“In remaining aloof from the special deficit committee in Congress even as it collapsed on Monday, President Obama showed his calculation more clearly than ever before: Republicans will never agree to raise taxes on the wealthy to balance any spending cuts, so let the voters decide,” the New York Times writes.

“President Obama will head to New Hampshire to lobby for a payroll tax cut extension Tuesday — the same day his GOP rivals will be in Washington and less than 24 hours after the supercommittee announced its failure to reach a deal,” The Hill reports. “The White House brushed off suggestions the president’s trip to the Granite State, which holds the nation’s first presidential primary in seven weeks, was being made with an eye toward 2012.”

Reuters writes, “President Barack Obama will challenge the Congress to preserve an expiring payroll tax cut on Tuesday as he travels to New Hampshire to seize the initiative in the wake of a collapsed effort to reduce the nation's budget deficit.”

“A long-running war between Democrats and Republicans over Bush-era tax cuts doomed the debt supercommittee's chances of reaching a deal. Efforts to overhaul the tax code may await the same fate as both parties gear up to make taxes a central issue in 2012 election,” the AP writes.

“The supercommittee’s failure is being viewed widely as a debacle — yet another sign that Washington cannot overcome partisan politics to deal with the nation’s record deficit,” The Hill writes. “But the stalemate hasn’t been a political nightmare for everyone in Washington. Politically, the deadlocked talks have yielded both winners and losers, from lawmakers who openly rooted against a deal to those who said failure was not an option.” 

“The unfortunate demise of the congressional super committee wasn’t accompanied by nearly the drama and hand-wringing of this summer’s debt-ceiling disaster, but its passing is more fuel for the fire of public disillusionment and anger toward Washington and Congress. With record-low job-approval numbers, disenchantment with Congress can still intensify,” Charlie Cook writes in today’s National Journal. “The real showdown will be late next year, when the tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush expire and New Year’s 2013 triggers draconian sequestration budget cuts. That’s when lawmakers will realize that there really is a loaded gun pointed at their heads. Under various post-election scenarios, including lame-duck sessions, both sides will want to avoid deep cuts to their most cherished priorities. In particular, Republicans will be desperate to extend the Bush tax cuts. The real showdown and real drama will come after all of the 2012 votes are counted.”

House Speaker John Boehner (R) defended his role in the Super Committee process in an op-ed in USA Today, saying, “I did everything possible.” Instead, he blamed President Obama and Democrats for wanting to raise taxes on the wealthiest. “[T]he so-called supercommittee was unable to reach agreement because President Obama and Washington Democrats insisted on dramatic tax hikes on American job creators, which would make our economy worse,” Boehner writes, adding, “I am not going to give up on the country, and neither will my Republican colleagues.”

The Wall Street Journal: “So it's all Grover Norquist's fault. Democrats and the media are singing in unison that the reason Congress's antideficit super committee has failed is because of the conservative activist's magical antitax spell over Republicans. Not to enhance this Beltway fable, but thank you, Mr. Norquist. By reminding Republicans of their antitax promises, he has helped to expose the real reason for the super committee's failure: the two parties disagree profoundly on a vision of government.”

By NBC's Jamie Novogrod

NEW YORK -- In attacks that seemed at once personal and political, Michele Bachmann sized up President Obama’s character during a series of press conferences Monday, telling reporters that the president “never has wanted to take personal responsibility.”

The attacks occurred as the deadline loomed – and then passed – on negotiations inside the congressional supercommittee on cuts to the federal budget, a process on which Bachmann said Obama had been “AWOL.”

“Why did he leave the United States on a nine-day trip when the most important decision needed to be made?” Bachmann asked, referring to a tour of Asian countries that concluded in last week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which the U.S. hosted in Honolulu.  President Obama returned to Washington on Sunday – one day before the supercommittee’s deadline.

“The president never has wanted to take personal responsibility,” Bachmann added.  “He’s the president of the United States.  He has to stop blaming everyone else.  Especially when he’s been AWOL on the issue.” 

Bachmann’s remarks reflect a sharp mood that seemed to affect people on both sides of the failed negotiations.  In an address Monday evening, Obama cast blame on congressional Republicans for refusing to accept tax increases as part of a deficit package.

