Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: Perry's last stand in Iowa--Romney still gets Bain payouts--Gingrich hires political director--Emily's List endorses Bysiewicz--DCCC attacks Republican who oppose payroll compromise--Family Leader meets on endorsement today
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:08:43 -0600

By James Hohmann (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] ; Twitter: @jameshohmann)

DECORAH, Iowa-Greetings from Rick Perry's bus tour. The Texas governor has a moment of opportunity here as Newt Gingrich fades, but we don't get any sense of real momentum. Our story this morning looks at the uphill climb Perry faces in his quest for a comeback:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bd0f679f91405fc2ada4827ef73e06c94463bb05d568bd893bb17c005b18e00e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bd0f679f91405fc2ada4827ef73e06c94463bb05d568bd893bb17c005b18e00e .

The latest Iowa numbers, published overnight, put Ron Paul narrowly in the lead.Public Policy Polling has Paul holding around 23 percent, Mitt Romney improving slightly to 20 and Gingrich slipping to 14. Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann and Perry tie at 10 points each. Democratic pollster Tom Jensen's analysis:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8ad190f75a73c67af7fecc7d51a782e60cfc4d95b3653cb52ea2f1907a258425 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8ad190f75a73c67af7fecc7d51a782e60cfc4d95b3653cb52ea2f1907a258425 .

Paul's lead, however narrow, puts some pressure on the second-tier candidates to attack him. Following Bachmann around northwestern Iowa Saturday, we were struck by how much - and with no prompting - she attacked Paul for his stance on Iran. It was striking how many people at Bachmann events quite like the libertarian, admiring his opposition to abortion, and how many on the ground actually believe he could win the Jan. 3 caucuses.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c852cd05e1211a90e30b09657b622fd097e8d4364fd07e58ba41ab0a586932aa 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c852cd05e1211a90e30b09657b622fd097e8d4364fd07e58ba41ab0a586932aa .

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE UP TO THIS WEEK:Retail is finally becoming king. Gingrich stumps in Iowa today and stays through Wednesday, when he'll fly to New Hampshire. Romney is in New York City to do Letterman's Top 10 tonight and Morning Joe tomorrow, but he'll spend Tuesday through Friday on a bus tour around the Granite State. Perry and Bachmann continue their own bus tours around Iowa. Santorum continues to be ubiquitous here, with three events today. Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman kick off the week in New Hampshire. Here's a detailed calendar:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c348f88590205c159109f8e5269f33436eb705729f553d1683376ab6bf435f7b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c348f88590205c159109f8e5269f33436eb705729f553d1683376ab6bf435f7b .

** As Perry and Romney face questions about their income, an evangelical group meets today to ponder an endorsement and EMILY's List endorses the DSCC's non-preferred candidate in Connecticut, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

THE STAKES - FIVE QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Your Morning Score correspondent sincerely apologizes for this email's tardiness. It was a late night, and the time zone cost us another hour. With two weeks until Iowa caucuses and no debates left, we have these questions for the week ahead:

(1) Will the Family Leader endorse someone besides Gingrich?

(2) To what extent will non-robopolls substantiate PPP's latest finding that Gingrich is sinking fast in Iowa?

(3) Does Kim Jong Il's death dominate more than one news cycle?

(4) Is Romney's emphasis on his off-camera, family-man side doing anything for his personal favorability numbers?"

(5) Will Newt Gingrich respond in any way to the conservative establishment backlash against his rhetoric on federal judges?

