Roll Call writes that John Boehner made at least one call on behalf of Maria Cino for RNC chair: “Boehner, a friend of Cino’s at least since she ran the National Republican Congressional Committee in the mid-1990s, previously said he wouldn’t endorse a candidate for RNC chairman.”

Former Bush official Bradley Blakeman has an op-ed on FoxNews.com with this headline: “Steele Does Not Have the Mettle To Remain As RNC Chair.” He writes, “Whoever is elected, one thing is sure and that is the RNC needs to re-group. The Party needs a top to bottom shake-up in staffing, financing, direction, purpose and leadership.”

The New York Times looks at life for Dick Cheney now. Cheney participated in a fundraiser for RNC chair candidate Maria Cino. “But for the most part, Mr. Cheney, 69, has put aside his public role as the fiery, combative political figure of the last two years, who seemed to relish every opportunity to engage in verbal jousting with President Obama… [F]amily members and friends paint a portrait of a man less focused on the day-to-day back-and-forth in Washington and one more interested in documenting his years of service in a memoir and navigating life with his new pump… Mr. Cheney, who has participated in some of the nation’s toughest decisions for decades, now faces a crucial one of his own: whether to seek a full heart transplant.” More: “But in the meantime, Mr. Cheney has begun resuming his old activities. Besides the Cino fund-raiser, he attended a round of holiday parties in Washington -- leaving whispers in his trail about his weight loss.”

DANIELS: The New York Times economic columnist David Leonhardt has a Q&A with Daniels and points out what he calls two “blemishes” on the Indiana governors’ fiscal record, including what he called his failure to “prevent the Bush administration from turning a big surplus into a huge deficit — not just through the [Iraq] war, but through tax cuts and other policies, too,” while Daniels served as George W. Bush’s budget director. “If he runs for president, that question deserves to be a big part of the vetting of Mr. Daniels by the media, his opponents and the voters.”

DEMINT: “[T]here’s one conservative who, oddly enough, has been withholding judgment on the 2012 crop. That’s South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint,” writes Christian Heinze of GOP12 and The Hill. “What makes his optimism particularly striking is his famed dissatisfaction with candidates who either strike him as insufficiently conservative or lacking the personal moral values to frame a strong career in public service. For example, he told Bloomberg News last year that it would be ‘bothersome to me just personally’ to have a gay in the White House and also told the magazine World that he was ‘just going to have to create pain’ for Republican colleagues who didn’t adhere to what he viewed as fundamental conservatism.”

PENCE: “Dozens of prominent conservatives are scheduled to gather this weekend at the swanky Sanctuary Hotel resort on Kiawah Island in South Carolina, where Indiana Republican Rep. Mike Pence will keynote the invitation-only Awakening Conference’s annual black tie dinner,” Politico reports. “Pence joins a parade of other potential GOP 2012 hopefuls who have previously addressed the conference, now held in a key early primary state: Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Jim DeMint and Mitt Romney have all appeared at the gathering at some point in its 16-year history.”

SANTORUM: The first intra-candidate fight might be breaking out. The Hill reports that potential 2012 hopeful, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) criticized Mitt Romney on health care. "I think it's hard to see a path for him given the 'Obamacare' issue," Santorum said, noting the similarities between the healthcare plan championed by Romney and the one enacted by congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Obama last year. "It's just hard for me to see how he gets past that [in a Republican primary]."

And in an interview with National Journal, Santorum also took shots at Romney, as well as Sarah Palin: “I like her a lot, but I’m not too sure that … ,” said Santorum in the interview. He paused before restating his response. “Let’s put it this way: I’m not waiting for her to decide whether I’m running for president," he continued. "So, to me, she’s certainly been a net plus to Republican efforts. She was a huge factor in the last election, to me mostly to the good, maybe not all to the good. But 90 percent is pretty good.” More: “Asked directly if Palin is qualified to be president, Santorum responded: ‘What does it mean to be qualified to be president? She is born in this country and she’s the right age. Those are the qualifications.’”

A few liberal bloggers made their thoughts known on President Obama's potential appointment of Bill Daley as his next chief of staff.

"Some blogs are going to explode," predicted Balloon Juice's mistermix, although he wonders more about his Washington D.C. credentials than his past resume.

Putting aside his ideology, which I assume would take a back seat to Obama’s goals, I wonder about the wisdom of appointing a CoS who has slight acquaintance with Congress, since wrestling with Congress is going to be the main job of most of the White House apparatus.

At Daily Kos, Joan McCarter quoted a New York Times article about liberals' reaction to Daley: "A decision to bring Mr. Daley into the heart of the administration could further annoy Mr. Obama’s liberal base, who frequently accused [Rahm] Emanuel of encouraging the president to compromise on liberal principles to achieve legislative goals."

Yes, it would. Because, a) investment bankers really just haven't had enough influence in our country's governance in the last decade; and b) anyone who thinks health insurance reform modeled on Mitt Romney's Massachussetts plan and negotiated with every major player in the healthcare industry is a liberal overreach might just be a tad out of touch with the Democratic base. And the majority of Democratic law-makers. And the large chunk of Americans who basically support the health insurance reform bill and think it wasn't liberal enough.

Later in the day, McCarter updates her post to reflect a quote from an April Wall Street Journal article that said Daley, then an executive at J.P. Morgan, told then-Chief of Staff Emanuel that his boss, Jamie Dimon, did not believe a new consumer financial-protection agency was necessary because he believed "sufficient consumer safeguards were already on the books."

McCarter responded:

This escalates Daley to beyond mere hippie-punching. It makes Obama look like some kind of masochist--this guy has engaged in Obama-punching, attacking two of the keystone efforts in the first two years of his administration. Strange.

The left-leaning Huffington Post, who originally brought up the Wall Street Journal article, observed:

It's conceivable that Daley was merely passing along JP Morgan header Jamie Dimon's beliefs. Not his own.

That said, the potential appointment of someone who was sour on the major elements of the president's domestic legislation to the top-ranking presidential position creates some uncomfortable optics. So too does Daley's position, from 2005 through 2007, as a co-chair of the Chamber of Commerce's "Commission on the Regulation of Capital Markets in the 21st Century" -- a committee that played a role lobbying on derivatives regulation and consumer protections -- as well as the fact that JPMorgan Chase, where he served as an executive, had a $30 billion subprime mortgage business.

The administration, in the end, may feel like Daley's expertise as a manager and his close ties to Wall Street are assets too valuable to let go. But the questions about policy frictions and the negative press that an appointment will engender seem likely to compete with, if not outnumber, the positive stories about Daley's capacity for the job.