“There are still too many Republicans in Congress who have refused to listen to voices of reason and compromise coming from outside Washington,” Obama said.

Bachmann, a congresswoman from Minnesota, prides herself on being from “outside” Washington and other coastal cities.  She was in New York Monday to mark the release of her memoir, “Core of Conviction,” embarking on appearances on NBC’s TODAY show, Glenn Beck’s television and radio programs, and NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. 

But one major appointment was unrelated to her book tour – a meeting with Donald Trump, her fourth to date.

Bachmann told reporters outside Trump’s offices in midtown Manhattan that she and Trump “had a marvelous time together,” adding that their conversation had focused on the threat to the American economy posed by an ascendant China.

It’s unclear whether conversation turned to a subject that Trump reportedly discussed with at least one other candidate – his skepticism about Obama’s birth certificate, which Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said came up during his own meeting with Trump.

Asked by NBC whether Obama’s birth certificate came up, Bachmann demurred.

“We talked primarily about the economy,” she said, adding, “and, we talked about the supercommittee.”

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. -- If elected to the White House, former speaker of the House and history professor Newt Gingrich wants to teach Americans a lesson -- that is, for free on the Internet about his policy views. The self-proclaimed "ideas man" said on Monday his course would be distributed on the Web in a format similar to the University of Phoenix or Kaplan.

"I think I will probably teach a course when I'm president," Gingrich told students and supporters after a campaign speech on entitlement reform at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

"I will probably try to do something that outlines for the whole country what we're going to try to accomplish," he said. "It will be free."

The former West Georgia College professor who holds a Ph.D. in modern European history from Tulane University rarely misses an opportunity to remind voters and journalists of his academic credentials. On the campaign trail, Gingrich often employs historical anecdotes involving the Wright Brothers, horse-drawn stagecoaches and Abraham Lincoln to illustrate his policy positions.

Gingrich said an online course would be one element of a major social media strategy that would allow him to communicate with more citizens directly, if elected president.

"The idea would be, why wouldn't you want a president in the age of social media to methodically in an organized way share with you what they're going to accomplish so that those people who really won't understand it can understand it," Gingrich said. 

Touting himself as a social media savvy candidate, Gingrich promised to tweet more as president but speak less.

How exactly? The former speaker vowed to deliver few speeches to his constituents, and only when absolutely necessary.

"As president, they would like you to only bother them when it really matters," Gingrich said to an amused audience.

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent

Manchester, N.H. -- Newt Gingrich is expanding his New Hampshire campaign staff for the third time in a month, adding Rep. Michele Bachmann's former state director Jeff Chidester to his team. He is the second ex-Bachmann aide to join Gingrich's team as the former House spealer surges in both state and national polls.

Chidester, who is a radio talk show host and Tea Party activist, will work with senior adviser Jim Wieczorek to build a Tea Party coalition and state steering committee, according to Gingrich's New Hampshire state director Andrew Hemingway. The New Hampshire-based staff now totals eight.

"Jeff has a strong following across our state and his addition to our team provides us with a great resource of knowledge and experience," Hemingway told NBC News.

In a mass exodus fraught with drama and miscommunication, Chidester departed the Bachmann campaign this fall along with several other staffers including Matt LeDuc. LeDuc recently joined Gingrich's campaign as the New Hamphire communications director.

This is the latest in a revolving door of campaign staff moving away from Bachmann's evaporated Granite State operation to other candidates. To date, many of the Minnesota congresswoman's New Hampshire aides have found new campaign jobs.

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent

KEENE, N.H. -- GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul told college students Monday he understands where they are coming from and is "very much involved in the 99" percent, after about a dozen Occupy Wall Street protesters spoke out at the end of his question-and-answer session at an evening campaign stop.

Approximately 15 students in a crowd of several hundred in a Keene State College auditorium stood up and began yelling as Paul awaited his final question from supporters this evening.

"We are the 99%! We will be heard! There are criminals on Wall Street who walk free, there are protesters in jail," they chanted. "There's something wrong with this system. We are the 99%! We will be heard!"

When the protesters finished, the Texas Congressman -- who smiled throughout their delivery -- leaned into the microphone and asked, "Do you feel better?" The audience erupted in cheers and applause.

