memeorandum: Rep. Giffords to resign and focus on recovery, setting up wide-open race for Ariz. seat (Associated Press)

10:25 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: Booman Tribune, The Caucus and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

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, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, Weekly Standard and Ballot Box

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, Reuters, Conservatives4Palin and Hit & Run

Wall Street Journal:

The Gingrich Challenge — A test for Romney, GOP officials, and the former speaker himself. — Newt Gingrich's sweeping victory in South Carolina throws the GOP Presidential contest into a useful uproar and poses a challenge for Mitt Romney, what's left of the Republican establishment, and not least for Mr. Gingrich himself.

Discussion: GOP 12

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: New York Times, Connecting.the.Dots, The Caucus, Washington Post, ABCNEWS, The Moderate Voice, Reuters and Gothamist

Garrett Haake / msnbc.com: New state, new strategy as Romney comes out swinging

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: Don Surber, The Gateway Pundit, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Power Line, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, alicublog and Talking Points Memo

Daniel Strauss / The Hill:
Christie: Gingrich ‘embarrassed’ GOP

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

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

Discussion: americanthinker.com, CBS News, ABCNEWS, THEROOT.COM, Althouse and CNN

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

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

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

U.S. Economy Most Toxic of 24 Issues — Scope of government and U.S. morality also rankle Americans — PRINCETON, NJ — As President Barack Obama prepares his annual address to Congress, Americans are broadly dissatisfied with the state of the nation in several specific issue areas …

Discussion: The Politico, Weasel Zippers and National Review

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

Associated Press:

Rep. Giffords to resign and focus on recovery, setting up wide-open race for Ariz. seat — PHOENIX — The race to replace Rep. Gabrielle Giffords begins in earnest Monday as the Arizona congresswoman's planned resignation sets up a free-for-all in a competitive district.

Discussion: Associated Press and The Reaction

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

Discussion: The Politico, The Hill and Transterrestrial Musings

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

Discussion: ABCNEWS and The Gateway Pundit

Dan Nowicki / Arizona Republic:
Giffords stepping down from Congress

Discussion: The BLT, Washington Post, The Moderate Voice and Gabrielle Giffords

Arizona Daily Star: Giffords to step down from Congress

CNN:
Gabrielle Giffords will resign to focus on her recovery

Discussion: This Just In

Martin Frost / The Politico:

The electoral train wreck scenario — Train wrecks don't happen often in American politics. But there could be one in this presidential election. And if it occurs, it will be big. — Consider: The Constitution has a specific provision regarding an Electoral College deadlock.

Daniel Klaidman / The Daily Beast:

Obama Team to Break Silence on al-Awlaki Killing — Inside the White House debate over how to talk about al Qaeda's Anwar al-Awlaki. — After months of internal debate, the Obama administration is planning to reveal publicly the legal reasoning behind its decision to kill the American-born leader …

Discussion: americanthinker.com and emptywheel

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, Political Mojo, 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

Discussion: The Politico

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Is Our Economy Healing? — How goes the state of the union? Well, the state of the economy remains terrible. Three years after President Obama's inauguration and two and a half years since the official end of the recession, unemployment remains painfully high.

Discussion: Daniel W. Drezner, Business Insider, Daily Kos, Paul Krugman, Power Line, Prairie Weather and EconLog

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 and New York Magazine

BREITBART.COM:

Davos elites to seek reforms of ‘outdated’ capitalism — Economic and political elites meeting this week at the Swiss resort of Davos will be asked to urgently find ways to reform a capitalist system that has been described as “outdated and crumbling.” — “We have a general morality gap …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Weasel Zippers and The Gateway Pundit

Laurel Ramseyer / pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com:

Ken Hutcherson likens Gov. Gregoire to President Lincoln's Assassin — Nobody expects anti-gay pastor Ken Hutcherson to agree with Gov. Christine Gregoire's decision to champion marriage equality legislation in Washington. But this goes beyond the pale.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Good As You and Joe. My. God.