The Hill Articles: January 5, 2012

Mitt Romney stars in new comic book Cantor reveals kindred tweeters Santorum booed for his positions on same-sex marriage, legal pot Home builders, mortgage bankers back Fed’s proposals DeMint’s Senate PAC sinks $210,000 into ads boosting Nebraska conservative Obama takes 2012 risk by ending Pentagon’s two-war strategy Rasmussen poll: Santorum surges to second place nationally Romney is ‘center to center left,’ says GOP freshman Rep. West Job cuts drop to lowest level in six months, still higher than last year Obama, Dempsey: Military was due for change — even without budget cuts DAY’S END ROUNDUP Airports hope FAA bill takes flight when lawmakers return Gingrich surrogates suggest Romney would lose to Obama App downloads top 1 billion per week DOD again revises estimate of long-term Budget Control Act cuts Top Maine lawmaker seeks rematch with Michaud Huntsman calls nuclear Iran the ‘transcendent threat of this decade’ Twitter, Facebook, Google endorse alternate online piracy bill Santorum receives endorsement from Catholic advocacy group Obama acting like a dictator or king, suggests angered GOP lawmaker Study: Romney tax plan would add to deficit Michele Bachmann and the glass ceiling of American politics MoveOn ad in NH blames Romney for layoff of steel worker Christie Vilsack has another huge fundraising quarter Obama’s extraconstitutional NLRB appointments Pelosi backs Obama’s recess appointments Defense hawks in Congress wary of president’s military shift Energy Department, DHS working with industry to prevent cyber attacks A long-term strategy for US national security Scathing parodies skewer rivals in pro-Paul PAC ad FCC report finds community radio doesn’t hurt commercial stations Schumer: ‘I’m going to lead fight’ on commuter tax break Poll: Romney slips, still leads GOP field in New Hampshire House Dems hammer GOP on jobs CIA, DOD probing whether bin Laden secrets were leaked Gov. Pataki endorses Altschuler’s House bid against Bishop DCCC hits Republicans for healthcare focus Ethics watchdog alleges that Gingrich might have violated lobbying laws Bon Jovi helps White House launch summer jobs initiative Scott Walker, undaunted by recall, urges governors to cut state budgets boldly Poll: Santorum gets bump in New Hampshire Schumer pushes for commuter tax extension Kelsey Grammer says Mitt Romney would ‘probably do a pretty good job’ Kelsey Grammer says Mitt Romney would ‘probably do a pretty good job’ Mortgage rates continue their slide Defense Secretary Panetta: Obama’s involvement in strategy ‘unprecedented’ FCC chairman shuffles senior staff Lawyers, courts see weaknesses in defense of Obama’s healthcare law Santorum: Obama’s healthcare law a scheme to get Democrats reelected Huckabee to campaign for Missouri House candidate White House confident recess appointments were constitutional Paul: Obama ‘must be called to account’ over recess appointments Sen. Scott Brown praises Obama for recess appointment Huntsman to Paul: I owe you a tweet Dem poll: Stabenow leads by double digits in Michigan GM modifying Volt amid concerns about battery fires Ed Rendell: Santorum ‘enormously effective’ at getting earmarks as Pa. senator Palin to appear at CPAC after four-year absence, will deliver keynote Report says global climate deal hinges on Obama reelection Obama puts imprint on Pentagon In farewell speech, Haley Barbour pushes for online sales tax Obama on defense strategy: ‘Our military will be leaner’ Sen. Brown: Gingrich ‘pandering to the right-wing extreme’ Bon Jovi fans should be on high alert: star may be stopping by White House US ethanol makes history by sacrificing a subsidy Service sector expands at a faster pace in December Gingrich directly attacks Romney in latest commercial Paul raises $13 million since September Obama announces new military strategy New consumer chief says agency’s work will vindicate its creation Dodd says online piracy debate is ‘breakthrough’ Sen. Grassley pushing for recess appointment explanation Rick Perry: Mitt Romney’s poodle RFK grandson forming exploratory committee for Barney Frank seat Free trade can bring change to North Korea Romney attacks Obama’s NLRB appointments in South Carolina ad News bites: Kodak prepares for bankruptcy Santorum: ‘Get rid of’ Medicare agency McCain blasts Obama recess appointments as ‘abuse of power’ GOP leader Cantor to take delegation to France, Middle East Romney ad: Obama appointees to NLRB are ‘union stooges’ Job figures point to strengthening economy The reality of the American home dream News bites: Chicken, beer and a flight Rick Perry does the right thing. It’s all about South Carolina now. Santorum says Senate should sue over Obama appointments CDC official: More study of gas drilling’s health effects needed European rival EADS — not Boeing — will have Wichita presence come 2014 RNC launches opposition research Tumblr account McCain defends Romney, warns Gingrich ‘to be careful about being too angry’ News bites: New challengers could be added in Supreme Court case Betting company refunds on Santorum Iowa wagers Cain bus tour to promote 9-9-9 tax plan News bites: Not so mobile Power regulator heads to prominent law and lobbying shop Santorum denies making a racial comment on welfare Rep. Giffords to attend Tucson vigil marking anniversary of shooting News bites: Iran and oil Panetta, Obama to unveil defense strategy review at Pentagon President Obama starts new year with sweet pitch to his liberal base MORNING READ Obama to launch summer-jobs initiative