From NBC's Ken Strickland
When the 112th session of the Senate begins tomorrow morning, Democrats' first order of legislative business will be an effort to change the Senate rules, limiting the minority party’s ability to filibuster or block legislation.

But Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is reminding Democrats they fought this fight before, almost 15 years to the day, and lost soundly.

In a op-ed written for Wednesday's Washington Post, McConnell recalls the first vote of the 104th Congress on January 5, 1995. It was a bill offered by Democratic Sen.Tom Harkin that would have allowed a simple majority of 51 votes to break a filibuster instead of the 60 this is required under current Senate rules.

That proposal failed by a vote of 76-19.

When the vote was taken in 1995, Republicans had just regained the majority for the first time in 40 years. In the short term, it would have been advantageous for the newly empowered Republicans to support the rule change, thus giving the GOP an extraordinary opportunity to push their agenda without a threat of a Democratic filibuster.

But every Republican voted against it.

"What every Republican senator, and many Democratic senators, realized at the time was that any attempt by a sitting majority to grasp at power would come back to haunt us," McConnell writes. "Even worse, any rule change aimed at making it easier for one party to force legislation through the Senate with only a slim partisan majority would undermine the Senate's unique role as a moderating influence and put a permanent end to bipartisanship."

Of the Democrats who voted with Republicans back in 1995, ten are still serving: Majority Leader Harry Reid, Daniel Akaka, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Dianne Feinstein, Daniel Inouye, Herb Kohl, Carl Levin, Barbara Mikulski, and Patty Murray.

Sponsors of filibuster reform will officially introduce their plan Wednesday, although no action is expected until after the Senate returns from their two week recess. But it's unclear if backers of the changes have the votes to change the rules. And while Reid has not vocally discouraged the proposal, his support so far appears lukewarm.

"Senator Reid understands the concerns of Senators and the American people about the ability for a small minority of the minority to prevent the Senate from legislating,” said Reid spokesperson Regan Lachapelle, adding that reform is “an issue that Senator Reid will continue to look at.”

In the waning days of the last Congress, retiring Sen. Chris Dodd acknowledged his Democratic colleagues’ "anger with the repetitive use and abuse of the filibuster," but he noted that many of the most vocal supporters of the rules change are first term senators who have never served in the minority.

“Whether such temptation [to change the rules] is motivated by noble desire to speed up the legislative process or by pure political expediency, I believe such changes would be unwise," Dodd said.

Msnbc.com's Carrie Dann contributed to this report.

Chicago NBC affiliate WMAQ's Mary Ann Ahern reports that a Cook County circuit court judge ruled Rahm Emanuel can run for Chicago mayor.

His residency eligibility was challenged by several Chicagoans.

Judge Mark Ballard said Emanuel's job "as service in the Executive Office of the President satisifies the statutory requirement," and "there was sufficient evidence to support ... Candidate's residency."

There is expected to be an appeal.

More from AP:

In court Tuesday, attorney Burt Odelson argued again that
Emanuel did not meet the city's one-year residency requirement because he didn't have a physical presence in the city when he rented out his house.

"No matter how hard he or his blue-ribbon team try they cannot rewrite the law," said Odelson, who represents two Chicago voters who have challenged Emanuel's residency.

They are the remaining challengers after more than two dozen people challenged Emanuel's residency before the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. That board has already voted to allow Emanuel on the ballot, saying he meets residency requirements.

The board held a 3-day hearing before Christmas that included having Emanuel on the witness stand for hours answering questions from lawyers and objectors who represented themselves.

Emanuel's attorney argued in court, like his team did earlier before an election board hearing officer, that Emanuel only went to Washington temporarily and did not abandon his residency in Chicago when he rented out his house.

"It isn't an intent to rewrite history, it is just history as it is," attorney Mike Kasper said.

*** UPDATE *** STATEMENT FROM RAHM EMANUEL ON THE RULING BY THE CIRCUIT COURT:

The Board of Elections and the court have both now concluded what I have said all along - that the only reason I left town was to serve President Obama and that I always intended to return. Now that these decisions have been reached, Chicago voters should have the right to decide the election and to vote for me or against me. And they deserve to have the campaign focus on the challenges facing the city and the need for safe streets, strong schools, and stable city finances.

Earlier today, we clipped a Politico story noting that incoming House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R) has asked business groups which Obama administration regulations to target.

Issa sent this letter to 150-plus trade associations, private companies, and think tanks, according to Issa's office.

Here's its text:

December XX, 2010

Dear ,

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is examining existing and proposed regulations that negatively impact the economy and jobs.

In fiscal year 2010, federal agencies promulgated 43 major new regulations. These regulations ranged from new limits on “effluent” discharges to new rules for Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations. The new limits on “effluent” discharges from construction sites will cost $810.8 million annually resulting in the closure of 147 construction firms and the loss of 7,257 jobs. In total, the administration estimated the cost, often referred to as the hidden tax, of the 43 new regulations to be approximately $28 billion, the highest single year increase in estimated burden on record, resulting in thousands of lost jobs. This new burden is on top of the $1.75 trillion estimated burden of existing regulations.

As a trade organization comprised of members that must comply with the regulatory state, I ask for your assistance in identifying existing and proposed regulations that have negatively impacted job growth in your members’ industry. Additionally, suggestions on reforming identified regulations and the rulemaking process would be appreciated. Please submit your response as soon as possible, preferably before January 10, 2010. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office at ...

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Under the headline of "you probably didn't know"...

Of course, you already know the Senate convenes tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 5. Newly elected and re-elected members will get sworn into office the the 112th session of Congress.

On the following Monday, Jan. 10, the Senate leaves for a two-week recess... often called the "state work period."

Any real action, warfare, drama, deal-making, or bipartisanship won't start until the Senate returns on Monday, Jan. 24.

From NBC's Savannah Guthrie
Per senior administration sources, Vice President Chief of Staff Ron Klain will announce his departure today.

More information to come.

*** UPDATE *** The New York Times has more: "Mr. Klain will become president of Case Holdings, the parent company of the investment company named for his old boss, former AOL chief Steve Case, the official said."

"Mr. Klain had been mentioned as a possibility to replace Rahm Emanuel as Mr. Obama’s chief of staff. But the president is now in talks with former Clinton administration Commerce Secretary William Daley. In any event, Mr. Klain decided to take Mr. Case’s job offer in part because it was the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come along often, the official said."