TOP TALKER - "BUYOUT PROFITS KEEP FLOWING TO ROMNEY":The front page of today's New York Times has a triple-bylined story that offers fodder to Romney opponents trying to remind voters of his ties to private equity. "In what would be the final deal of his private equity career, he negotiated a retirement agreement with his former partners that has paid him a share of Bain's profits ever since, bringing the Romney family millions of dollars in income each year and bolstering the fortune that has helped finance Mr. Romney's political aspirations," the story says. "The arrangement allowed Mr. Romney to pursue his career in public life while enjoying much of the financial upside of being a Bain
 partner as the company grew into a global investing behemoth... Moreover, much of his income from the arrangement has probably qualified for a lower tax rate than ordinary income under a tax provision favorable to hedge fund and private equity managers."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fdea7cd3b0ec9b16c6b8f8883be8b632a3b21f3e3cffc946e96940fc362724b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fdea7cd3b0ec9b16c6b8f8883be8b632a3b21f3e3cffc946e96940fc362724b 

GLASS HOUSE - PERRY'S PENSION COULD DOG HIM IF HE GETS TRACTION:Perry stepped up his attacks on Romney as a creature of Wall Street this weekend, but the Texas Tribune's Jay Root writes that he "sparked a wave of criticism, and some unanswered questions, after filing paperwork [last] week revealing that he is collecting both a salary and a pension from the state of Texas." More: "[He] disclosed to the Federal Election Commission Thursday that he was earning a gross monthly retirement annuity of $7,698, or about $92,000 a year. Aides said the governor officially retired as a state employee in January but continues to draw his $150,000-a-year salary, and he expects to retire again with a
 higher pension as a member of the 'elected class' when he leaves office. Aides cited an obscure provision of the Texas Government Code, chapter 813.503, that they say allows him to legally draw full-time pay and then retire twice."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5a64fbbf24d1034b4edb30a356bee64f01ebfc5b6cde93dfc59d61869a8d6cf4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5a64fbbf24d1034b4edb30a356bee64f01ebfc5b6cde93dfc59d61869a8d6cf4 

ENDORSEMENTS - KIRK BACKS ROMNEY:Freshman Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk will endorse Romney today. This comes after the Des Moines Register, the Oklahoman and the Portsmouth Herald editorial pages backed the former Massachusetts governor this weekend. Bob Dole came out for Mitt in an that ran in Sunday's Register. The Register's editorial:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=835822b9618b37832d0619ff697646198155961f966ec54e40de62e873fe8c79 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=835822b9618b37832d0619ff697646198155961f966ec54e40de62e873fe8c79 . The Chicago Tribune on Kirk:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ca7dc5e4aa05e69f9b9c0c788db225dd89de425b876133fae053d7e4d48d779c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ca7dc5e4aa05e69f9b9c0c788db225dd89de425b876133fae053d7e4d48d779c .

STAFFING UP - GINGRICH HIRES A POLITICAL DIRECTOR:Martin Baker starts work for Gingrich today, Jonathan Martin scoops. The well-respected operative is taking a leave from the direct mail firm he founded in 2007. He&#39;s well-connected in the close-knit operative world, having previously done stints at the NRCC, as Chief of Staff for Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and on campaigns in West Virginia, Virginia and Florida.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5edbc9152f8e332ee1523a5ab3f3a9246bec6dafa66d69d933fa0c6375d02722 
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SOUTH CAROLINA TALKER - GINGRICH HAS MORE PAID STAFF THAN ROMNEY:"Palmetto State GOP insiders seem to agree that Romney has not laid enough political groundwork in the state should he need to a strong showing in the January 21 primary," CNN's Peter Hamby reports. "Romney has just three paid staffers in the state and one campaign office in West Columbia. Gingrich, who leads Romney by a wide margin in the most recent polls, has five offices in the state and 12 paid staffers. Haley gave Romney a coveted endorsement, but she was elected in 2010 without any sort of political machine that can now be handed over to Romney. The South Carolina donor community has also complained privately about
 Romney&#39;s hands-off approach to the state."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7904da9c2043b1f0b3ee2827064930f54a18e02f8924d3cf276c4e5f93ed3f0d 
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IS JOHN MARSHALL ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE? - GINGRICH WOULD DEFY SUPREME COURT RULINGS HE DIDN'T LIKE:"Newt Gingrich says as president he would ignore Supreme Court decisions that conflicted with his powers as commander in chief, and he would press for impeaching judges or even abolishing certain courts if he disagreed with their rulings," the LA Times reports. 'I&#39;m fed up with elitist judges' who seek to impose their 'radically un-American' views, he said in a Saturday conference call.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6314fa01cbad5397c07f44a5e3ce4031a140fd17f96a3e08bf277e36c29c9803 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6314fa01cbad5397c07f44a5e3ce4031a140fd17f96a3e08bf277e36c29c9803 

