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

EXCLUSIVE - FLORIDA CFO TO ENDORSE ROMNEY: Florida's elected Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater will endorse Mitt Romney today. The former state Senate president, from North Palm Beach, is the second member of the Sunshine State's cabinet to endorse the former governor in as many days.

LAST NIGHT IN VEGAS - WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

- 8 TAKEAWAYS - Maggie Haberman: "Mitt Romney is not a Teflon candidate... Rick Perry's back in the ring... Herman Cain likes fruit, if not details... Ron Paul wants to cut funds from [Israel]...Michele Bachmann is back to talking points... Rick Santorum is sticking with family values...The field is struggling with the tone on immigration...TARP is still an issue."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08acb7194f0dd2bb90d8c0fadaa86ab64f475d15a12d183a242
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08acb7194f0dd2bb90d8c0fadaa86ab64f475d15a12d183a242

-ROMNEY WAS REMINDED THAT HE HASN'T WON THE NOMINATION YET - Alex Burns: "He has delivered a tightly focused economic message and defended parts of his record - like the health care law he signed as governor - that might attract moderate voters. That approach seemed to founder in the debate here Tuesday night, as a gang of GOP rivals made a concerted attempt to undercut Romney's confident posture and force him to address the discomfort conservatives feel toward his candidacy."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08a57366708b0e62bfa9619a90b0eafbadab5ca249906af86f6
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08a57366708b0e62bfa9619a90b0eafbadab5ca249906af86f6

-PERRY'S COMEBACK BEGAN - Jonathan Martin and Ben Smith: "The intensely competitive Perry, frustrated with his decline in the polls, sought to mount a comeback the only way he knows: by punching harder. He was jarringly more alive than in his recent debate performances and his criticism of Romney's record became an attack on his rival's character. With a point-blank attack on Romney's 'hypocrisy' for hiring illegal immigrants, the Texan sent an unmistakable message that he won't go away with a whimper."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08aa45b97814a223094a96adbbe0d1adfec9135a69dc715891c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08aa45b97814a223094a96adbbe0d1adfec9135a69dc715891c

- "PERRY TAKES OFF THE GLOVES...BUT DOESN'T LAND A KNOCKOUT PUNCH" - ABC's Amy Walter: "Gone was the laconic and vaguely dazed Texas governor. In his place was a feisty candidate eager to engage frontrunner Mitt Romney. But, even as he took the gloves off, Perry didn't land any knockout punches - or even leave a bruise."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08a112c8a4c293d5e9905f48bae33377682ac17131d18efadd8
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08a112c8a4c293d5e9905f48bae33377682ac17131d18efadd8

-CAIN HAD A BAD NIGHT - Kathie Obradovich's column in The Des Moines Register: "Herman Cain's signature tax plan was sliced and diced into fruit salad during tonight's Republican presidential debate, but he somehow avoided looking like a sour lemon."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08ac55c838235bcff2a235cfe13671dda5560589c055a1d9782
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08ac55c838235bcff2a235cfe13671dda5560589c055a1d9782

-OUT OF HIS DEPTH ON FOREIGN POLICY - CAIN WALKS BACK COMMENT ON TRADING PRISONERS: "Cain said he made a mistake Tuesday when he said he could see himself negotiating with al-Qaeda if he were elected president," per CNN.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08a8d44962b8a4d0bb5195f9a351e5a66af5f8b8b89b5dadfce
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bccb5486a507b08a8d44962b8a4d0bb5195f9a351e5a66af5f8b8b89b5dadfce

-THE "SHARPEST EXCHANGE" WAS OVER IMMIGRATION - Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times: "Ignoring a question about healthcare, Perry attacked Romney by noting that the former Massachusetts governor once knowingly employed a landscaping service that hired illegal immigrants... 'The idea that you stand here before us and talk about that you're strong on immigration is, on its face, the height of hypocrisy,' Perry said to a mixture of boos and applause from the audience in a Venetian hotel ballroom. Romney denied the assertion, and when Perry rebutted, the two men began interrupting and speaking over each other, to Romney's growing anger and frustration."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6d97ab7bf3ab2a9d276bb3d05fea13b44a4aae1f678b91c23
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6d97ab7bf3ab2a9d276bb3d05fea13b44a4aae1f678b91c23

-LEFT SAYS DEBATE SHOWED ROMNEY'S LACK OF CONVICTION - THE DEMOCRATIC ATTACK ON ROMNEY: A Democratic Party official emailed Score overnight: "When pressed at the debate on his repeated hiring of illegal immigrants to tend to his mansion, Romney said he wouldn't have undocumented immigrants work for him because he was running for office-not because it was the wrong thing to do. Each anecdote reinforces the worst perceptions about Romney as someone who is convictionless and willing to say anything to improve his electoral chances."