*** UPDATE II *** Here's Biden's statement on the departure: "For 25 years, Ron Klain has been my friend and advisor. As my chief of staff in the White House, Ron has done an exceptional job of building my team, implementing my direction on top priorities, and providing invaluable counsel. He has also played a key role in establishing the strong, positive relationship that exists between my staff and the President's team. I am proud of the successes we have had over these two years, and am grateful for the role Ron played in achieving them. I wish him the best of luck as he takes this next step in his career."

Our rundown on Bill Daley… Strengths: strong manager, business background, good on TV… Downside: because he’s a centrist, the left won’t like him… Obama returns to DC, calls on GOP to work together… The Atlantic profiles Mitch McConnell and has this scoop -- it was the GOP leader who coined the terms “Cornhusker Kickback and Louisiana Purchase”… The ideological purity at yesterday’s RNC chair debate… Get this: Chief Justice John Roberts to swear in Boehner’s aides… Issa to K Street and the business community: Tell me what to regulate… And redistricting and the 2012 calendar.

From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Daley Rundown: The news that the White House is considering tapping Bill Daley to be chief of staff is fitting in this respect -- President Obama would be replacing one man who’s running for Chicago mayor with another man who’s the brother of the outgoing Chicago mayor. Daley offers several strengths: He’s a strong manager (former Commerce secretary, Gore campaign manager); he has a business background (currently an executive at JPMorgan); and everyone, frankly, just seems to like him. He’s also an effective communicator on TV. The downside: The left is unlikely to embrace him, given his JPMorgan work and the fact that he comes from the Democratic Party’s moderate wing. (“Either we plot a more moderate, centrist course or risk electoral disaster not just in the upcoming midterms but in many elections to come,” he wrote in the Washington Post in Dec. ’09.) We can report that no job offer has been made to Daley, and current interim Chief of Staff Pete Rouse is also being considered to keep the post permanently. But if it’s going to be Daley, we get the feeling any announcement would come quickly; many West Wing staffers who are on pins and needles regarding the reorganization plan are hopeful the president makes a decision quickly, perhaps even this week.

*** Obama returns to DC: Later this morning, the president is expected to return from his nearly two-week vacation in Hawaii. And aboard Air Force One last night, Obama made a surprise visit to the press cabin and was asked if he’s expecting a rude welcome back to DC -- with Republicans set to take control of the House tomorrow, and with the House GOP vote (now set for Jan. 12) to repeal health care. His answer: “I think that there’s gonna be politics, that’s what happens in Washington. They are going to play to their base for a certain period of time. But I’m pretty confident that they’re going to recognize that our job is to govern and make sure that we are delivering jobs for the American people… And so my expectation, my hope is that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell will realize that there will be plenty of time to campaign for 2012 in 2012. And that our job this year is to make sure that we build on recovery.”

*** Profiling McConnell: While tomorrow’s attention will be showered on the man who’s set to become the next speaker -- John Boehner -- the Atlantic Monthly profiles the Republican who will determine what legislation clears Congress and actually makes it to the president's desk: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. “John Boehner and the Republican House will be free to pass all sorts of bills designed to bedevil the White House,” the Atlantic’s Josh Green writes. “But how effective that strategy is will ultimately depend on what happens to the bills in the Senate. However, things play out on television, McConnell will still be the key man.” Don’t miss this quote from outgoing Sen. Bob Bennett: “When I came to the Senate, Bob Dole was the leader, and he was superb… It’s a very different Senate today, very different political atmosphere. Dole would be deeply frustrated. McConnell is the right guy for this atmosphere.”

*** The on-message man: In his piece on McConnell, Green makes two additional points. One, McConnell is always on message -- contrasting him with Boehner’s slip last fall (which he later corrected) that he’d be open to extending the middle-class tax cuts, if that’s all he could get. McConnell “knows exactly what he wants to say, repeats it with emphasis, then stops. He will not be drawn out, and has no compunction about refusing questions. He would never make Boehner’s mistake, because he won’t entertain hypotheticals.” Two, it was McConnell who came up with two widely discussed pejoratives Republicans used to criticize the deals in writing the health-care legislation. “If you got upset when you heard about the ‘Cornhusker Kickback’ or the ‘Louisiana Purchase’ … that was McConnell. He coined the terms to cast sinister aspersions on what were actually typical instances of political horse-trading, in this case over health care.”

*** The purity test: In retrospect, yesterday’s RNC chair debate wasn’t notable for the subtle digs at Michael Steele’s tenure (though there were plenty of them). Nor was it striking that Steele defended his record (“I'm a glass-half-full guy," he said. "I don't see crisis where some see it”). Rather, the most fascinating part of the debate was how ideologically homogenous all the candidates were. As the Washington Post Dana Milbank writes, “Abortion? All opposed. Lower taxes? All in favor. Gay marriage? All opposed. Cutting spending? All in favor.” Reince Priebus, who appears right now to be the front-runner to be the next RNC chair, perhaps summed it up best: "If you are pro-abortion, pro-stimulus, pro-GM bailout … you probably aren't a Republican." (Of course, that would exclude Republicans like Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, and new Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.) In fact, it was Steele yesterday who called for more ideological diversity in the party. "We cannot be a party that sits back with a litmus test and excludes."

*** Roberts to swear in … Boehner’s aides: Question for Chief Justice John Roberts: Is he engaging in what appears to be a somewhat partisan event in swearing in John Boehner’s staff? Politico writes, “At Boehner’s request, Chief Justice John Roberts will preside over the staff ceremony, which may be a first in congressional history. Aides in Boehner’s Washington and district offices are expected to take the oath in the Capitol in a private, low-key event with no press coverage, a Boehner aide said.” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck emails First Read, Boehner takes the responsibility of his new office seriously, and obviously expects the staff to do the same… Boehner thought this would be a good way to set the tone for his speakership, remind us all why we’re here.”

*** Issa to K Street -- tell me what to regulate: Darrell Issa has positioned himself to be the watchdog on Capitol Hill when it comes to the Obama administration. But can you be both a watchdog and seemingly in bed with K Street and the business community? “Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) wants the oil industry, drug manufacturers and other trade groups and companies to tell him which Obama administration regulations to target this year,” Politico reports. “The incoming chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee - in letters sent to more than 150 trade associations, companies and think tanks last month - requested a list of existing and proposed regulations that would harm job growth.” Of course, some in the business community believe Democrats spent more time placating their own interest groups at the expense of the business community. Still, considering the rise in anti-big anything populism (anti-big gov't, anti-Wall street etc.), it's tricky politics.