UNDISCIPLINED? - NEWT'S WAR ON COURTS FRIGHTENS ESTABLISHMENT:It's hard to overstate how uneasy some of these comments are making many of our right-leaning friends with jurisprudential backgrounds. There is palpable outrage that, in their view, Gingrich apparently thinks you don't need to believe in Article III of the Constitution to call yourself a Constitutional Conservative...From USA Today: Inhis CBS appearance Sunday, "Gingrich brushed off concerns raised by Michael Mukasey, a former federal judge and attorney general in the administration of President George W. Bush, who during an interview with Fox News called Gingrich&#39;s plan 'dangerous, ridiculous, totally irresponsible,
 outrageous, off-the-wall and would reduce the entire judicial system to a spectacle.' 'I think many lawyers will find this a very frightening idea,' Gingrich said. 'They&#39;ve had this run of 50 years of pretending judges are supreme, that they can&#39;t be challenged.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a63e98df49ad281f4b4a63fd29c9b03fd3d06768a4e762bec2c71d699dd1d6e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9a63e98df49ad281f4b4a63fd29c9b03fd3d06768a4e762bec2c71d699dd1d6e .

NOT A HELPFUL HEADLINE - FROM TODAY'S WSJ: "Gingrich vs. Courts Echoes South&#39;s Criticism of 1950s Segregation Decisions." This is the lead of their NEWS story: "In his call to rein in the judiciary, Newt Gingrich has gone further than any major candidate in recent memory, with scalding rhetoric rarely heard since the 1950s and &#39;60s, when Southern politicians claimed the Supreme Court exceeded its authority to order the end of segregation."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8ee51491401fcbe199f887bcf1977ff1c78d8a90b22355b18cea748f365a9879 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8ee51491401fcbe199f887bcf1977ff1c78d8a90b22355b18cea748f365a9879 

EVANGELICALS DIVIDED - FAMILY LEADER MEETING TODAY TO TALK ENDORSEMENT:Reuters reports that"the Family Leader, one of the state&#39;s most influential evangelical groups, is in intense debate about whether to back Gingrich...One influential Christian conservative in Iowa said group leader Bob Vander Plaats...is facing opposition from members for his support for Gingrich. 'Bob wants to go with Gingrich,' the source said. 'Too many supporters around him think that&#39;s utter madness. So they may go their separate ways.' ... Gingrich lent significant financial backing to a 2010 effort in Iowa, led by the group leader, which wound up with three Iowa Supreme Court justices voted off the court
 in a fight over gay marriage. The group failed to resolve their differences over Gingrich at a meeting Friday and will meet again Monday. Julie Summa, a spokeswoman for The Family Leader, said that an announcement on an endorsement would come early in the week."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4eafcfd19397808a9dffa55f885940975027885df0e258700efc2b5f7e431a7d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4eafcfd19397808a9dffa55f885940975027885df0e258700efc2b5f7e431a7d 

THE MORMON CARD:Vander Plaats told The Washington Post's Jason Horowitz for a separate story on where evangelical support is going: "If you are an elder in the Mormon Church and have been part of the Mormon faith for all your life, why not just speak openly about it, about what it is?" he said. By failing to do so, Romney created the impression that "like, yeah, you're hiding something."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7dec07df47f7400aabdd3f41ebab62289cbce6e55ba1738ed6d2b6f862953b7b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7dec07df47f7400aabdd3f41ebab62289cbce6e55ba1738ed6d2b6f862953b7b 