"Let me address that for a minute, because if you listen carefully, I'm very much involved in the 99," Paul told the students. "We need to sort that out. But the people on Wall Street got the bailouts and you guys got stuck with the bills and I think that's where the problem is."

Paul is popular among college students in New Hampshire, a state where he enjoys 17 percent of support among likely Republican primary voters, according to a recent state-wide poll by Bloomberg News.

NEW YORK -- On Sunday, Michele Bachmann urged the Pentagon to develop a war plan “immediately” that would evaluate ways to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

"We must accelerate our covert operations and our cyber operations in Iran, and order ... the CIA director to take all means necessary to stop Iran from getting the bomb before it’s too late," said Bachmann, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
 
“And the Pentagon should prepare a war plan immediately to tell us what to do to prevent Iran from gaining those nuclear weapons,” she continued.

But these remarks, which came during a speech at the annual dinner of the Zionist Organization of America, a pro-Israel group, stopped short of calling for immediate military action against Iran. 

“I do not take lightly the prospect of committing the United States troop to stop Iran,” Bachmann said. “Only a fool would ever wish for war."

Bachmann repeated that theme during a press conference following her speech, telling reporters it would be “foolish” to rush into war, before adding,: “We must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to stop Iran. They are the threat to Israel, they are the threat to the United States.”

Iran's nuclear program, though long a concern inside conservative circles, is again in the spotlight since a United Nations report released earlier this month showed Iran has made further steps toward achieving a nuclear weapon.

Finding a medium between “wishing for war” and being “prepared” could mark a new way Bachmann will talk about managing the threat -– allowing her to strike hawkish and practical tones in equal measure on the issue that has become the centerpiece of her foreign policy agenda.

It also sets her apart from Republican opponents who draw a harder line on both sides of the issue. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has called for a joint American-Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Herman Cain has said he doesn’t support the idea of military action against Iran.

Bachmann called on Sunday for a variety of measures against Iran that stop short of military action, including public support for Iranian dissidents, a naval blockade, and a regime of “crushing” economic sanctions that would seek Russia and China’s aid in shutting down Iran’s central bank. (Both countries have financial relationships with Iran.)

Election politics also made a brief appearance Sunday, when Bachmann was forced to address her work as a young lawyer at the IRS.

ZOA’s president, Morton Klein, had woven that biographical detail into his introduction, setting off boos in the crowd.

“To everyone that was mortified in this room to learn that I was a tax lawyer and worked with –- on behalf of –- the IRS,” Bachmann said, “I actually wore a white hat and was trying to be an advocate for lower taxes in that position, not for higher taxes. “

It was a unique reference to her former employer, which Bachmann often eludes mentioning by describing herself as a “former federal tax attorney.”

Bachmann wasn’t the only high-profile speaker Sunday. Glenn Beck received a “defender of Israel” award from the group, delivering a speech that included teary tributes to leaders of the resistance against the Nazis, and a sweeping reproach of the American political left.

“I’ve said George Soros is no friend to Israel,” Beck said, referring to the prominent liberal philanthropist who is Jewish. “Let me add to it: neither is this administration.”

Sen. Patty Murray (D) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R), the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, released the following statement (after the markets closed):

After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee's deadline.

Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve.  We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee's work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy.

We are deeply disappointed that we have been unable to come to a bipartisan deficit reduction agreement, but as we approach the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving, we want to express our appreciation to every member of this committee, each of whom came into the process committed to achieving a solution that has eluded many groups before us. Most importantly, we want to thank the American people for sharing thoughts and ideas and for providing support and good will as we worked to accomplish this difficult task.

We would also like to thank our committee staff, in particular Staff Director Mark Prater and Deputy Staff Director Sarah Kuehl, as well as each committee member's staff for the tremendous work they contributed to this effort.  We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Douglas Elmendorf and Mr. Thomas Barthold and their teams at the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation, respectively, for the technical support they provided to the committee and its members.

On Tuesday, it was "You better believe it, Steny." On Wednesday, it was a not-so cordial invitation to debate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. On Friday, it was a stinging rebuke of Attorney General Eric Holder.

As Texas Gov. Rick Perry tries to get back what a sympathetic television host called his "political sea legs," he has spent the last week targeting Democratic officials much reviled by his conservative base.

