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By James Hohmann (
mailto:jhohmann@politico.com
jhohmann@politico.com ; Twitter: @jameshohmann)

GINGRICH'S NEW AD - "WE DESERVE SOLUTIONS":On the day of the last Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses, Newt Gingrich's campaign will put a new 30-second ad on the air in Iowa that promises to stay positive and highlights his leadership on the Contract with America as Speaker (Mitt Romney has admitted he was wrong to oppose the Contract when he ran for Senate in 1994, but that's left unsaid). Newt's script: "These are challenging and important times for America. We want and deserve solutions. Others seem to be more focused on attacks rather than moving the country forward. That's up to them. I believe bold ideas and new solutions will unleash America's creative spirit. When I was
Speaker, our budget was balanced and 11 million jobs were created. We can do it again and rebuild the America we love." The buy size isn't immediately being disclosed. Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f466f587f60703670cf75efb5d1e5ea545915c06cdb40089e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f466f587f60703670cf75efb5d1e5ea545915c06cdb40089e .

ROMNEY'S NEW VIDEO - HIGHLIGHTS 2010 PRAISE FROM NEWT:A new web video that will be distributed by the Romney campaign later this morning starts with a clip from Newt Gingrich's speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2010. "Gov. Romney in his business career created more jobs than the entire Obama cabinet combined so he can actually talk about it," Gingrich said then.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f8643087fd852e865297e74dc8751d1b8b51cd46c34e5e52b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f8643087fd852e865297e74dc8751d1b8b51cd46c34e5e52b

** As Newt talks over hecklers, some candidates get ready for their final debate and Ann Romney talks about her first date with Mitt, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

NATIONAL REVIEW - WARNS CONSERVATIVES AGAINST VOTING FOR GINGRICH IN EDITORIAL: "If he is the nominee, a campaign that should be about whether the country will continue on the path to social democracy would inevitably become to a large extent a referendum on Gingrich instead. And there is reason to doubt that he has changed. Each week we see the same traits that weakened Republicans from 1995 through 1998," the influential magazine's editors wrote in a post that went up last night. "Gingrich has always said he wants to transform the country. He appears unable to transform, or even govern, himself. He should be an adviser to the Republican Party, but not again its head."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6bd8f46a4a5e2d8e5b2164094f558c6cbd96da412d642c4d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6bd8f46a4a5e2d8e5b2164094f558c6cbd96da412d642c4d

LAST NIGHT'S ABORTION FORUM - HUCKABEE WON'T ENDORSE BEFORE IOWA:"At the premiere of a film that he co-produced, Mike Huckabee said he would not be a kingmaker for the GOP in the next three week and told ABC News he would not endorse any candidate before the Iowa caucuses on January 3, and that he may not back anyone before the primary fight ends," the network (and everyone else there) reports. Huckabee said he hasn't made his own mind up yet:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f8961c0acd9388fa095e560faf4c61572817ec0370b0352ea
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f8961c0acd9388fa095e560faf4c61572817ec0370b0352ea . The candidates all spoke out vociferously against abortion:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f264edcfe30c67ff6a58d96654fff00455eaf1117cdf18c01
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f264edcfe30c67ff6a58d96654fff00455eaf1117cdf18c01 .

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE DOING TODAY:The last debate before the caucuses airs on Fox News at 8 p.m. CT/9 p.m. ET. Beforehand, Gingrich hosts a meet-and-greet in Fort Dodge. Perry's bus tour stops in Le Mars. Santorum hosts a town hall in Rockwell City and visits a cattleman's company in Sac City.

PREVIEWING TONIGHT'S DEBATE - WATCH FOR CANDIDATES TO THROW THE KITCHEN SINK:"In Thursday night's nationally televised Republican Party debate in Sioux City, every available line of attack will be exploited, politics watchers say. Few pieces of opposition research will go unused. The most passionate closing arguments will be made," The Des Moines Register's Jennifer Jacobs reports. "For some of these candidates, it may be their last time on the stage as a presidential candidate." DMR:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6bb55f0af0afb77c8c4a62bf0e4feca0ac8e3b5b826a7f51
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6bb55f0af0afb77c8c4a62bf0e4feca0ac8e3b5b826a7f51 . The Houston Chronicle says to expect "aggressive attacks from this unlikely, underdog Texas tag team."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6211ce9029b037276efa3324b3579af3502882a2fbbf6382
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6211ce9029b037276efa3324b3579af3502882a2fbbf6382