INFLUENTIAL IOWA PASTOR PICKS SANTORUM OVER BACHMANN:"The Rev. Albert Calaway, a retired Assemblies of God minister who lives in Indianola, [this weekend] endorsed Santorum - but said he'd like to see Bachmann as the vice presidential nominee," The Des Moines Register's Jennifer Jacobs writes. "There's absolutely, positively no divine power vested in me for this, but if I had it, I'd personally love to pronounce Rick and Michele as lawfully wedded running mates," Calaway told the paper. He is president of Truth, Values and Leadership, an organization that serves about 200 Iowa churches and pastors.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ba6f0a95263a945bf511199d24df177665f5aff81bd4d27ec7f46a7738782433 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ba6f0a95263a945bf511199d24df177665f5aff81bd4d27ec7f46a7738782433 

GAY MARRIAGE - BACHMANN CALLS KINSEY REPORT A "MYTH":At a meet-and-greet in Clarion yesterday, Michele and Marcus Bachmann mixed it up with a Democrat who told them that 10 percent of the population is gay. "And if you have 28 children, then 2.8 of those kids are very likely gay," the woman told her, per CNN. "'Well, that&#39;s according to the Kinsey Report,' the candidate replied. Dr. Alfred Kinsey is best known for conducting interviews with thousands of individuals and publishing his findings in books on human sexual behavior during the 1940s and &#39;50s. Bachmann&#39;s husband, who runs a clinic in their district in Minnesota that has long been accused of conducting 'reparative
 therapy' by trying to help gay individuals become straight, then chimed in. 'Your facts are wrong,' he said. 'That&#39;s not valid?' Schnell asked back. 'No it isn&#39;t,' Michele Bachmann said. Her husband added, 'No, it&#39;s not at all. It&#39;s been a myth for many years.'" CNN:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9eac2a8f50471fdcaa1da9fe99aebee0cac9c985694151663ef06271d25ca1c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d9eac2a8f50471fdcaa1da9fe99aebee0cac9c985694151663ef06271d25ca1c .

Protestors at the Pizza Ranch also wavedrainbow flags and signs "to draw attention to what they say are a high number of LGBT suicides in Bachmann&#39;s Minnesota congressional district," per the LA Times:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4fb1c3c1a8438fce58fc2e5d221c4b19763f5417a39e526abc00ada41cf99133 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4fb1c3c1a8438fce58fc2e5d221c4b19763f5417a39e526abc00ada41cf99133 .

BISEXUAL GIRL CONFONTS PERRY:Meanwhile, in Decorah, an openly bisexual 14-year-old 'incensed' over Perry&#39;s criticism of gays openly serving in the military confronted him over claims he makes in his "war on religion" ad. "This is about my faith, and I happen to think that there are a whole host of sins - homosexuality being one of them," Perry told her. And I&#39;m a sinner. And so I&#39;m not going to be the first one to throw a stone but...I don&#39;t agree that openly gays should be serving in the military." More from Perry's answer to the girl:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1a657ac2baaff73138689521be6244d2c144e6938668af8528f459a6171d0021 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1a657ac2baaff73138689521be6244d2c144e6938668af8528f459a6171d0021 .

OUT THIS MORNING - ROMNEY CAMP HITS GINGRICH FOR DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM FREDDIE:The campaign will send a press release this morning that again accuses the former House speaker of changing his story about the work he did for the embattled lender. The latest iteration is Gingrich's claim on CBS Sunday that he did not "personally" get the money and that his "share" was "relatively small." Spokeswoman Andrea Saul calls this "another example of his unreliable leadership and represents the kind of Washington political games that Americans are fed up with." Campaigning over the weekend, Romney insinuated that Gingrich worked as a lobbyist - even if he technically didn't. 'I&#39;m going to let the
 lawyers decide what is and what is not lobbying. But, you know, when it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, typically it's a duck,' he said in South Carolina while campaigning with Gov. Nikki Haley:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55d6538ce67eee9ca102afb706f09bc70ed801653e0d81a206e5141eb0e62c2 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55d6538ce67eee9ca102afb706f09bc70ed801653e0d81a206e5141eb0e62c2 . Bachmann also hit Gingrich on Freddie while campaigning yesterday:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b4c688efa241671f3b433866340808810734f58ac8e5374a421dddc6e6d73b49 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b4c688efa241671f3b433866340808810734f58ac8e5374a421dddc6e6d73b49 .