*** Redistricting and the 2012 calendar: Finally, the Columbus Dispatch reminds us how redistricting in 2011 could impact the 2012 calendar. “Ohio's 2012 presidential primary election might have to be moved to later in the year if state lawmakers are slow to draw new congressional districts this year, incoming Secretary of State Jon Husted said yesterday. Husted, a Republican, said some officials of county election boards have expressed concern that they might not have enough time to prepare for the scheduled March 6, 2012, primary if legislators drag their feet on paring Ohio's 18 congressional districts to 16, as required by new census data.”

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Per the Washington Post, “House Republicans have set Jan. 12 as their day to vote on a repeal of President Obama's health-care law, after a midterm election in which they campaigned against the landmark legislation as a government takeover of the health industry.”

"As newly-elected Republican governors plot ways to push back against the healthcare law, the Republican Governor's Association (RGA) is preparing an organized effort aimed at helping governors fight its implementation," The Hill reports. "In an interview with Ballot Box, new RGA Executive Director Phil Cox said he anticipates the committee will play a central role in organizing Republican governors against the law — an effort he said is currently in the planning stages."

The DCCC is releasing this memo today: “What a difference a couple of months make. During the 2010 campaigns, House Republican candidates affiliated with the Tea Party ran strongly against “government health care.” Most Republican Freshman are refusing to say whether they will accept government funded health care as a Member of Congress. A few Members-elect have honored their campaign rhetoric by refusing to accept congressional health care."

More: "Despite their campaign rhetoric and public opinion, most incoming Republican Freshman will not say whether they will accept government health care. Their silence can only mean one thing: Republican Freshman will hypocritically take government funded health care even though they ran campaigns against it."

Debt ceiling 'showdown' looms: "Tea Party champion Sen. Jim DeMint says he's ready for a 'showdown' with President Obama over raising the government debt ceiling," the New York Post writes. "DeMint's threat is setting up a high-stakes game of chicken on Capitol Hill with Republicans demanding stark spending cuts before they consider raising the debt limit and Democrats warning that a failure to do so would trash the country's credit rating and risk a government shutdown." DeMint told the conservative Human Events magazine: "This needs to be a big showdown. Enough is enough, folks. We can't keep taking home the bacon and take care of the best interests of our country."

A “lavish fundraiser scheduled for Tuesday night at a trendy Washington hotel to benefit a dozen GOP freshmen is not exactly the populist image leaders are anxious to project,” Politico writes.

The New York Daily News profiles Rep. Pete King (R-NY): The GOP takeover of the House on Wednesday offers liberal New York one bright spot: Long Islander Pete King takes control of the powerful Homeland Security Committee. The Nassau County Republican is already making it a 'major priority' to steer as much federal cash as possible to the city's anti-terror operations."

"Rep. Heath Shuler plans to vote for himself rather than Rep. Nancy Pelosi during Wednesday’s floor vote for Speaker, and he predicted Monday that Democratic colleagues who are similarly displeased with her past leadership as Speaker would back him as well," Roll Call writes.

Bloomberg News: "President Barack Obama is considering naming William Daley, a JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive and former U.S. Commerce secretary, to a high-level administration post, possibly White House chief of staff, people familiar with the matter said. Such a move, which is still under discussion, would bring a Washington veteran -- and someone with strong business ties -- into the administration as Obama sets out an agenda for the second half of his term while dealing with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives."

More: "Daley, 62, has deep ties in Obama’s political base. The youngest of seven children of longtime Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, he is part of the most powerful political dynasty in Illinois. He was also a political mentor to Rahm Emanuel." Daley was an economic adviser to the Obama 2008 campaign and co-chaired the transition.

"Liberal groups say they are increasingly worried that President Obama will strike a deal with Republicans on Social Security in exchange for a 'yes' vote on increasing the nation's debt ceiling," The Hill writes. (Maybe they should be a little more worried about what House Republicans are trying to do, just sayin'….)

The New York Post's Hurt: "Embattled RNC Chairman Michael Steele made a Hail Mary plea yesterday to hold on to his top perch in the Republican Party for a second term."

The Washington Post’s Balz: “Michael Steele, the embattled chairman of the Republican National Committee, defended his record Monday at a forum with four rivals who charged him with mismanagement and said the committee faces a major task of rebuilding its finances and credibility. Steele was unapologetic through most of the 90-minute session. He pointed to the 2010 midterm elections in which Republicans made major gains, including a takeover of the House.”

Roll Call's lead from yesterday's debate: "Recognizing that Republican primary battles in 2010 ended with some critical general election losses, the candidates who want to lead the national party through the next cycle said Monday they would again stay out of primaries and stressed the GOP must remain a big tent party."

The Hill: "Republicans' worries about fundraising, ahead of what is expected to be a billion-dollar presidential election, dominated the debate over who should be the party's next chairman."

"RNC Chairman Michael Steele said that his four challengers have not yet made the case for why he should not be re-elected. In an interview with NBC News shortly after the debate, Steele said that his opponents - all of whom arguably have the experience needed for the job - would not win by touting their own record, but by making a compelling argument for why Steele does not deserve a second term as chairman, despite widespread Republican victories during his tenure."

The Illinois Republican Party hopes to host an all-star lineup of potential GOP presidential contenders at a dinner celebrating President Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday next month," Roll Call writes. "The fundraising event will be held in Chicago on Feb. 5, the day before the late president’s birthday. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) will sign copies of one of his books before the dinner, and former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum have confirmed they will attend, according to an invitation to the event. The party also invited Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and South Dakota Sen. John Thune."

Real Clear Politics breaks the top-tier Republican presidential contenders “into three basic categories when it comes to talking about their 2012 intentions in media appearances: the aggressive challengers, the coy contenders and those who are seeking to portray themselves as reluctant warriors.”

DANIELS: Mitch Daniels concedes in an interview with the Tribune Star that he's started to pay attention to how he's covered by the national press: "Most often, the Princeton University-educated governor, who earned the nickname 'The Blade' when he served as President George W. Bush’s cost-slashing budget director, is called 'wonkish.' Or as Daniels defines it: 'cerebral but boring.' Daniels, a church-going motorcycle rider who campaigned for governor crisscrossing the state in blue jeans and a motor home, would like to think of himself as more than that. 'It’s as if they think you couldn’t be smart and funny at the same time,' said Daniels of political pundits who’ve pigeon-holed him for the convenience of quick copy or short sound bites. 'It’s as if you’re either a person of the people or a wonk,' Daniels said. 'They can’t quite cope with the idea that maybe you could be a little bit of both.'"

