memeorandum: Governor Abbott Unveils Texas Plan, Offers Constitutional Amendments To Restore The Rule Of Law (Office of the Governor/Greg Abbott)

4:20 PM ET, January 9, 2016

Top Items:

For Republicans, Mounting Fears of Lasting Split — The Republican Party is facing a historic split over its fundamental principles and identity, as its once powerful establishment grapples with an eruption of class tensions, ethnic resentments and mistrust among working-class conservatives …

Mike Flynn / Breitbart:

Poll: Trump Beats Hillary in General Election Match-Up — A new FoxNews poll shows GOP frontrunner Donald Trump edging Hillary Clinton in a general election match-up. A December poll from Fox showed Hillary ahead of Trump by 11 points. This latest poll, however, has Trump beating Clinton by 3 points, 47-44 percent.

Discussion: neo-neocon, The Last Tradition, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News and FOX News Radio

James Warren / Associated Press:

New Poll Shows Donald Trump Is a Real Threat to Hillary Clinton — A new survey shows a sizable number of Democrats ready to defect from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump. — Trump's the one? — So if Donald Trump proved the political universe wrong and won the Republican presidential nomination …

Discussion: Scott Adams Blog, RedState, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Vlad Tepes and Truth Revolt

Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Trump holds commanding lead in New Hampshire

Discussion: NH1, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Balloon Juice and Political Wire

Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Trump, Cruz top GOP race nationally

Discussion: Florida Politics and Hot Air

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:
Cruz: I spank my daughter when she lies — voters can ‘administer...a spanking’ to Hillary Clinton

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Althouse, Trail Blazers Blog, addictinginfo.org and Mediaite

Dana Blanton / Fox News:
Fox News Poll: Cruz, Trump remain top GOP picks in Iowa

Discussion: Business Insider, Outside the Beltway, Political Wire, Politico and Des Moines Register

Ashley Feinberg / Gawker: Who Told Ted Cruz It Was a Good Idea to Talk About Spanking Hillary Clinton?

Andrea Peyser / New York Post: Hillary Clinton is running the most sexist campaign ever

Spiegel Online:

How New Year's Eve in Cologne Has Changed Germany — New Year's Eve in Cologne rapidly descended into a chaotic free-for-all involving sexual assault and theft, most of it apparently committed by foreigners. It has launched a bitter debate over immigration and refugees in Germany — one that could change the country.

Discussion: USA Today, Mediaite and Business Insider

Anna Sauerbrey / New York Times:

Germany's Post-Cologne Hysteria — Berlin — ON New Year's Eve, hundreds of men gathered in the plaza at the main train station in Cologne, Germany, groping and robbing scores of women as they passed by. By the end of this week the police had received 170 complaints, including 120 related to sexual assault.

Discussion: The Last Tradition and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Daily Mail:

Why Germany can't face the truth about migrant sex attacks: SUE REID finds a nation in denial as a wave of horrific attacks is reported across Europe — ‘The men were all foreigners, and when we protested, in German, they did not understand us,’ victim Michelle said

Discussion: Power Line and Vox Popoli

John Sepulvado OPB / OPB:

Militants May Have Accessed Government Computers At Refuge — The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into whether militants at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge have accessed government computers during their occupation. — OPB observed militants interacting with computers …

Discussion: addictinginfo.org, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and Guardian

Luke Hammill / Oregonian:

Oregon standoff: Idaho group arrives to ‘secure perimeter, prevent Waco-style situation’ — BURNS — Members of a group from outside Oregon arrived on Friday at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to “secure a perimeter” around the compound and prevent “a Waco-style situation.”

Discussion: American Power

Luke Hammill / Oregonian:
Oregon standoff: Harney County group asks Bundy to leave but takes on his cause

Discussion: Raw Story, addictinginfo.org and Oath Keepers

Jeremy Diamond / CNN:

Silently protesting Muslim woman ejected from Trump rally — Rock Hill, South Carolina (CNN)A Muslim woman wearing a hijab was escorted out of Donald Trump's campaign event on Friday by police after she stood up in silent protest during Trump's speech. — Rose Hamid, a 56-year-old flight …

Caitlin Yilek / The Hill:
Muslim woman ejected from Trump rally

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and RedState

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:
Muslim Woman Gets Kicked Out Of Donald Trump Rally For Being Muslim

Discussion: American Spectator, LiberalAmerica.org, AlterNet, The Right Scoop and all

Sean Kennedy / CNN:
Donald Trump must be destroyed

Discussion: DownWithTyranny!, The Resurgent, Hot Air, Vox and The Hill

Jonathan V. Last / Weekly Standard:

University of Missouri Faculty Declare Support for ‘Muscle’ — Professors at the school release letter in support of Melissa Click. — You no doubt remember Melissa Click, the University of Missouri journalism professor who was caught on camera demanding “some muscle” …

Discussion: EconLog

Laurens Cerulus / Politico:

Dutch voters overwhelmingly reject agreement with Ukraine: poll — Three quarters of Dutch voters are against ratifying the association agreement. — A majority of Dutch voters is opposed to the Netherlands' ratification of the European Union's association agreement with Ukraine …

Discussion: National Review

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Donald Trump Praises Man He Once Called A Neo-Nazi — In 2000, Trump called Pat Buchanan a neo-Nazi. In 2015, he's singing his praises. — Scott Eisen / Getty Images — Republican frontrunner Donald Trump praised Pat Buchanan on Twitter Saturday, a man he once called a neo-Nazi and a dangerous demagogue.

Office of the Governor / Greg Abbott:

Governor Abbott Unveils Texas Plan, Offers Constitutional Amendments To Restore The Rule Of Law — Governor Greg Abbott today delivered the keynote address at the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Annual Policy Orientation where he unveiled his Texas Plan to restore the Rule of Law and return the Constitution to its intended purpose.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, BizPac Review, addictinginfo.org, Shall Not Be Questioned, CNBC and Trail Blazers Blog

Fox News:

Two Mideast refugees arrested on terror charges appear in US courts — Two men born in Iraq who came to the U.S. as refugees had court dates in California and Texas Friday on terror-related charges, as investigators say one of the men wrote that he wanted to travel to Syria because he was “eager to see blood.”

Discussion: Pamela Geller, Jihad Watch, National Review, Washington Free Beacon, Hot Air and U.S. Department of Justice