevant — Rick Santorum says his 2008 comments that “Satan has set his sights on the United States of America” are “not relevant” to the 2012 presidential race, but Chris Christie told me on “GMA” that Santorum is wrong.

Discussion: Arizona Republic, his vorpal sword, The Maddow Blog, The Raw Story, Washington Post and The Huffington Post

Quinnipiac University:

Santorum Up 9 Points Among Republican Voters, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Obama Edges Santorum, But Romney Is Too Close To Call — Former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum leads the Republican presidential field with 35 percent, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney …

Discussion: GOP 12, Ballot Box, ThinkProgress, The Hill, Hot Air and Washington Wire

detroitnews.com:

Detroit News endorsement: Mitt Romney for Michigan GOP primary — State native offers the best resume, temperament and electability of the remaining Republican field — State Republicans should go to the polls Tuesday with two missions: Pick a presidential candidate capable of leading …

Discussion: American Prospect, Politico, Ballot Box, Guardian, The Caucus, New York Times and Washington Post

Mark Murray / msnbc.com:
NBC poll: Romney, Santorum deadlocked in Michigan; Romney leads in Arizona

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, New York Times, GOP 12, Online NewsHour, Ballot Box, Politico, Outside the Beltway, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Daily Kos, Campaign Stops, The Maddow Blog, Prairie Weather, HotAirPundit and Associated Press

Drudge Report:
SANTORUM'S SATAN WARNING

Howard Kurtz / The Daily Beast:
Rick Santorum Faces a Grilling at CNN Debate

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, The Daily Dish, The Week and Politico

Katharine Q. Seelye / The Caucus:
Santorum Pressed on Satan Remarks

Discussion: American Prospect, Associated Press, Swampland, Shakesville, The Maddow Blog, American Spectator, Washington Post, Towleroad News #gay and PhillyNow

CNN:
Arpaio: I briefed Santorum on birth certificate investigation

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, Little Green Footballs, Swampland, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal

Mike Allen / Politico: Playbook: Ashes at debate

Mackenzie Weinger / Politico:
Rush Limbaugh on Santorum and Satan

Discussion: Daily Kos, Washington Post, Rush Limbaugh, Wizbang, US Politics, Connecting.the.Dots, The Moderate Voice, No More Mister Nice Blog, Truthdig and Washington Monthly

Associated Press:
Poll: Santorum surges, Obama leads Republicans

Discussion: Booman Tribune

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Santorum in 95: ‘I Was Basically Pro-Choice All My Life, Until I Ran For Congress’

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Hill, Campaign 2012, msnbc.com, Business Insider, Ballot Box, Wonkette and Eunomia

Anita Kumar / Washington Post:

Virginia governor no longer fully supports ultrasounds before abortions — RICHMOND — Gov. Robert F. McDonnell is backing off his unconditional support for a bill requiring women to have an ultrasound before an abortion, focusing new attention on one of the most controversial pieces …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Firedoglake, Law Blog, Mediaite, A Blog For All, Daily Kos, Campaign 2012, streiff's blog, The Raw Story, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Hotline On Call and Prairie Weather

Igor Volsky / ThinkProgress:

Democratic Lawmaker Responds To ‘Fetal Pain’ Bill With Measure Limiting Vasectomies — A Democratic lawmaker in Georgia is responding to a Republican-backed effort to prevent women from receiving abortions 20 weeks after fertilization with a tongue-in-cheek measure that seeks …

Discussion: Metro, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Maddow Blog, Taegan Goddard's …, Florida Times Union and The Raw Story

Robert MacPherson / Agence France Presse:
Virginia holds back on abortion ultrasound bill

Discussion: American Prospect, Associated Press and The New Civil Rights Movement

Alana Goodman / Commentary Magazine:
Ultrasounds Already Part of VA Planned Parenthood Abortion Procedure

Discussion: LifeNews.com, Hot Air, The Mahablog, The American Conservative, streiff's blog, Weasel Zippers, The Week, Sister Toldjah, Newsy and American Prospect

Frances Martel / Mediaite:
Jon Stewart Explains Ultrasound Law To GOP: ‘A TSA Pat-Down In Your Vagina’

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Dana Loesch / Big Journalism:
Ed Schultz Falsely States Transvaginal Ultrasounds Are Mandated In VA Law

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and RedState

Jackie Calmes / New York Times:

Obama Offers to Cut Corporate Tax Rate to 28% — WASHINGTON — President Obama will ask Congress to scrub the corporate tax code of dozens of loopholes and subsidies to reduce the top rate to 28 percent, down from 35 percent, while giving preferences to manufacturers that would set …

Discussion: msnbc.com, ThinkProgress, The Huffington Post, Washington Post and Economix

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:

Obama to propose lowering corporate tax rate to 28 percent — President Obama on Wednesday plans to propose a major overhaul of the nation's corporate tax code, an election-year gambit that is likely to draw a contrast over a key policy issue with the Republicans vying to replace him.