More: "Daniels said his wife, Cheri, and their four daughters — all grown and three married — are wary of the intense media scrutiny that can descend upon a candidate’s family. 'It scares them to death,' Daniels said. 'And it should.' The private family conversations about his potential candidacy are off-limits, he said. But those family conversations matter. 'It would be a big deal if they said no.'"

GINGRICH: "For anyone who did a double take at the gray-haired man watching Sheboygan's Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday — yes, that was Newt Gingrich," the Sheboygan Press writes.

PAWLENTY: The Atlantic notes Pawlenty lagging in most polls, but wonders if his serious campaign efforts and all his campaigning will up his name ID and boost him in the polls: "He appears serious about his 2012 ambitions. He's accrued credibility and name recognition among the Beltway political class, even as his national name-recognition numbers still sag. He's built an organization and a political framework for a serious bid, and he's logged the hours of legwork that the other names in his national-polling caste have not."

PENCE: GOP12 links to a post from Howey Politics Indiana which says that Rep. Mike Pence “is scheduling Republican Lincoln Days Dinner all over Indiana.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE: “Gov. John Sununu, the outgoing chairman of the Republican State Committee, has endorsed Juliana Bergeron as his successor,” the Concord Monitor reports. “Bergeron, chairwoman for the Cheshire County Republican Committee, is running against Tea Party activist and former gubernatorial candidate Jack Kimball for the position of party chairman.”

OHIO: “Ohio's 2012 presidential primary election might have to be moved to later in the year if state lawmakers are slow to draw new congressional districts this year, incoming Secretary of State Jon Husted said yesterday,” the Columbus Dispatch writes.

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
There wasn't much blood drawn during today's debate between candidates for RNC chairman, much to the chagrin of some candidates for the position, and the surprise of some committee members.

"Isn't that a shame?" asked former Missouri GOP chairwoman Ann Wagner when a reporter remarked on the debate's polite tone. Wagner said she would have preferred "some more honest discussion" about how much money Chairman Michael Steele raised during the 2010 election versus how much made its way back to individual states.

She added that she would have liked to have directed a question towards Steele. "It was going to be why of all the money he said he was going to raise, why only 13 million dollars went out to the states for the state victory programs and what he was going to do to correct that going forward," she said.

Former Bush administration official Maria Cino said the rapid-fire section questions at the end of the debate were too fast to permit candidates to wind up with an attack against Steele or any other candidate.

"It was those lightening rods! You only really got 30 seconds!" Cino exclaimed.

There were at least eleven RNC members in attendance at today's debate - among them, Louis Pope, committeeman from Maryland and RNC Budget Committee chairman. Pope, who voted for Steele in 2009 and endorsed him for re-election, said he was surprised at the civility of the debate.

"I thought some of the other candidates would probably criticize Chairman Steele more and actually I didn’t see any criticism whatsoever," Pope said.

California Republican party chairman Ron Nehring, who is running for RNC treasurer and whose vote will thus remain undeclared, said the positive tone of the debate was "what I think people are looking for; where does the committee go over the next two years and who will lead us there."

Virginia Republican National Committeeman Morton Blackwell said that all candidates "performed reasonably well" in the debate. Blackwell, during the six rounds of the 2009 voting period for chairman, first supported Michigan committeeman and current candidate Saul Anuzis, before Anuzis dropped out over lack of votes and Blackwell gave his vote to former South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson over Steele.

Blackwell said he has not changed his preferences this year.

"I intend to support Saul Anuzis and I have not given any serious thought to whom I would vote for if he dropped out, but as long as he is in the race and until he wins I’ll be voting for him. "

Pope, the Maryland committeeman, also hasn't said whom he would support if Steele loses, but wouldn't say if he was ruling anyone out.

"I follow the 11th commandment of Ronald Reagan," Pope said. (Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican).

From NBC's Alexandra Moe

“Can Sarah Palin win in a general election?”
Yes she can, all five candidates agreed during the lightening round of questioning at the RNC chairman debate. During this round, candidates were asked quick fire questions with little time to explain answers.

As the questions went on, some of the candidates became more candid with their responses.

“Name one thing President Obama has done that you agree with.”
Saul Anuzis said that the one thing he agreed with that Obama did was go on vacation.

“How many guns do you own?”
Maria Cino, Michael Steele, and Reince Priebus said none. Wagner's response came to claps and laughs. "I may surprise ya'll," Ann Wagner continued, "we just got a new gun case for Christmas, and so I think there are about 16 in there. Everything from a pistol and a glock to shotguns, rifles, and...an assault rifle."

"What is your favorite book?"
"Probably my kitchen table," Wagner said in describing her favorite bar instead of her favorite book because she didn't hear the question properly. She went on to correct herself - President Bush's new book is her favorite. Same question, Steele said his favorite was War and Peace but then quoted another book, A Tale of Two Cities - "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."

“Where do you get your news?”
In a subtle nod to the Katie Couric question that famously flummoxed then-Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, one of the moderators, Daily Caller founder Tucker Carlson, asked the panelists, “where do you get your news?”

Priebus joked that he got his news from The Daily Caller, which also happened to be co-sponsoring the debate. During Steele's turn, he said, "I'm an old fashioned guy. I start the day every morning with a hard copy of the Washington Post."

From NBC's Alexandra Moe
For the first time in RNC history, a committee rule requiring the chair and co-chair to be of opposite sexes may prove problematic for the winner, as viable female candidates are running for both positions.

"I think that rule is arcane and needs to be changed," former RNC co-chairman and current chair candidate, Ann Wagner, told NBC News following the RNC chair debate.

Maria Cino, who served as a Bush administration official, is also in the running and participated in the debate.

"I don’t think it’s a concern," Cino said when asked if she was concerned about the rule to ensure a gender balance in RNC leadership. "I think it’s certainly something that you can look at in 2012 the next time the party rules could be changed and I would be all for looking at those rules."

Those running for RNC co-chair may not know if they are eligible to run until the final votes are counted in the RNC Chair race. So even if Jan Larimer, the current co-chair, and Sharon Day, an RNC representative from Florida, can secure enough votes to win for co-chair, they would be prevented to run if Wagner or Cino win.

