memeorandum: Campaign officials: Huntsman to quit US race (Associated Press)

3:50 AM ET, January 16, 2012

Top Items:

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:

Huntsman Says He's Quitting G.O.P. Race — CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jon M. Huntsman Jr. informed his advisers on Sunday that he intends to drop out of the Republican presidential race, ending his candidacy a week before he had hoped to revive his campaign in the South Carolina primary.

ABCNEWS:

Huntsman to Drop Out of GOP Race; Will Endorse Romney — Jon Huntsman will drop out of the Republican presidential race on Monday, a campaign spokesman told ABC News. — A source close to the Huntsman campaign said the former ambassador to China and Utah Governor was “proud of the race that he ran” …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Campaign 2012 and National Review

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Sources: Huntsman to drop out of 2012 race tomorrow, endorse Romney — Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor who was seen by Democrats months ago as the potential biggest threat to President Obama in a general election, is dropping out of the race tomorrow and will endorse Mitt Romney, a campaign official confirms to POLITICO.

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:

Huntsman Drops Out: Is Set To Endorse Romney, Whom He Called ‘Unelectable’ — Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) informed his advisers today that he is dropping out of the presidential race. After his third place finish in New Hampshire's primary, Huntsman declared that he had a “ticket to ride” …

Discussion: CBS News and US Politics

Associated Press:

Campaign officials: Huntsman to quit US race — WASHINGTON (AP) — Jon Huntsman, the former ambassador to China whose presidential campaign never connected with Republican primary voters, will withdraw Monday from the race for the nomination, his campaign manager told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

The State:

Huntsman could bring us back together — AFTER MONTHS of flirting with candidates who considered inexperience an asset, obstinance and vitriol a virtue and extremism — even flakiness — a job requirement, Republican voters seem to be settling down. Increasingly, they are rallying around …

Discussion: FITSNews, The Spectacle Blog, The Hinterland Gazette, Washington Post and msnbc.com

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Huntsman to exit, back Romney — MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Jon Huntsman will drop out of the GOP presidential race Monday morning and endorse Mitt Romney, POLITICO has confirmed. — Huntsman will endorse Romney in a speech at 11 a.m. Monday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, CNN, ABCNEWS, Wake up America and Outside the Beltway

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:

Colbert Super PAC Goes Negative On Romney In First South Carolina Ad — Brands him “Mitt the Ripper” for “corporations are people” line. — The Super PAC formerly run by Stephen Colbert, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, has released its first ad to air in South Carolina this week.

Discussion: Towleroad News #gay and Runnin' Scared

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Gingrich faces tough questions at SC campaign event with black church

Discussion: The Politico, The Hinterland Gazette and CNN

Jeff Mason / Reuters:
Romney opens 21-point lead in South Carolina: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Discussion: Big Government, The Raw Story, CBS News, Hot Air and No More Mister Nice Blog

Amy Bingham / ABCNEWS:
SuperPAC Satire: Colbert Tells ABC About Faux Run

Discussion: Taylor Marsh and The Politico

Brendan Sasso / Ballot Box:
Perry vows to fight on, regardless of result in South Carolina primary

Discussion: The Politico, Pundit & Pundette, CNN and Hot Air

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

We Must Be Really, Really Stupid! — As you may have heard by now, Newsweek's forthcoming issue headlines, “Why are Obama's critics so dumb?” — Well, sure. We who who are unhappy that unemployment has increased on Obama's watch, that over-regulation has stymied economic growth …

Discussion: Instapundit

Judd Legum / ThinkProgress:

Republican Sponsor Of Bill To Require Drug Testing For Georgia Welfare Recipients Arrested For DUI — A Georgia Republican who wants all welfare reciepients subject to drug tests failed one himself after he ran a red light on Friday morning. The Atlanta Journal Constiution has the story on State Rep. Kip Smith (R):

Discussion: Suburban Guerrilla and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Annie Karni / New York Post:

Cuomo's ex Kennedy stands to make $40M in secret anti-oil deal — Professional do-gooder Kerry Kennedy — Gov. Cuomo's ex-wife and the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy — has called the oil-drilled rain forests of Ecuador “the biggest corporate environmental disaster on the face of the Earth, in the history of the world.”

Discussion: The Daily Caller and Jammie Wearing Fools

Climate Guest Blogger / ThinkProgress:

MIT Climate Scientist's Wife Threatened in a “Frenzy of Hate” and Cyberbullying Fomented by Deniers — JR: Cyberbullying of climate scientists is on the rise, thanks to the hard-core deniers (see “UK Guardian slams Morano for cyber-bullying and for urging violence against climate scientists").

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Little Green Footballs