SNEAK PEEK - ROMNEY HITS GINGRICH FOR CHANGING STORY ON RYAN PLAN:A forthcoming research document highlights the iterations of Gingrich's response since the blowback to his May "I don't think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering" comment. On Nov. 30, he told Sean Hannity "What I said was true." Then last week he called Paul Ryan's plan "suicidal." The release highlights Ryan's comment to National Review that: "This is not the 1990s."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f41325ba4dab2e59e8bbbb502675203c9e1751719ed038a82
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f41325ba4dab2e59e8bbbb502675203c9e1751719ed038a82

ROMNEY GLASNOT, Cont. -Romney is coming out his shell. He sat down with POLITICO on Monday, The Post on Tuesday and The Times on Wednesday.
CBS:'Newt Gingrich has wealth from having worked in government,' Romney told CBS' Jan Crawford. 'He's a wealthy man, a very wealthy man. If you have a half a million dollar purchase from Tiffany's, you're not a middle class American.' Clip:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f829e9ef11dcfe072d6aefabc3fdafa591dd63b447535ffda
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f829e9ef11dcfe072d6aefabc3fdafa591dd63b447535ffda .
NEW YORK TIMES: 'Zany is not what we need in a president...Zany is great in a campaign. It's great on talk radio. It's great in print, it makes for fun reading. But in terms of a president, we need a leader, and a leader needs to be someone who can bring Americans together." The FULL write-up is on A1:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f664a3f2495e37c1674f2dc95197b7c51c93d77404bdc15a5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f664a3f2495e37c1674f2dc95197b7c51c93d77404bdc15a5 .
IS GINGRICH TAKING IOWA SERIOUSLY ENOUGH? - LEARNING THE WRONG LESSONS FROM HIS COMEBACK:"Gingrich is getting pounded on Iowa TV...and is doing little to fight back against ads which take direct aim at him," Jonathan Martin reports from Iowa City. "Gingrich's response suggests a lack of urgency: on Wednesday he held a wonky seminar on brain science in this liberal college town. He had plans to return to Washington for a book-signing after Thursday's debate in Sioux City, without scheduling any public events in the conservative-heavy northwest corner of the state... Gingrich promised to do more retail events -he teased a post-Christmas bus tour - and said he'd do more ads... If the caucuses
turn out to be an effective tie against Paul, and perhaps Romney, they may not offer the momentum he needs as the race moves east."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f37abbe5522dd30ccf46cb3d5a0bd3bf95d4a4b42b3195c1c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f37abbe5522dd30ccf46cb3d5a0bd3bf95d4a4b42b3195c1c

ANN ROMNEY - BRACING FOR LONG NOMINATING FIGHT: "After a 10-minute speech that focused on her husband's values and devotion to family, Ann Romney veered into a lecture about the byzantine delegate rules that were enacted by national Republican officials in the summer of 2010 to govern the presidential nominating process," CNN's Peter Hamby reports from an event at a home in Council Bluffs last night. "...everything is going to be stretched out longer than it has in the past,' she said. 'Last time, the states were winner-take-all, a lot of them were. This time, it's proportional. It's done deliberately to make the process last longer. So we are planning on whatever it's going
to take for however long it takes.'
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f34aa46531e4809dd9476f772911026467feb382155b7c2f6
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f34aa46531e4809dd9476f772911026467feb382155b7c2f6

MORE FROM MRS. ROMNEY: "People think, well, you've had this perfect life. NO! It was hard,' she said at a small fundraiser at a private home near Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night. Fun factoid: Her first date with Mitt was to see The Sound of Music. The Washington Examiner's Byron York has more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fcbae38ef536d796e698b03a214cc0b12f16880c7553faf35
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fcbae38ef536d796e698b03a214cc0b12f16880c7553faf35 .