Discussion: The Enterprise Blog, Hit & Run, Pirate's Cove and Taylor Marsh

Bloomberg:
Obama Readies Plan to Cut Corporate Tax Rate

Discussion: Reuters, The Agonist and Wall Street Journal

Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:

EXCLUSIVE: The Memo that Larry Summers Didn't Want Obama to See — For the past three years, Washington journalists and politicos have obsessed over a 57-page memo that Barack Obama's incoming economic team prepared for him in late 2008. The document has achieved such totemic status for good reason …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Questions and Observations, The Enterprise Blog and Economist's View

Robert Winnett / Telegraph:

50p tax rate ‘failing to boost revenues’ — The amount of income tax paid fell sharply last month in the first formal indication that the new 50p higher rate is not raising the expected amount of revenue. — A Treasury source said the relatively poor revenues from self-assessment returns …

Discussion: Don Surber, Big Government, Hot Air, CARPE DIEM, Pirate's Cove and TigerHawk

Wall Street Journal:

Obama's Dividend Assault — A plan to triple the tax rate would hurt all shareholders. — President Obama's 2013 budget is the gift that keeps on giving—to government. One buried surprise is his proposal to triple the tax rate on corporate dividends, which believe it or not is higher than in his previous budgets.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Townhall.com, RedState, Vodkapundit and Betsy's Page

Dan Nowicki / Arizona Republic:

Republican debate: What to watch for tonight in Mesa — The Republican presidential contenders will square off in Mesa today in a high-stakes debate that promises to set the tone for a crucial stretch of the campaign through the Arizona and Michigan primaries and Super Tuesday.

Discussion: Plutocrap

Marist Poll:
2/22: Romney and Santorum Neck and Neck in Michigan

Discussion: Hotline On Call

Marist Poll:
2/22: Romney with 16 Percentage Point Lead in Arizona

Discussion: Washington Wire, Firedoglake, The Caucus, Washington Post and CNN

David Harsanyi / Real Clear Politics:

Aren't High Gas Prices What Democrats Want? — Gas prices are spiking. That's great news, right? We have to wean ourselves off the stuff. At least that's what we've been hearing for years. Oil is dirty. We import it from nations that hate our guts (like Canada!). And moreover, we're running out.

Discussion: Tom Nelson and Cold Fury

Investor's Business Daily: Obama's Double Talk on Sky-High Gas Prices

Byron Tau / Politico:

Obama campaign announces co-chairs — The Obama campaign has released a list of 35 campaign co-chairs who will act as key surrogates and ambassadors. — The co-chairs are a diverse array of Obama supporters — including former Republican senator Gov. Lincoln Chafee (now an independent serving …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Brian C. Mooney / The Boston Globe:
Obama donations fall short of '08

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The PJ Tatler and americanthinker.com

Tim Mak / Politico:

Chris Christie tells Warren Buffett: ‘Shut up’ — Chris Christie has heard enough about Warren Buffett, and in typical fashion, the New Jersey governor had a certain blunt way of putting it. — “He should just write a check and shut up,” Christie said Tuesday on CNN's “Piers Morgan Tonight.”

Discussion: Wonkette and Business Insider

Scott Shane / New York Times:

In Din Over Iran, Rattling Sabers Echo — WASHINGTON — The United States has now endured what by some measures is the longest period of war in its history, with more than 6,300 American troops killed and 46,000 wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and the ultimate costs estimated at $3 trillion.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Atlantic Online, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, emptywheel, Washington Post and No More Mister Nice Blog

Peter Beinart / The Daily Beast:
Experts Say Iran Attack Is Irrational, Yet Hawks Are Winning the Debate

Discussion: Eunomia and Angry Bear

New York Times:

The Court and Citizens United II — The Supreme Court has an opportunity to reconsider its disastrous Citizens United decision. The justices should take it. The damaging effects of unlimited spending by corporations and unions on elections — honestly examined — should cause the court to overturn …

Adam Liptak / New York Times:
Supreme Court Rules on Case Involving Miranda Rights

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Slate, SCOTUSblog and Washington Post

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

Mystification and Triumphalism — Why the left can't handle the truth about social conservatism. — Social liberals have two basic approaches to social conservatism: mystification and triumphalism. Both reflect a failure of understanding—but more than that, an incapacity to understand …

Discussion: Althouse, American Power, Instapundit and Moonbattery

Nick Bilton / Bits:

Google to Sell Heads-Up Display Glasses by Year's End — People who constantly reach into a pocket to check a smartphone for bits of information will soon have another option: a pair of Google-made glasses that will be able to stream information to the wearer's eyeballs in real time.

Discussion: Poynter, The Mary Sue and The TechBlock, more at Techmeme »

Lauren Fox / US News:

Americans' Satisfaction Almost as Low as It Was Under Carter — It's February, nine months before a presidential election, and only 22 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with the way things are going. Voters haven't been this unhappy with the country since George H.W. Bush's presidency …