There has only been one female chair in the history of the RNC when Mary Louise Smith was appointed by President Ford in the 1970s. The co-chair position had not yet been created meaning there has never been a male to be second in command at the RNC.

Two potential male candidates for co-chair have begun to seek support: Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere and former North Dakota party chief Gary Emineth.

"Also," Wagner pointed out, "any one of the gentlemen running now for chairman, when I beat them and win chairman, they can also fall back and run for co-chairman."

From NBC's Ali Weinberg
RNC Chairman Michael Steele said that his four challengers have not yet made the case for why he should not be re-elected.

In an interview with NBC News shortly after the debate, Steele said that his opponents - all of whom arguably have the experience needed for the job - would not win by touting their own record, but by making a compelling argument for why Steele does not deserve a second term as chairman, despite widespread Republican victories during his tenure.

"For me, folks had to make the case of why they need to replace me. I don't think that case has been made. I think my record stands very firmly," Steele said. "I think that to the extent that others presented their case, they did so and now the 168 members will have a chance to look at that and evaluate whether or not they replace me, or we move forward in a more aggressive style to take on Obama. Which I'm more than happy and ready to do."

Steele also pushed back vehemently against accusations that he mismanaged the party's funds, saying that all spending decisions he made were approved by RNC members – most of his challengers among them.

"The argument's been made that oh, we have all these money woes and our money woes are totally blown out of proportion," Steele contended. "I was asked by the members to make the investment in our infrastructure and in our party to win. We did that. I went to the members and laid out for them what it would take to do that. They approved that, unanimously. So even for my colleagues who were on the stage with me, they voted for the direction that we took. And so we went out and we executed on that direction from the members and we won."

He said that singling out the RNC as the only fundraising organization with a debt is unfair. "Everyone's acting like the RNC's the only committee without a debt," he said. "Hello? Flashpoint! We're not! And some people have a debt greater than ours."

From NBC's Mark Murray, Ali Weinberg, and Alexandra Moe
Today's debate for Republican National Committee chairman was supposed to be all about Michael Steele, especially after he announced he was running for re-election last month.

And for a while, it was.

Right off the bat, former Missouri GOP chairwoman Ann Wagner said the RNC was "broken and needs to be fixed." The complaint: The party, under Steele's leadership, mismanaged money and now finds itself in significant debt. "We fell down as a national committee," Wagner later added. "We have got to fully fund our state victory programs."

Said Michigan committeeman Saul Anuzis, who also ran against Steele in '09, delivered some implicit criticism. "I think we need someone who can make the trains run on time." The jab: The RNC trains under Steele weren't arriving or departing on time.

Ditto Wisconsin GOP chair Reince Priebus, who served as RNC general counsel during Steele's tenure: "We need a fully funded [get-out-the-vote] effort... It comes down to come, it comes down to resources."

For his part, a relatively subdued Steele defended his record, pointing to the GOP's numerous electoral wins in 2009 and 2010. "I'm a glass-half-full guy," he said. "I don't see crisis where some see it."

And although he admitted that the RNC last year changed its get-out-the-vote operation, Steele claimed he didn't abandon it. "We may have done it differently, but we found other ways to get resources. Find me a state that did not have a winning election -- because maybe they didn't have enough resources. But I think we won in all 50 states."

That said, Steele conceded that the greatest responsibility for the RNC chairman in 2011-12 is "dealing with the finances... That clearly will be a priority."

Yet outside of those exchanges, the debate was more about the candidates -- Steele, Wagner, Anuzis, Priebus, and former Bush administration official Maria Cino -- proving their conservative bona fides.

They all expressed their opposition to the Obama administration's policies, to abortion, and to same-sex marriage (though Steele wasn't as unequivocal as the other candidates were on this question).

Said Priebus: "If you are pro-abortion, pro-stimulus, pro-GM bailout ... then you probably aren't a Republican."

The Atlantic Monthly's James Fallows, who has spent a lot of time covering American politics as well as China, threw cold water over the New Year holiday weekend on the speculation that former Utah Gov. -- and current U.S. ambassador to China -- Jon Huntsman (R) might run for president in 2012.

Fallows' rationale:

Huntsman is part of the Obama Administration. He is right in the middle of dealings with America's most important foreign-policy partner/challenge. So in the GOP Primaries, how exactly is he going to out-anti-Obama anyone else in the field, given that he has served Obama (and, yes, the country) so loyally? The retorts from all the other Republicans are almost too easy. "If Ambassssadorrr Huntsman is so concerned about the Obama threat to America, then why,...?"

And if he got through that process, he would run against his current commander-in-chief .... how? And why? What is the issue of principle so important that it compels him to challenge Obama's continuation in office, but has not justified any disagreement while he's serving now? "Huntsman 2016" would be a very logical inference from his current position. "Huntsman 2012" would require suspension of basic laws of politics and common sense.

In a follow-up post, however, Fallows admits that there's one reason why Huntsman might want the 2012 speculation.

... there is nothing that will get the attention of the Zhongnanhai leadership like the idea that the mere ambassador they are humoring today could be back another day as a mighty American President. That vague future possibility is already built in with Huntsman, but this story, which Chinese officials won't be sure they can dismiss, should concentrate their minds.

Is it possible that both Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels DON'T run for president in 2012?

In an interview with a local Indiana news outlet, Daniels didn't sound like someone who's running for the White House.

Daniels said his wife, Cheri, and their four daughters — all grown and three married — are wary of the intense media scrutiny that can descend upon a candidate’s family.

“It scares them to death,” Daniels said. “And it should.” (Hat tips: Ben Smith and GOP12.)

A lengthy Weekly Standard profile of Daniels from last summer explains why his family might not be eager for him to run.

When the oppo researchers and the national press do get around to opening up Daniels’s life for inspection, they will find a few embarrassments. One is his arrest in 1970 for marijuana possession when he was a student at Princeton. He spent two nights in jail and paid a $350 fine, and later wrote about the bust in a column for the Star in 1989. More painfully, he and his wife Cheri divorced in 1994. She moved to California, leaving Daniels with the four daughters, aged 8 to 14, and married a doctor. She divorced again and moved back to Indiana. She and Mitch remarried in 1997.

Cheri has never spoken about this publicly, and from what I can tell it’s been mentioned in print only twice. Daniels’s only comment was to the Indianapolis Star in 2004: “If you like happy endings, you’ll love our story.”