MEANWHILE - MITT RAISED $2+ MILLION IN NEW YORK YESTERDAY:Maggie Haberman reports that the Romney campaign was expecting to bring in well over $2 million with four events yesterday, "beginning with a mega-breakfast at Cipriani and wrapping up with a Paul Singer-hosted Union League fundraiser that raked in more than $1.2 million."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f5134547fef357407c0c1d82db72e7596ba08fa8f25764325
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f5134547fef357407c0c1d82db72e7596ba08fa8f25764325

AND - Stephen Colbert made fun of Christine O'Donnell endorsing Romney on his show last night:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6eaa8c29599ef56c5272dd1311836b5457b11ade0580767c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6eaa8c29599ef56c5272dd1311836b5457b11ade0580767c .

PERRY BUS TOUR ROLLS ON - MOVING RESOURCES TO IOWA: "The Texas governor's campaign has already brought in over 10 additional staffers, from both his Florida operation and his Texas headquarters, and will add even more after Christmas," JMart scoops. Perry's best quote of the day: "I'm afraid of my wife, but not afraid of my wife as much as I'm afraid of God."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f84f11ce915ce517e0104b9b7ba204ebb6660857c24c962ad
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f84f11ce915ce517e0104b9b7ba204ebb6660857c24c962ad

LATEST POLLING -

SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY - ROMNEY FIREWALL HOLDING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE:A respected poll posted at 11 p.m. last night puts Romney ahead of Gingrich 38-20 among likely voters in the first primary, with Jon Huntsman in third at 13 percent. The former Massachusetts governor's lead has slipped from 27 points last month. Some heartening numbers for Boston from the press release: "Of the two leaders - Romney and Gingrich - Romney was trusted more to fix the economy by 59 percent to 20 percent over Gingrich, while 62 percent of voters said Romney would be better at bringing America together than Gingrich (18 percent). Romney was considered to have the personality best suited to be president (70 percent)
compared to Gingrich (16 percent)... Gingrich voters (43 percent) said that Romney had the personality best suited to be president, compared to 42 percent for Gingrich." Seven pages of toplines:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f3bab33b4228a9f5a6bb9752d86b9364d2779f2403f37eed0
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f3bab33b4228a9f5a6bb9752d86b9364d2779f2403f37eed0 . The announcement:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fa5e80de420a147b079a6674220e654b39957d19bb858efef
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fa5e80de420a147b079a6674220e654b39957d19bb858efef .

The Union Leadersays Gingrich's rise is helping Romney lower expectations for how he needs to do in the Granite State:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fc5731ee849463fac20f7685a00e82be8e2b2913125f18a50
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fc5731ee849463fac20f7685a00e82be8e2b2913125f18a50 .

ABC/WASH POST: Gingrich's unfavorable number is 48 percent - essentially the same as Obama's - and only 35 percent of voters view him favorably in a general election context. Just 12 percent view him "strongly" favorably. Story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f47fb60f2c6167d7f4c9162db8b259aa25eb8b7fbacece22d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f47fb60f2c6167d7f4c9162db8b259aa25eb8b7fbacece22d . Langer Research's release:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f0528884497fccd34e77725baba5e32369a7d9bf841531be2
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f0528884497fccd34e77725baba5e32369a7d9bf841531be2 . The NYT contextualizes these results as part of a larger problem the now frontrunner has with independents:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fb5700cc1163a8462feca8484c51e345295745c6ef97acaa8
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fb5700cc1163a8462feca8484c51e345295745c6ef97acaa8 .

INTERNALS: "A week-long blitz of negatives ads from Ron Paul and 'Restore Our Future,' the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC, have taken a toll on Newt Gingrich's standing in Iowa, internal numbers from the Rick Perry and Romney camps show, according to multiple sources," Maggie Haberman reported yesterday. "Sources didn't provide specific numbers on how far he's slipped, but it's perceptible in both camps' numbers. Perry has been inching up, the sources said - in part thanks to his faith-based push but largely because of his controversial anti-gay rights ad, and the big question is whether he draws at all from Romney and pushes him down out of the top three finishers in the
state."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f9c616c3b424f84f9ba2ee75e10fc7cce6a4f0935c96e700b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f9c616c3b424f84f9ba2ee75e10fc7cce6a4f0935c96e700b