The pot shots come after Perry's pitch early last week to create a "part time" Congress and slash lawmakers' pay. When the idea was met with ridicule by House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Perry delighted in pointing out the Maryland lawmaker's long tenure in Congress.

His mid-week Twitter war with Pelosi culminated in a call for her to turn over her financial records to the Securities and Exchange Commission after the speaker was reported to be one of several lawmakers who benefited from well-timed stock trades. On Friday, before an audience of law enforcement agents, Perry all but called for Holder's ouster as a result of the controversial "Fast and Furious" operation.

Those attacks have come atop a drumbeat of Perry's critiques of the White House. The Texas governor has doubled down on his claim that President Obama labeled the American people "lazy" (Politifact Texas rated Perry's statement "mostly false.") He claimed on FOX this week that the president does not understand the nation's fiscal woes because he "grew up in a privileged way."

Each attack against his Democratic opponents represents a slab of red meat for his potential supporters, as Perry works to convince them to look past his debate missteps to view him as a contrast to the political "establishment." More subtle -- but more important to the survival of his campaign -- are the "establishment"-based digs at his Republican opponents he's laced in between.

"Unique to the Republican field, I have never been an establishment figure, have never served in Congress or part of an administration, and have never been a paid lobbyist," Perry said Tuesday, previewing a new ad his campaign unveiled on Saturday. "My career has been that of a Washington outsider."

By NBC's Garrett Haake

NASHUA, NH -- In his most forceful language yet, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney today assailed President Obama, saying the president's lack of leadership will be to blame if the congressional Super Committee fails to generate a workable debt plan before Wednesday's deadline.

"What's most disappointing about that is that our president has had no involvement with the process," Romney said. "I find extraordinary that there would be set up a committee with such an important mission as finding a way to provide fiscal sanity in America and with the penalty if that fiscal sanity is not found of a $600 billion cut to our military."

He added, "I would have anticipated that the president of the United States would have spent every day and many nights working with members of the Super Committee trying to find a way to bridge the gap, but instead he's been out doing other things -- campaigning and blaming and traveling. This is, in my view, inexcusable."

As he wrapped up his speech to employees at defense contractor BAE Systems here, Romney used even more rhetorical flourish to decry the defense budget cuts that would occur should the Super Committee fail to reach a deal.

"They set this trap by saying we're going to cut the military by $600 billion," Romney said of the automatic cuts that would happen if the Super Committee did not reach a deal. "With the world that's a dangerous place, we're going to put the military on the chopping block. It's like holding a gun to your own head. I can't imagine the circumstance that ever makes any sense at all. Then with that as the possible outcome, you have a president who didn't get involved in the process."

Yesterday, Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt pushed back against Romney's repeated attacks on the issue, saying the former Massachusetts governor had let Congress off the hook for their failures, and that policies which Romney supports led to the debt crisis in the first place.

"Mitt Romney rejected asking the wealthiest for a dime to reduce the deficit -- instead, his plan would give them more tax cuts -- and he would leave our troops in Iraq indefinitely," LaBolt said in a statement. "That's the approach that led to the recession and created the deficit in the first place.  While President Obama laid out a balanced approach to reduce the deficit by $3 trillion, Mitt Romney now wants to absolve Congress of any responsibility to act."

The back-and-forth between Romney and the President comes one day before President Obama visits the Granite State, where Romney's campaign has largely been centered, and where he picked up another congressional endorsement today.

Rep. Charlie Bass, of New Hampshire's 2nd District, announced his support from Romney this morning, becoming the second of the state's three-person Republican congressional delegation to do so in the last 48 hours. Sen. Kelly Ayotte endorsed Romney at a rally in Nashua yesterday.

(Interestingly, Bass today told reporters that he supports getting new revenue out of debt deal. He added that he and Romney don't have to agree on everything.)

Speaking to a group of some 75 employees of BAE, Romney focused his message on defense and foreign affairs. He praised the controversial -- and costly -- next-generation Joint Strike fighter, whose electronic systems are built by BAE, as an "extraordinary piece of equipment" and "desperately needed" to keep America's potential enemies at bay. 

Romney also painted a dark picture of a changing world, with a "fragile" Pakistan on the verge of failure, a rising China and a resurgent Russia, and called for President Obama to halt any future defense cuts before they lead to a "doomsday" scenario.