Ten questions to start 2011: 1) What will the economy look like come December?... 2) Will the New Year bring us an unexpected event or two or three?... 3) Will there be common ground or trench warfare on Capitol Hill?… 4) Who emerges as the GOP presidential front-runner?… 5) Who else gets in the presidential race?... 6) Will the Tea Party run the GOP, or will it be co-opted by it?... 7) What staff changes will we see at the White House?... 8) Who wins the GOV races in KY, LA, and MS?... 9) What Senate retirements will we see?... 10) And who will win the RNC chair race?

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Ten questions for 2011: Another year, another round of political stories, especially with a new Congress and the beginning of a new presidential cycle. To make sense of what 2011 could bring us, here are 10 questions to consider. First, what will the U.S. economy look like come December? The answer will provide a good idea of President Obama’s re-election chances, as well as the GOP field (for instance, does a better jobs climate throw a wrench into Mitt Romney’s plans to be the fix-it candidate?). Remember, what happens in the year BEFORE the presidential year impacts the primary field more than what happens DURING the presidential year (see 2007 and Iraq vs. 2008 and economy; would Obama have been the Dem nominee had the economic collapse happened in Sept. 2007?) Back to 2011, the holiday season contained good economic news, foreshadowing a stronger economy this year. But how strong? The December job numbers, which will be released this Friday, will give us a better idea if the economy is really picking up strength.

*** Expecting the unexpected: Second, will the New Year bring us an external event that’s not on anybody’s radar screen? After all, unexpected events like the BP spill and the Greek debt crisis impacted the midterm elections, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) recently discovered that Mother Nature can sometimes exact political damage. If the past is an indicator, 2011 will deliver an unexpected event or two -- or three or four. The only question is what it/they will be. A natural disaster? A scandal? A changing geopolitical event? An eye-opening event in Afghanistan?

*** Common ground or trench warfare? Third, will the Obama White House and the soon-to-be GOP-controlled House be able to find common ground? The first 23 months of the last Congress suggest they won’t, though last December proved that they could come together (on the tax deal, ratification of the New START treaty, and repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”). On “Meet the Press” yesterday, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham more than hinted at the former. “I think you're going to see the fight on Obamacare across the board in the House and the Senate to try to defund the Obamacare bill and to start over,” he said. And Politico reports that GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, the incoming House Oversight and Government Reform chairman, has released the list of investigations he wants to launch. Side question here: Do John Boehner and Mitch McConnell want this week, the first impression the new "in charge" GOP will be giving, to be about health care and investigations, i.e. re-litigating the past? That might make the base happy, but what about swing voters?

*** Who’s your GOP front-runner? Fourth, who will emerge as the GOP presidential front-runner by the end of the year? As we’ve pointed out before, Romney enters 2011 in a weaker position than Bob Dole did in 1995 or John McCain did in 2007, which suggests the GOP field could be WIDE open. If/when a front-runner emerges, that candidate will likely discover what other front-runners -- Hillary and McCain in 2007, Obama in the spring of 2008 (with Jeremiah Wright and “bitter” -- realized: that being the front-runner isn’t always easy.

*** And who else gets in? Fifth, which Republicans will end up running for president? Right now, Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Rick Santorum appear to be the sure bets, and you can probably add Newt Gingrich to that list, too. But what about Haley Barbour, who had a rough week before Christmas regarding his comments about the civil-rights era? South Dakota Sen. John Thune? Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels? Or even former Utah Gov. -- and current Obama ambassador to China -- Jon Huntsman, whom Newsweek said met with political advisers last month to mull a possible bid. Many of these candidates who have never experienced the presidential spotlight will need time to make mistakes. But as things stand now, it appears the race may get started later than last time. Does that benefit Romney? If last month’s Barbour controversy taught any lesson, it was this: The later these candidates get in, the fewer mistakes they can make. By the way, Pawlenty begins his book tour on Jan. 11.

*** Assimilate or die? Sixth, will the Tea Party run the Republican Party, or will it be co-opted by it? Yesterday’s New York Times examined this question. “As Tea Party politicians prepare to take their seats when the 112th Congress convenes this week, they are already taking issue with Republicans for failing to hold the line against the flurry of legislation enacted in the waning weeks of Democratic control of the House of Representatives and for not giving some candidates backed by Tea Party groups powerful leadership positions.” One early test for the Tea Party will occur in March, when Congress will vote to extend the debt ceiling.

*** Change you can believe in? Seventh, what staff changes will we see at the White House? We know there will be changes, but are the new folks "fresh legs" or "fresh blood"? So far, it appears it will be "fresh legs" -- folks familiar with the president and his team coming off the bench. We should see two more visible changes in the next week or two. A replacement for Larry Summers (leading candidate is someone on the bench not from the outside, Gene Sperling) and a new role of some sort for Robert Gibbs. The front-runners to replace Gibbs are also folks on the bench not from the outside. And other than those changes, not much else is expected… for now.

*** Gov races in KY, LA, and MS -- and Rahm’s bid in Chicago: Eighth, who wins the gubernatorial races in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi? Those are the only scheduled statewide contests this year. Also, 2011 brings us a handful of mayoral races, including in Chicago, where former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is the clear front-runner in the Feb. 22 election (with a run-off, if necessary, on April 5).

*** Retirement watch: Ninth, which Dem (or GOP) senators will we see retire rather than face re-election. The first of the year always brings the first round of actual retirements. The big early names to watch: Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (D), Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar (R) and Maine's Olympia Snowe (R). And then there’s John Ensign…

*** Steele the one? And tenth, who will become the next RNC chairman? Michael Steele, the current chairman, is running for re-election, but his chances appear to be slim. The presumptive front-runner is Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus, but the Weekly Standard has wondered whether Priebus’ role as Steele’s general counsel -- and his past defense of the current RNC chairman -- could hurt him. This could be an issue when the candidates (Steele, Priebus, Maria Cino, Saul Anuzis, Ann Wagner) gather today at a debate at the National Press Club. Gentry Collins, the former RNC political director, has dropped out of the race.

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The Washington Post: “On Wednesday, following a bipartisan prayer service at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Boehner will recite the oath and take the gavel from Pelosi with the attendant pomp and no more - except, perhaps, a few tears. Then the 61-year-old Ohioan will deliver his maiden speech to the new House, which includes a huge cadre of freshmen lawmakers. Many are rambunctious Republicans who sailed into Washington with the tea party winds and are determined to use their majority to undo President Obama's legislative record.”

“In his speech, Boehner intends to survey the difficult choices facing the country and pledge to ‘listen to the American people’ and to reform the way the House has operated in the past under control of both parties, according to a GOP leadership aide.”