BACHMANN HITS NEWT - "MONEY IS CHANGING HANDS":On CNN last night, Michele Bachmann was asked about a statement from her South Carolina spokesman saying Newt Gingrich is trying to "buy off tea party groups." Emily Schultheis reports: "When King asked Bachmann tonight to support or deny it, she deferred to Donohue but said she's been 'hearing' about these occurrences around the country: 'Well, Wesley would have to speak to that himself with what evidence he has, but this is something that we've been hearing all across the country, that money is changing hands, and that's not how I do business. In fact I've told people, I've told evangelicals, I've told tea partiers, I don't pay people to come
out and be my supporters, that's not what I do. When we have tea party groups and all of the rest, I don't do that because I'm just a real person." Gingrich spox R.C. Hammond had a great response:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6a51150d6b6695f4739772ae6557b693653e37287ff015b8
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f6a51150d6b6695f4739772ae6557b693653e37287ff015b8 .

OCCUPIERS HECKLE GINGRICH - "I'M GOING TO TRY TO TALK OVER THEM":Before beginning a campaign event in a packed lecture hall at the University of Iowa,Newt Gingrich was interrupted by Occupy Wall Street protesters," The Wall Street Journals' Danny Yardon writes. "Shouting ensued for about five minutes as the protesters complained the former House speaker had an arrogant attitude toward poor people and ignored child labor laws. They were soon escorted out. 'I'm going to try to talk over them,' said Mr. Gingrich, an outspoken critic of the Occupy movement. 'I appreciate the 95% of you, maybe even the 99% of you, who will actually have an intelligent discussion and are not going to be drowned
out by the 1% who try to impose their will by making noise.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f49408927e9f2743ab94babe546863c9c5d33dbc307f193a5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f49408927e9f2743ab94babe546863c9c5d33dbc307f193a5

GINGRICH HIRES - BRINGS ON DAVID WINSTON, KELLYANNE CONWAY:The campaign confirms the hiring of Kellyanne Conway, a well-known national GOP pollster and strategist, and David Winston, an experienced pollster who also advises Boehner.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f015517f8f035d093f19ecdc925c6a65e0c9027cc96da5820
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f015517f8f035d093f19ecdc925c6a65e0c9027cc96da5820

REVERSE EXODUS - WIL RICK TYLER RETURN BY GOING TO THE SUPER PAC?"Winning Our Future, [the super PAC] which is being helmed by longtime Gingrich fundraiser Becky Burkett, appears to be the outside group that enjoys the unofficial blessing of Gingrich's inner circle," RealClearPolitics' Scott Conroy reports. "Burkett told RCP that she has spoken recently with former Gingrich spokesperson Rick Tyler, and a second source close to Gingrich confirms that Tyler is moving toward joining the super PAC.After Thursday night's debate, Gingrich will take a 2 ½ day swing through Iowa next week but will not return to the state until Dec. 27, when he plans to spend the final week before the
caucuses on a statewide bus tour."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f14a533fa47b4e0945d96b57dff95ae1520d86eba26849548
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f14a533fa47b4e0945d96b57dff95ae1520d86eba26849548

GOOD IOWA GET - FRED GRANDY ENDORSES NEWT:"A former Iowa congressman says his fellow Republicans are wrong to think of Newt Gingrich as Darth Vader.'He's closer to Obi-Wan Kenobi as far as I'm concerned,' said Fred Grandy, who formally endorsed Gingrich for president today ahead of a GOP presidential debate," per USA Today. "Grandy represented a Northwest Iowa district, including Sioux City, from 1989 to 1993. Before entering politics, he was best known for playing 'Gopher' on the sitcom, The Love Boat, in the 1970s-1980s." Grandy's interview with the Sioux City Journal:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fdead4ba3514e58cf03eaa3519209fabe38891e18366ae315
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fdead4ba3514e58cf03eaa3519209fabe38891e18366ae315 .