ROMNEY GLASNOT, CONT. - ROMNEY SKATES THROUGH SUNDAY SITDOWN:"After avoiding Sunday morning interview shows for nearly two years, Mitt Romney spent half an hour with 'Fox News Sunday' host Chris Wallace largely repeating his campaign talking points and mini-stump speeches," per Reid Epstein. "Wallace, who provided the toughest moment for Romney of Thursday's Sioux City GOP debate when he charged the former Massachusetts governor with flip-flopping on gay rights and abortion, avoided such confrontations during the interview taped Saturday in Charleston, S.C. Instead, Wallace allowed Romney free reign to discuss his economic policies, his personal life and - without inquiring about specifics
 - his differences with" Gingrich."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0828ecf1bd7030b46e42544afa378c761ca830f53ead9462e117f4182ffd6846 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0828ecf1bd7030b46e42544afa378c761ca830f53ead9462e117f4182ffd6846 

HELPFUL UNION LEADER HEADLINE - "HUNTSMAN'S TAX PROPOSAL GETS THINK TANK'S HIGHEST GRADE":"The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, said Huntsman's plan rated a B+ grade for its 'wipe the slate clean' approach to tax expenditures...Huntsman, who moved his campaign headquarters to New Hampshire, has already been lauded by The Wall Street Journal and several other publications and think tanks for his tax plan."Gingrich, the paper's preferred candidate, received a C+ in the study. That is mentioned in the SIXTH paragraph:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6f7a76de67f8b18847fb9a74ced65e544e38888fc9f16874c7a6f886610b0dde 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6f7a76de67f8b18847fb9a74ced65e544e38888fc9f16874c7a6f886610b0dde .

SNIPING ON THE SUNDAY SHOWS - IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

On NBC,Bachmann continued her back-and-forth with Gingrich from Thursday's debate: 'My facts aren&#39;t wrong. It&#39;s just that he&#39;s memory challenged...What he said sounded very condescending. It sounded like he was talking down to me as if I were one of his students. I am not one of his students. I am a serious candidate for the presidency."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2abc97f9136e831476c796f8a94a7ea98ff1efff0f25c1ada79a2b43a7998487 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2abc97f9136e831476c796f8a94a7ea98ff1efff0f25c1ada79a2b43a7998487 

On CNN,Huntsman attacked Romney's position on Chinese currency manipulation: "This speaks to somebody who clearly doesn&#39;t have any experience in dealing with the Chinese, because if you had any experience with the Chinese, you would know that it is a relationship these days based on what they like to say is reciprocity."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3a0c1a25de9a3770c6f37fc1bf92493f6dd152316a190999714bea845a70093c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3a0c1a25de9a3770c6f37fc1bf92493f6dd152316a190999714bea845a70093c 

WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS UP TO: He'll be at the White House meeting with advisers (undoubtedly on North Korea) but has no public events scheduled.

PAYROLL POLITICS - DCCC SLAMS 70+ REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED AGAINST COMPROMISE:Late Sunday, after House Republicans and Speaker Boehner came out against the Senate payroll tax agreement that drew 39 Republican votes, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel made individual statements in the districts of over 70 House Republicans. His attack that they are raising taxes on 160 million Americans by an average of $1,000 a year represents the first time this year that Israel has taken on individual members directly in their districts like this. Starting today, the DCCC also plans to launch a campaign of automated phone calls in 20 targeted districts, online advertising and a new grassroots action website calling
 on targeted House Republicans to "stop the Tea Party from forcing this middle class tax increase."