“The Republican agenda for the new Congress that convenes Wednesday may have a greater impact on the 2012 elections than on the lives of Americans in the next two years,” the AP writes of their plans to cut spending, roll back the Obama health care law and investigate administration officials.

"President Obama will be playing defense from the get-go when Congress convenes Wednesday, with the new GOP House majority planning to vote to repeal the health-care laws even before his State of the Union Address later this month," the New York Post says. "Obama also faces an onslaught of investigations by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which will be chaired by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). He vowed to probe wasteful spending by the administration."

Speaking of Issa, Politico reports that he has released a list of the investigations he’s likely to launch. “Issa is aiming to launch investigations on everything from WikiLeaks to Fannie Mae to corruption in Afghanistan in the first few months of what promises to be a high profile chairmanship of the top oversight committee in Congress. According to an outline of the committee’s hearing topics obtained by POLITICO, the House Oversight and Government Reform is also planning to investigate how regulation impacts job creation, the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the foreclosure crisis; recalls at the Food and Drug Administration and the failure of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to agree on the causes of the market meltdown.”

"The GOP has to decide whether to try to forge a bipartisan deficit-cutting deal with the president or to take a stand on deep spending cuts and wait until a possible GOP president in 2013 to enact changes," The Hill writes.

Despite the prevalence of filibusters, "Sen. Harry Reid set a record during the 111th Congress by becoming the chamber’s most successful Majority Leader in history at killing attempted filibusters," Roll Call writes.

When she's sworn in again, "Sen. Barbara Mikulski this week will become the longest serving female senator in U.S. history."

Rep. Danny Davis will remain in Congress rather than run for mayor of Chicago, and he endorsed former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.

“President Obama is expected to name a new chief economic adviser as early as this week, but the months-long search process has proven difficult and politically touchy," the Washington Post reports. "Liberals in the president's base ... want an NEC director who would push the White House to challenge the financial services industry and stand up to deficit hawks pushing the White House to cut programs such as Social Security. Business groups and Republican lawmakers, who have charged that the White House is hostile to corporations, want someone with practical business expertise."

The Post says the leading contender is Gene Sperling, "a longtime Democratic policy guru and veteran of the Bill Clinton White House who has spent two years advising Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. But some liberals say Sperling is too close to Wall Street after being paid $887,727 in 2008 by Goldman Sachs, one of several part-time jobs he held that year. Administration officials say Sperling was paid to develop a charity that has taught business skills to women in developing countries and did no commercial work."

Meanwhile, White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee "is warning there'll be a worse catastrophe than the 2008 financial meltdown if Congress doesn't increase the government's credit limit." He said on ABC's This Week: "I don't see why anybody's talking about playing chicken with the debt ceiling. If we get to the point where you've damaged the full faith and credit of the United States, that would be the first default in history caused purely by insanity."

Obama stressed working together in his weekly address: “I’m willing to work with anyone of either party who’s got a good idea and the commitment to see it through. And we should all expect you to hold us accountable for our progress or our failure to deliver."

On Sunday, the president "signed into law an aid bill giving federal health benefits to first responders to the 9/11 terrorist attacks," the New York Post writes.

BARBOUR: "Gov. Haley Barbour's stipulation that the younger Scott sister, Gladys, donate a kidney to elder sister Jamie as a condition of her release has drawn critics in the medical community," The Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports.

CHRISTIE: Here's a headline for you: New Jersey GOP Governor Chris Christie: "I don't regret going to Disney World during snowstorm," per the New York Daily News. "I wouldn't change the decision even if I could do it right now," Christie said. "I had a great five days with my children. I promised that." He said he promised his family that at the end of his first year he'd take them to Disney World. "My first and most important responsibility, in my view, is as a husband and a father, and I think I made that pretty clear to the people of New Jersey when I was running."

DANIELS: Politico’s Ben Smith writes that Yale students have launched the second online campaign to draft Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as a presidential candidate. One catch: the leader of the effort is a registered Democrat.

Over the holidays, Politico examined what could be a test of the bond between two political friends -- Haley Barbour and Mitch Daniels -- if they both decide to run for president. “There is a remarkable symmetry to their careers — two Washington political operatives who went home and became governor — but they’ve always been allies. Until perhaps now.”

NEW HAMPSHIRE: The Boston Phoenix examines the consequences of the seismic political shift New Hampshire experienced in this last election: Republican landslides and a simultaneous exodus of leaders in the state GOP. “This convergence of the New Hampshire GOP's sudden surge in power and absence of leadership has set the stage for two epic battles so far, and a third unfolding, between the party establishment and the Tea Party–based conservative outsiders.”

HUNTSMAN: Republican Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor currently serving as President Obama's ambassador to China, suggested in an interview to Newsweek that he is open to a 2012 presidential run. “You know, I’m really focused on what we’re doing in our current position,” he said. “But we won’t do this forever, and I think we may have one final run left in our bones.” And: "Asked whether he is prepared to rule out a run in 2012 (since it would require him to campaign against his current boss), he declines to comment."

More: "[S]ources close to Huntsman (who requested anonymity to speak freely without his permission) say that during his December trip to the U.S., he met with several former political advisers in Washington and Salt Lake City to discuss a potential campaign. 'I’m not saying he’s running,' says one supporter who has worked with him in the past. 'But we’re a fire squad; if he says the word, we can get things going fast.'"

PALIN: Sen.-elect Pat Toomey (R-PA) said on “Meet the Press” that Sarah Palin could win Pennsylvania if she ran for president.

PAWLENTY: Minnesota Public Radio profiles Pawlenty's next chapter. On his book tour to kick off this month, the Minnesota governor dismissed that it was about politics: "Well I know everybody's trying to say that the book tour is about politics, but I think of the 30 or more days that I will be promoting the book across the country, I think only two days are in New Hampshire or Iowa," he said. MPR points out: "Actually, the schedule has Pawlenty in Iowa and New Hampshire for four days and six engagements." Pawlenty: "The rest of them are in other places so. You know, there may be political stops that we do, but the primary purpose of the tour is to promote the book and to try to generate interest in the book."

ROMNEY: On NBC's Meet the Press, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he thinks "Probably [Mitt] Romney" is "the most electable conservative. He's got his problems as a candidate, but so does everyone else."

The conservative Boston Herald: "The paroled jewel thief who died in a shootout with slain Woburn police officer John 'Jack' Maguire could become Mitt Romney’s Willie Horton should the former GOP governor run for president in 2012, some political strategists said."