BOEHNER ON NEWT -"You know, like all big thinkers, they have some great ideas," Boehner said at a POLITICO breakfast yesterday morning. "And then they have some other ideas." He (sorta) defended Gingrich's bona fides: "It'd be hard to describe Newt as not conservative. I'm not sure he's as conservative as some people think he is, but Newt is conservative."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f28734a83bd479ab52b4e96ba1150a62ebeecd8a013e960b4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f28734a83bd479ab52b4e96ba1150a62ebeecd8a013e960b4

TRUMP LASHING OUT - SUGGESTS BACHMANN SHOULD DROP OUT:From the Greta Van Susteren interview we linked to yesterday, this nugget got lost: "Loyalty is very important. But as an example, she is not going to win anyway. I told her, Michele, you are a wonderful woman. Why don't you go home and relax. Michele Bachmann would call me constantly. She came up four times. I didn't want to see her, but out of respect I saw her." Transcript:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fa493d8bb05c45bfe1a2d3d6e3e40a0f69cf8a61e0d289a11
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fa493d8bb05c45bfe1a2d3d6e3e40a0f69cf8a61e0d289a11 . Karl Rove goes after Trump in his Wall Street Journal column today:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f812d49c4c95fd39acac7f060c04cc3ff72a4e668843ae71f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f812d49c4c95fd39acac7f060c04cc3ff72a4e668843ae71f .

MSNBC APOLOGIZES - REPORT NOTED THAT KLAN, ROMNEY BOTH CALL FOR KEEPING AMERICA AMERICAN:Chris Matthews read an apology on behalf of his network during Hardball last night after a brief report earlier in the day (sourced to a liberal blog) linked Romney's stump speech phrase ("keep America American") to Klu Klux Klan literature. Chris: "During the 11 a.m. hour on MSNBC today, we reported on a blog item that compared a phrase used by the Romney campaign to one used by the KKK way back in the 1920s. It was irresponsible and incendiary of us to do this, and it showed an appalling lack of judgment. We apologize - we really do - to the Romney campaign." Brian Stelter's NYT item:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fc115f723a6e15dc39587f46bdc8a288b881b815b52e6bbb5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fc115f723a6e15dc39587f46bdc8a288b881b815b52e6bbb5 . Video:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f8b8c60b284ce2a9a8826091b99cc869cffde8ee7d0e50a94
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f8b8c60b284ce2a9a8826091b99cc869cffde8ee7d0e50a94 .

"IT'S A WIDE OPEN RACE" - RON FOURNIER WARNS OF AN IOWA SURPRISE:Iowa state Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan, a well-connected dairy farmer who knows the lay of the land as well as anybody in northwest Iowa, told the editor of National Journal that it's anybody's race. He suggested Paul could win if he mobilized enough youth votes, Perry's time and ad buys in the state could cause a surge and Bachmann or Santorum could get credit for all the time they've spent. "He said Romney has been 'missing in action in northwest Iowa,' a conservative stronghold. 'And Gingrich is unpredictable.' If he had $10,000 to bet, Johnson says he wouldn't waste it on the Jan. 3 caucuses."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fa01ef67478a66459da76841c4de448874ae9a06f02ae0427
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fa01ef67478a66459da76841c4de448874ae9a06f02ae0427

WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS UP TO - NO PUBLIC EVENTS PLANNED:"In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval office...In the afternoon, the [two] will have lunch in the private dining room at the White House."

TODAYis the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. Arizona Republican consultant Chris DeRose is out with a book on the 1789 House race between James Madison and James Monroe for a seat in the first Congress, in which whether to add amendments played a central part. His book is available on POLITICO's Bookshelf:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f3d8e019e7292c55355c6569b6d37dce8730daec2bb4566e6
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f3d8e019e7292c55355c6569b6d37dce8730daec2bb4566e6 .

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:President Obama delivers the State of the Union on Jan. 24.

EMILY'S LIST - ENDORSING SUTTON, CLARK, ESTY AND TITUS:The women's group will move Betty Sutton (OH-16), Tarryl Clark (MN-08), Elizabeth Esty (CT-05) and Dina Titus (NV-01) from "on the list" to a full endorsement (which means bundling, fundraising, etcetera) today. The Democratic group is also endorsing Betty Sutton, just the second incumbent of the cycle (Lois Capps is the other). Sutton has been drawn by the GOP-controlled state legislature into the district now held by freshman Republican Rep. Jim Renacci.