- "THE MOST ACRIMONIOUS DEBATE" THIS YEAR - Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny on A1 of the New York Times: "It was the most acrimonious debate so far this year. Marked by raised voices, accusations of lying and acerbic and personal asides, it signaled the start of a tough new phase of the primary campaign a little more than two months before the first votes are cast."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6c9b2ccf311edb32cb97f7ffa64e57dc532ea8860af86eb4d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6c9b2ccf311edb32cb97f7ffa64e57dc532ea8860af86eb4d

-THE AP MOVED SEVEN FACT CHECKS: A total of ten Associated Press reporters were involved in fact checking Cain's claim that his 9-9-9 plan won't raise taxes on the poor, Perry's criticism of Romney for hiring illegal landscapers, Romney's attack on Perry for chairing Al Gore's Texas campaign, Santorum's attack on Perry for supporting bailouts, Bachmann's insistence that the Obama administration is starting to back away from Obamacare, Romney's assertion that 40% of Texas' new jobs went to illegals and Bachmann's attack on Obama for putting "daylight" between the U.S. and Israel for the first time. All compiled in one take:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6cd36f8d3151799431abb6e0ba67abcf0e713dfc7724ee440
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6cd36f8d3151799431abb6e0ba67abcf0e713dfc7724ee440

- BUZZY - WAYNE NEWTON BACKS ROMNEY AFTER DEBATE: "Mr. Las Vegas himself, Wayne Newton, told NBC he came in hoping to support Rick Perry, but the impeccably tanned crooner said he thought the Texas governor's attacks on Mitt Romney were 'mean-spirited' - and that Romney was a 'gentleman.' And now he'll back Romney."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a68e8b5124d265f98d99cb2f320bb22463140fa03288dc819b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a68e8b5124d265f98d99cb2f320bb22463140fa03288dc819b

-ATTENTION NOW SHIFTS TO THE EARLY STATES - Dan Balz's Take in the Washington Post: "Though Cain was pummeled over the details of his tax plan, the pointed exchanges between Romney and Perry signaled where many Republican strategists believe the race is heading: a showdown between the two men... Debates are important, but so are the other elements of presidential campaigns. And those will be on display more now. Romney remains in a strong position, but the fact that a considerable share of the GOP electorate isn't ready to vote for him keeps this contest alive and volatile as the next phase begins."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a68f8c881796e5a5b9e7c308c4e4e81346427d6504c931e02d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a68f8c881796e5a5b9e7c308c4e4e81346427d6504c931e02d

-WHAT CNN LEARNED-"Romney gave as good as he got...Rick Perry finally woke up...Rick Santorum's the fighter...Immigration questions not going away."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6c27bf5d81060eec28b7fe8f8c3b2086169f190d6443974e9
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6c27bf5d81060eec28b7fe8f8c3b2086169f190d6443974e9

-WHAT CBS LEARNED-WINNERS: Obama, Romney, Gingrich, Santorum; LOSERS: Cain, Bachmann, Huntsman; DRAW: Perry, Paul.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6739113540cb3ca4ca5a6ca147c7703b4b7d3991d22a1b439
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e1e2d37d4a6c2a6739113540cb3ca4ca5a6ca147c7703b4b7d3991d22a1b439

*** As McCain joins the boycott, Cain gets a Super PAC and Romney sells hats, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

HUNTSMAN'S BOYCOTT - HOW HIS NEW HAMPSHIRE EVENT WENT: The Union Leader gives Huntsman some love for boycotting last night's debate because of the Nevada primary and holding a town hall in Hopkinton instead. Reporting that there was "a standing-room-only crowd of about 250," the story notes: "While other candidates - businessman Herman Cain, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich - have joined Huntsman in boycotting the Nevada caucus after that state's officials set it for Jan. 14, Huntsman was the only major candidate who skipped Tuesday's debate in Nevada. He told the crowd - to raucous applause - that he would continue to ardently support New
Hampshire's place as the nation's first primary."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab5a947c561e2bdb957adc187212186cd3959aba0345f73d74
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab5a947c561e2bdb957adc187212186cd3959aba0345f73d74