SNEAK PEEK - EMILY'S LIST ENDORSES BYSIEWICZ IN CONNECTICUT PRIMARY:The group will announce today that they are fully endorsing Connecticut Senate candidate Susan Bysiewicz. This is significant because the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has made clear that they back Rep. Chris Murphy in the primary battle between the two. The DSCC has talked a lot about its batch of women candidates, but in this instance they are at odds with an influential women's group. "2012 is an historic year for Democratic women running for Senate and EMILY's List is thrilled to have another strong woman to support," Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY's List, says in a forthcoming statement of the former
 secretary of state.

FIRST IN SCORE - PLANNED PARENTHOOD THROWING FULL SUPPORT BEHIND BALDWIN:The Planned Parenthood Action Fund will announce its endorsement of Tammy Baldwin for Senate in Wisconsin late Monday afternoon. Cecile Richards, who runs the fund, touts her long-term and reliable support for abortion rights in the House. The group will designate Baldwin a "CHAMP" on their "Women are Watching" website:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a8fd29c9b7b12b10e0e39b68a16466cd3ebcd4b15700c9af0034fc5a9140298 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6a8fd29c9b7b12b10e0e39b68a16466cd3ebcd4b15700c9af0034fc5a9140298 .

FIRST LOOK - MISSOURI GOP HITS MCCASKILL ON EARMARKS:The Missouri Republican Party is launching their second "Chameleon Claire" web video this morning. The focus of the 53-second video is "McCaskill's flip-flop on earmarks." Senate candidate John Brunner hit on this same theme last week. Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d94c85547bb7e18f61a77ee3336edc6b7ec636eae8607388e6f5969115336139 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d94c85547bb7e18f61a77ee3336edc6b7ec636eae8607388e6f5969115336139 .

NEBRASKA SENATE - NRSC SLAMS NELSON IN NEW WEB AD:To commemorate the two-year anniversary of the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback," the National Republican Senatorial Committee is putting out a minute-long web video attacking Sen. Ben Nelson. The vulnerable Democrat has telegraphed that he might announce his future plans over the holidays, and the GOP is trying to keep the pressure ratcheted up by reminding voters that he offered a key 60th vote for a critical procedural vote that allowed President Obama's health care law to pass.

Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1049e54994ef4ccd65dc75268a0a65ad4a49c4f8343ef7a6caad91e12bfec40f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1049e54994ef4ccd65dc75268a0a65ad4a49c4f8343ef7a6caad91e12bfec40f .

KENTUCKY HOUSE - WEBB-EDGINGTON ANNOUNCES RUN FOR DAVIS' SEAT: State Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington is announcing this morning that she will run to fill the seat opened by the surprise retirement of Congressman Geoff Davis in Kentucky's fourth district. Read her press release:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e75eb7bb416cab1ee6e967330c90402cf8fb980f2506a0178fd0831e82651dcb 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e75eb7bb416cab1ee6e967330c90402cf8fb980f2506a0178fd0831e82651dcb .

INDIANA - DEM STATE CHAIR NOT RESIGNING AFTER ALL:"Indiana Democrats gathered Saturday morning expecting to replace Dan Parker as their state chairman. Four tumultuous hours later, they had decided he would stay in the post," the Evansville Courier and Post reports. "It was a move that blocked an intraparty squabble between factions that have been at odds for years, and means Parker, who has held the post for seven years, is set to remain chairman until his term expires in March 2013. The sequence of events that led to Parker keeping the job boil down to this: The clear options were Parker or Joel Miller, a man supported by a Marion County contingency that takes issue with the state party's
 leadership. The statewide candidates and Parker's allies chose him."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1cac2800f9103a96153e49fb8df223e472a6b8b3757447b429426264a7f136fc 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1cac2800f9103a96153e49fb8df223e472a6b8b3757447b429426264a7f136fc 

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY:"He has all the characteristics of the type of person I would bring forward." - Rick Perry, responding to a voter who asked whether he'd consider appointing Herman Cain as Secretary of Defense.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1ed16a6eb4b007e9ef77210c9631f7e30a7723cba6f22dbe49655308895d1d7c 
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