OHIO PRIMARY - MOVED UP TO MARCH 6:"Democratic and Republican House leaders worked out a deal today on a new congressional map and a single 2012 primary on March 6, instead of the current split primary that moves presidential and congressional races to June," according to the Columbus Dispatch. The House passed the bill 77-17 last night, and the paper reported that Senate action is expected imminently.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fd851fa645ad8dad5588ffaece955654f7019109dca1b6c62
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fd851fa645ad8dad5588ffaece955654f7019109dca1b6c62

NEBRASKA SENATE - ANTI-ABORTION GROUP PLEDGES TO OPPOSE NELSON IF HE RUNS:The National Right to Life Committee and its Nebraska state affiliate announced they will oppose Ben Nelson if he runs for reelection. From LifeNews.com: "Formerly a celebrated pro-life Democrat who enjoyed support from Right to Life for his standing as a minority voice within the Democratic party speaking against abortion, Nelson lost his support within pro-life circles after he voted for the abortion-funding Obamacare health care reform bill even after his amendment to ensure abortion funding was removed from it failed in the Senate.Now, the National Right to Life PAC (NRL PAC) has joined the Nebraska Right to Life
Political Action Committee in announcing that both organizations will oppose [him] for re-election."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f442cdfc44520efed9899cbc3526ef3817aaab12460b07e42
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f442cdfc44520efed9899cbc3526ef3817aaab12460b07e42

WATCH FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT OVER THE HOLIDAYS - NELSON SAYS ATTACKS COULD KEEP HIM IN:The vulnerable incumbent, but the Democrat's best bet to hold the seat, asserted in an interview with Manu Raju yesterday that the attacks from Crossroads GPS and Americans for Prosperity might actually prod him to run...But asked if that meant he'd get into the race, Nelson said, "I'm not there yet." Manu: "Nelson sounded doubtful that he'd make a decision before Congress finishes up work for the year, but he suggested he'd announce during the downtime over the holidays."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f010ad5c798cb4204d00152ef91baf1e372322e4ef39e1082
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f010ad5c798cb4204d00152ef91baf1e372322e4ef39e1082

MICHIGAN SENATE - DURANT REPLACES CAMPAIGN MANAGERS:ClarkDurant, the Republican trying to prevent Pete Hoekstra from winning the GOP nomination in Michigan, has replaced campaign manager Dick Wadhams (the former Colorado GOP state chair) with Andy Anuzis, Thad McCotter's former chief of staff and Saul's brother. Story behind a pay wall:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fac9c131e62e0b125e9193b8a550d84c914473976e3a89160
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fac9c131e62e0b125e9193b8a550d84c914473976e3a89160 .

HOUSE TALKER - DCCC HAS WIPED OUT $19 MILLION IN DEBT THIS YEAR:"DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) told POLITICO in an interview that the DCCC would be debt free by the end of this month. The DCCC's initial projection was that the debt from the 2009-2010 cycle would not be cleared until the end of the first quarter of 2012... As of its most recent public report to the Federal Election Commission, the DCCC was still $1.33 million in debt... Coming off its huge victory in 2010, the NRCC started the cycle $10.5 million in debt. But as of the Oct. 31, the committee was only $500,000 in debt, and GOP officials expected the NRCC to be debt free in the very near future."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f5628bd4137b5bc525dde9044eb8b2eca001c20a4574ad664
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9f5628bd4137b5bc525dde9044eb8b2eca001c20a4574ad664

GOVERNOR RATINGS - LARRY SABATO MOVES NC TO LEANS R, WA STAYS A TOSS UP:The University of Virginia's Center for Politics just posted new governor's race rankings for 2012. They switched North Carolina from toss-up to leans Republican. They think Washington seems to be going the Republicans' way too, but they decided to keep the toss-up rating. See state-by-state explanations on their Crystal Ball blog:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fc377ede902eabd017ce0582ce6d17ea481fe6f98a434791e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fc377ede902eabd017ce0582ce6d17ea481fe6f98a434791e .

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY:'This is maybe the first time any presidential candidate has talked about brain science.' - Newt Gingrich, alluding to his nontraditional campaign during a stop at the University of Iowa yesterday
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fdb2656b4ccd03900ca329d84fd0d3f7d2875344a4e77dc07
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e6fe843e3cffce9fdb2656b4ccd03900ca329d84fd0d3f7d2875344a4e77dc07

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