memeorandum: 'God'-awful OWS mob steals sacred item from church (Candice M. Giove/New York Post)

8:45 AM ET, January 23, 2012

Top Items:

Mitt Romney tells ‘interrupters’ at rally to ‘take a hike’ — Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, campaigns at Allstar Building Materials in Ormond Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak / January 22, 2012) — Mitt Romney opened an aggressive new phase …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:

Christie: Gingrich ‘embarrassed’ GOP — Gov. Chris Christie called Newt Gingrich an embarrassment to the Republican Party. — “I think Newt Gignrich has embarrassed the party, over time,” Christie (R), who endorsed Mitt Romney, said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press. “Governor Romney never has.”

Discussion: The Reaction, No More Mister Nice Blog, Riehl World View, COURAGE IN AMERICA, NO QUARTER, Naked Politics, Scared Monkeys and Taylor Marsh

Reid J. Epstein / The Politico:

Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich is a ‘failed leader,’ ‘disgrace’ — ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Mitt Romney landed here Sunday with a simple message: Newt Gingrich is a failure and a fraud. And a disgrace. And a hapless showman. — Standing under a brilliant orange Florida sunset …

Discussion: National Review, CNN, The Gateway Pundit and Weekly Standard

Jim Vandeheiand Mike Allen / The Politico:

Newt Gingrich: The master of disguise — The surging Newt Gingrich has mastered debates - and disguise. — The debate part is clear: the former speaker of the House comes to play and owns the stage, with an uncanny capacity to connect with the grievances of conservative voters.

Discussion: Pirate's Cove, Ballot Box and Hit & Run

Alexander Burnsand Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Mitt Romney's misery, in a word: Bain — COLUMBIA, S.C. - The verdict is in: Mitt Romney's Bain Capital problem is real. — Of all the forces that converged to doom Romney in Saturday's South Carolina primary, none may be as disconcerting for Republicans as the attacks on Romney's private equity work …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Washington Post, New York Times, Reuters, The Moderate Voice and Gothamist

John Heilemann / New York Magazine:
Five Consequences of Gingrich's South Carolina Win

Discussion: Hot Air, Wizbang, CNN and American Power

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:
Romney on Gingrich: ‘He had to resign in disgrace’

Discussion: The Page and New York Magazine

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:
Coulter: ‘With Newt Gingrich you throw out the baby and keep the bath water’ [VIDEO]

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Power Line, The Gateway Pundit and Guardian

Sandhya Somashekhar / Washington Post:
Mitt Romney to release tax returns Tuesday

Discussion: CBS News, ABCNEWS, Althouse and THEROOT.COM

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
An open letter to Republican leaders

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Crooks and Liars, NY Daily News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Whiskey Fire, Patterico's Pontifications, Riehl World View and Booman Tribune

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Quick Thoughts on Tonight's Results

Discussion: Don Surber, Quote and Comment, Balloon Juice, M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …, The Mahablog, No More Mister Nice Blog, Guardian, The Politico and The Daily Caller

Sean Trende / Real Clear Politics:
Three Takeaways From South Carolina

Discussion: Ricochet Conversations Feed, Big Government, PJ Media, The Politico, RedState, The Buzz Florida Politics Feed, American Power, Reuters, Patterico's Pontifications, Weekly Standard, Hot Air, Hit & Run and Conservatives4Palin

American Prospect:
Politics of Resentment — Newt Gingrich supporters hold …

Discussion: Religion Dispatches and THEROOT.COM, more at Mediagazer »

Adam Weinstein / Mother Jones:

Gays “Make God Want to Vomit”: Meet Santorum's Honorary Florida Chairman — Rick Santorum's first stop in the Sunshine State is the church of a gay-bashing, Islamophobic pastor. — While the network news shows spend this Sunday marveling over Newtmentum in South Carolina …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Mediaite, Towleroad News #gay, The Raw Story and Joe. My. God.

Andrew Abramson / Post on Politics:

Pastor at Santorum rally: Americans won't vote for Mormon president, Mormon church is racist — Rev. O'Neal Dozier, the conservative pastor of Pompano Beach's Worldwide Christian Center, told the Palm Beach Post Sunday that Mitt Romney cannot win the presidency because Americans won't vote for a Mormon president.

Arizona Daily Star:

Giffords to step down from Congress — U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will step down from Congress this week to focus on her recovery, her staff announced Sunday. — “I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week,” Giffords said in a video message.

Discussion: msnbc.com, Scared Monkeys, Patterico's Pontifications, Daily Kos, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, The Democratic Daily and The Raw Story

James Bennett / KOLD-TV:
Governor will declare April special election for Giffords' seat

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

CNN:
Gabrielle Giffords will resign to focus on her recovery

Discussion: This Just In

Daniel Strauss / Ballot Box:
Rep. Giffords to step down from Congress to focus on recovery

Discussion: The Politico, The Hill and Transterrestrial Musings

Gabrielle Giffords:
U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS WILL STEP DOWN FROM CONGRESS THIS WEEK

Discussion: Healthland

Dan Nowicki / Arizona Republic:
Giffords stepping down from Congress

Discussion: Washington Post and The Moderate Voice

Amy Bingham / ABCNEWS:
Giffords' Vow: ‘I Will Return’

Discussion: New York Times, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Guardian, The Daily Caller, The Political Carnival, Wake up America, American Spectator, RedState and The Impolitic

The Politico:

Mitt faces a perfect mess — Perfect resume, perfect looks, perfect family, and a perfect roster of skilled campaign operatives and blue-chip endorsements: Mitt Romney has them all. — Yet he comes out of his drubbing in South Carolina with a perfect problem.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Hill

Candice M. Giove / New York Post:

'God'-awful OWS mob steals sacred item from church — There's no longer room at the inn at a Manhattan church that's sheltering Occupy Wall Streeters after a holy vessel disappeared from the altar last week. — When the Rev. Bob Brashear prepared for Sunday services at West Park Presbyterian Church …

Discussion: Scared Monkeys, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and Jammie Wearing Fools

BBC:

IDS: Welfare reform is about ‘changing lives’ — The government is set to come up against strong opposition in the House of Lords over its plans to cap benefits payments to £26,000 per household per year in England, Scotland and Wales. — Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith told …

Discussion: Guardian, Melanie Phillips and Biased BBC

Ed O'Keefe / Washington Post:

Federal employees owe $1.03 billion in unpaid taxes — (Daniel Acker - BLOOMBERG) Congressional staffers owed about $10.6 million in unpaid taxes in 2010, a slight increase from the previous year and a growing slice of the roughly $1 billion owed by federal and postal workers nationwide.

Discussion: COURAGE IN AMERICA

Thomas Kaplan / New York Times:

New York's Redistricting Process Led by Insiders — ALBANY — Howard Leib, a 53-year-old entertainment lawyer, is considering a run for the New York State Senate this year. — But Mr. Leib, a Democrat from the Finger Lakes region, has an unexpected first challenge: he does not know what district he lives in.

Rick Santorum / Wall Street Journal:

My Fight for Life — The other Republican candidates simply check the pro-life box. America needs leadership. — Monday marks the first day of the fourth decade of Roe v. Wade, but together we can make it the decade when Roe is overturned. With a president committed to defending life …

Discussion: The Politico