memeorandum: The Duel — Donald Trump has a rule at his rallies … (Ryan Lizza/New Yorker)

10:30 AM ET, January 25, 2016

Top Items:

Glenn Thrush / Politico:

Exclusive: Obama on Iowa, Clinton, Sanders and 2016 — Barack Obama, that prematurely gray elder statesman, is laboring mightily to remain neutral during Hillary Clinton's battle with Bernie Sanders in Iowa, the state that cemented his political legend and secured his path to the presidency.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ABC News, TalkLeft, Washington Post, Slantpoint and The Week

Paul Starr / Politico:

I Get Sanders' Appeal. But He's Not a Credible President. — I have a strange idea about presidential primaries and elections: The purpose is to elect a president. — And I have a strange thought about primary voters: They have a choice between sending the country a message and sending it a president.

Discussion: Slantpoint, Daily Kos, FishbowlDC, The Reality-Based Community and Yahoo Politics

BostonGlobe.com:

Hillary Clinton deserves Democratic nomination — America looks different in 2016 than it did the last time Hillary Clinton ran for president: The economy has come out of free fall, the military has left the quagmire of the Iraq war, barriers to equality have toppled, and universal access to health care has become a reality.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Concord Monitor, New York Times, Washington Post and Politico

Politico:

Full transcript: POLITICO's Glenn Thrush interviews President Barack Obama on Iowa, 2016, and the choice between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders — This interview was conducted on Jan. 22, 2016 in the Oval Office. It has been edited only slightly, to remove crosstalk.

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, Business Insider, Political Wire and New York Times

Bradford Richardson / The Hill:

Clinton vows to win nomination to keep Bloomberg out of race — Democratic primary front-runner Hillary Clinton on Sunday vowed to win her party's nomination for president to “relieve” former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg of any thoughts of running for president.

Discussion: Instapundit

John Wagner / Washington Post:

Sanders: Clinton is running a ‘desperate’ campaign that lacks excitement — DECORAH, Iowa — When Bernie Sanders entered the presidential race last spring, he was considered a fringe figure — an unapologetic independent whose “political revolution” would eschew campaign customs and center around his liberal agenda.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Bloomberg Business, MSNBC, Taylor Marsh, New York Times, Washington Free Beacon and Hold Fast

Politico:
Podcast: President Barack Obama

Discussion: New York Times, Business Insider and Political Wire

Katie Glueck / Politico:

Rick Perry endorses Ted Cruz — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is endorsing Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential primary, Perry told POLITICO in an interview Sunday night. — Perry, who also sought the GOP nomination before dropping out in September, said he now sees the race as one that is between Cruz …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, RedState, Des Moines Register, Trail Blazers Blog, Political Insider blog, Mediaite, NBC News, Washington Post, AOL, The Right Scoop, The Week and Associated Press

Monica Langley / Wall Street Journal:

Behind Donald Trump's Attack Strategy — A behind-the-scenes look at how the GOP front-runner personally drives his pointed attacks — NASHUA, N.H.— Donald Trump made his decision to start skewering Sen. Ted Cruz as his private jet was approaching here earlier this month.

Discussion: Political Wire and Des Moines Register

Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
Guess which divisive Republican is now campaigning as a political uniter?

Discussion: Political Wire

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
GOP fear and loathing in New Hampshire

Discussion: Balloon Juice and The Last Refuge

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
GOP senators: Anyone but Cruz

Discussion: ABC News and Politico

David Axelrod / New York Times:

The Obama Theory of Trump — It was so obvious, I'm embarrassed I missed it. — Like most of the other talking heads on TV, I was haughtily dismissive of Donald Trump's candidacy. “It's apparently open mike day in the Republican campaign for president,” I tweeted last June …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Politico

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:

The Duel — Donald Trump has a rule at his rallies: for the fifty minutes before he takes the stage, the only music that can be played is from a set list that he put together. The list shows a sensitive side, mixing in Elton John's “Tiny Dancer” and music from “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Fox News:

New ISIS video shows Paris attackers committing prior atrocities, threatening UK — A new video released by the ISIS terror group late Sunday shows nine of the extremists who carried out the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris beheading and shooting captives, as well as training with weapons while plotting …

Discussion: Hot Air

Tony Barboza / Los Angeles Times:

Fast-acting methane from Aliso Canyon leak is boosting global warming — Pilot and UC Davis scientist Stephen Conley points out the air intakes on his pollution-detecting plane that measure methane emissions from the Aliso Canyon leak. (Joe Proudman / UC Davis)

Discussion: The Week, 89.3 KPCC and NPR