MCCAIN JOINS NEVADA BOYCOTT - SAYS HE WOULD HAVE LOST NEW HAMPSHIRE IF PRIMARY HAD BEEN IN DECEMBER: "Leading Republicans, including 2008 presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, are endorsing a boycott of Nevada if it doesn't move its caucus to allow New Hampshire to conduct its primary in January," WMUR reports. "McCain went so far to say that he's not sure he would have won the New Hampshire primary twice if it were held in December... 'If I were a candidate today, I would certainly boycott Nevada without a doubt,' he said. 'I say that as a resident of a neighboring state.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab55eb49de28684be4b1fd54b65ac12601e26b948a4c62730d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab55eb49de28684be4b1fd54b65ac12601e26b948a4c62730d

EXCLUSIVE - RNC TO BLAST DEMS FOR STAYING SILENT ABOUT "ANTI-ISRAEL COMMENTS" REPORTED AT OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTS: Republican National Committee Communications Director Sean Spicer is sending a memo today about what he points to as "protestors' extreme anti-Semitic, anti-Israel comments" at "Occupy Wall Street" rallies. "While protestors are seen spewing hate against Jewish Americans, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz have declared their support for the demonstrations," Spicer writes. "Democrats were quick to single out any instances of perceived extremism among Tea Party supporters, but with Occupy Wall Street, they turn a blind eye."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab4771f5e841c93e5adf24a647f0b390fa49f0b9de8325bd47
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab4771f5e841c93e5adf24a647f0b390fa49f0b9de8325bd47

HUNTSMAN'S WSJ OP-ED - ATTACKS ROMNEY, OBAMA OVER "TOO BIG TO FAIL": "Today we can already see the outlines of the next financial crisis and bailouts," Jon Huntsman writes in today's Wall Street Journal. "Mitt Romney admitted as much at last week's debate in New Hampshire. While he gave lip service to opposing bailouts, when asked how we would avoid bailouts he offered no solutions other than implying he would participate in a bailout of Greece. The Obama and Romney plan appears to be to cross our fingers and hope no 'too big to fail' banks fail on their watch...We need banks that are small and simple enough to fail, not financial public utilities...Hedge funds and private equity funds go
out of business all the time when they make big mistakes, to the notice of few, because they are not too big to fail."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab8106f0488dc5e99d20149250a30b2f216161b4c218d2ab4a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab8106f0488dc5e99d20149250a30b2f216161b4c218d2ab4a

SPEAKING OF BAILOUTS - RON PAUL DROPPED A NEW AD DURING THE DEBATE: As candidates talked about TARP, the Paul campaign released a 60-second spotlight highlighting the Texas congressman's consistent opposition to bailouts. "Dan Hirschhorn reports the ad will start airing heavily in Iowa and New Hampshire starting Friday, with smaller buys in other states. It's Paul's fourth TV ad in the last month, part of $1 million-plus national and early-state buy." Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab06905d77667ba0674db8bc9fe6cb1d52e48b9f9a5f469c30
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab06905d77667ba0674db8bc9fe6cb1d52e48b9f9a5f469c30

ONE-WORD REACTIONS - VOTERS THINK OF ROMNEY AS A "MORMON" ABOVE ALL ELSE: A Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll out before the debate last night sheds light on the salience of the religious question to Romney's candidacy. More than 1,000 adults were asked to use one word to describe the former Massachusetts governor: "'Mormon' is by far the most commonly associated word with Romney, with others saying 'religion.' A distant second are references to health care with variants such as 'health program,' 'Massachusetts health care' or 'RomneyCare.'" Cool graphic:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dabc55af1ca2b06ea46c375134f95cdad586d229d44ea5c375f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dabc55af1ca2b06ea46c375134f95cdad586d229d44ea5c375f

CAIN GETS A SUPER PAC - LAUNCHED MINUTES BEFORE THE DEBATE: "Herman Cain on Tuesday night joined the club of GOP presidential aspirants with super PACs dedicated to boosting their candidacies," Ken Vogel scoops. "As with other candidates lacking big donor networks, though, it's unclear how effective the new group will be." The effort is being directed by a guy who until March 2010 worked for a direct mail firm that has been accused of over-charging campaigns:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dabb2a66a778a976db8f43bf9b906ea1e28a0a9fa50a2874ebf
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dabb2a66a778a976db8f43bf9b906ea1e28a0a9fa50a2874ebf

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE UP TO: Romney speaks at the Chamber of Commerce tonight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Gingrich hosts a town hall in Phoenix. Buddy Roemer files his paperwork to get on the New Hampshire ballot in Concord.

DAY 3 OF OBAMA'S BUS TOUR -

-PER WHITE HOUSE GUIDANCE: "On the third day of his American Jobs Act bus tour, the President will be in Virginia where he will discuss jobs and the economy. In the morning, the President and the First Lady will hold an event at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia where they will deliver remarks on the importance of hiring American veterans...In the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks at Fire Station 9 in North Chesterfield, Virginia where he will call on Congress to pass the American Jobs Act piece-by-piece, beginning with the proposal to provide funding to prevent teacher layoffs and hire police officers and firefighters...Later, the President will return to
Washington, DC."

-ROMNEY CAMPAIGN SELLING MAGICAL MISERY TOUR HATS TO BRACKET OBAMA: The Romney campaign will attack Obama during the Virginia phase of the bus tour for his push (which he is now moving away from) to get Congress to pass his full jobs plan. The thrust of their attack is that Democratic Sen. Jim Webb voted against it and said it was not smart policy. For a $30 donation, you can get a tie-dyed hat:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab44ea372cfd546d75a76226ed03f890c9532a7bba019f266b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dab44ea372cfd546d75a76226ed03f890c9532a7bba019f266b

HOUSE FUNDRAISING - DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS OUTRAISE REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS: Democrats want you to know they are playing OFFENSE, generating this analysis of Q3 finance reports (exclusive to Score) that shows Democratic CHALLENGERS against Republican Patriot Program members outraised Republican CHALLENGERS to Democratic Frontline members on average. The average Democrat challenging a Republican raised $207,160 while the average Republican challenging a Democrat raised $157,803. That's about one-third less. Republicans have some seats they will almost certainly lose after the midterm tidal wave, and Democrats in a lot of these places are raising enough early money to ensure they'll be
competitive. Here is a one-page document that looks at the highest-raising candidate against NRCC Patriots vis-a-vis DCCC Frontline members:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dabb5e0004b8cc6fcb66e88187d0d95d644d9acd0098834e1ca
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c1defc2c90ec8dabb5e0004b8cc6fcb66e88187d0d95d644d9acd0098834e1ca

WHAT SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE READING - BOB CASEY DENIES, THEN ADMITS HE'S AN OBAMA BUNDLER: Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey made a list of bundlers released by the president's campaign because he co-hosted a fundraiser in June. When the National Republican Senatorial Committee used it to attack Casey for his closeness to Obama, the freshman senator's spokesman vigorously denied it and mocked the NRSC for not being able to tell the difference between two people named Bob Casey. Then, in an embarrassing turn, the office had to eat crow and apologize when it turned out he was the bundler. The Morning Call removed its first post and wrote a second blog item about it:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=045398fa80ab20525bd5ee3121208756c59e63ee68d254bec9b45a20ec103f59
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=045398fa80ab20525bd5ee3121208756c59e63ee68d254bec9b45a20ec103f59 Watch for the NRSC to use this episode later today to attack Casey for being in the pocket of the president.

WHAT HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE READING - DOJ INVESTIGATING COMPLAINT AGAINST NRCC FINANCE CHAIR THAT THE FEC CLEARED HIM FOR: "The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating complaints that U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan broke campaign finance laws - the same allegations for which the Federal Elections Commission has already cleared the congressman after a two-year investigation," the Brandenton (Florida) Herald reports.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=045398fa80ab20529133fe2db4ddd11e0b9df5099bcc60c23144750c2ec25ce3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=045398fa80ab20529133fe2db4ddd11e0b9df5099bcc60c23144750c2ec25ce3

LAUNCHING POLITICO BOOKSHELF - A NEW PLACE TO BUY POLITICAL BOOKS: Find books by and about the 2012 players, check out titles from the left, right and center and get a laugh with the latest in political satire. Browse & Buy:
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CODA-QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Well, if I would have Googled her, I would have found out she had 6 chiefs of staff in 5 years." - Former Michele Bachmann campaign manager Ed Rollins trashing his ex-boss
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=045398fa80ab20521efda792c12a26101f9fdc6d7532317ae1d523083bd159d7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=045398fa80ab20521efda792c12a26101f9fdc6d7532317ae1d523083bd159d7

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