"In a setting like this, this is no time for the United States of America to withdraw its commitment to a powerful and strong military," Romney said. "And a doomsday scenario for our military is not the right course, given where the world is headed. I actually think that there is a battle going on among the various players on the world stage to reshape the planet in their own way, to their own liking."

NASHUA, N.H. -- Newt Gingrich declared that the congressional "Super Committee's collapse" would be "good for America."

"I think it's going to fail,” Gingrich said at a campaign stop at Rivier College. “And I think it should fail, because it's exactly wrong.”

Today is considered the final day for Democrats and Republicans to agree on a plan that would need pass before Thanksgiving in order to avoid automatic spending cuts to Defense and social programs.

"It's not that Washington is inherently gridlocked,” the former Speaker contended. “It is that the current players are behaving in the current way are inherently gridlocked. It's partially president's fault, partially Congress's fault, but it's a mess.”

He added, "They were trying to break out of the mess by being, in my judgment, even dumber -- that is creating a committee of 12 picked by the political leadership to magically get in a room to come up something that 535 couldn't solve. It's profoundly the wrong direction.... It's a major reason I am running for president.”

As for what he would propose if he were in office, Gingrich was unclear. He said he encourages every subcommittee to revisit their budgets and cut spending, and he does not support repealing the Bush tax cuts.

"I'm in favor of not raising any taxes on an economy that has 9% unemployment," he said. "The reason is simple -- we know how to create jobs."

Gingrich, whose campaign team quit on him months ago and was low on resources, has ridden his debate performances -- and benefited from the stumbles of rivals -- to higher poll numbers both nationally and in New Hampshire. Today, he attempted to distinguish himself from the rest of the GOP field and make a general-election argument focused on those debate performances.

"If you stop and ask yourself, 'It's October of 2012, we get to the debates -- who do you want to have debate Obama to draw clarity between the various lies he will be telling and the truth?'” Gingrich said. “And I think most people end up thinking I'm a better debater than my friends are.”

Gingrich also slammed Obama on spending and leadership, calling his administration "a 16-year-old with the first credit-card kind of problem."

On immigration, Gingrich quipped, "FedEx and UPS track 24 million packages…. They allow you to track them at no extra cost. The federal government cannot currently find a million people," he said to laughter. "FedEx and UPS can track packages while they're moving; the federal government can't find people when they're sitting still! My policy is send everybody a package."

Over the weekend, Mitt Romney blamed President Obama for the Super Committee's failure.

"He's done nothing," Romney said. "It's another example of failed leadership. He hasn't taken personal responsibility to get this Super Committee to find ways to balance our budget and cut spending."

And campaigning in New Hampshire today, he added, per NBC's Garrett Haake:

"I would have anticipated that the president of the United States would have spent every day and many nights working with members of the Super Committee trying to find a way to bridge the gap, but instead he's been out doing other things. Campaigning and blaming and traveling. This is in my view inexcusable."

But could Romney have influenced the Super Committee to reach a deal? It's unlikely, since he has promised not to increase taxes, even though he raised fees as Massachusetts governor.

Remember, at a presidential debate back in August, every Republican candidate on the stage rejected a 10-to-1, spending cuts-to-tax increases deal, when Democrats are seeking more tax increases/revenue than that.

BAIER: Well, I'm going to ask a question to everyone here on the stage. Say you had a deal, a real spending cuts deal, 10 to one, as -- as Byron said, spending cuts to tax increases.Speaker, you're already shaking your head. But who on this stage would walk away from that deal?

[snip]

BAIER: OK. Just making sure everyone at home and everyone here knows that they all raised their hands. They're all saying that they feel so strongly about not raising taxes that a 10 to one deal, they would walk away from. Confirming that.

Rick Perry wasn't a presidential candidate at the time, but later said at the NBC-Politico debate in California that he also would have rejected the deal.

By maintaining that they would reject such a deal, it is highly unlikely that these Republicans would be able to work with the six Democrats on the Super Committee or even the Democratic-controlled Senate. And if Republicans win the White House and control of the Senate in 2012, they most likely wouldn't have a filibuster-proof majority in the upper chamber, meaning they'd need Democratic support. 

Romney also said this over the weekend: "I don't believe that raising revenues is the right answer to balancing our budget."

Yet Romney’s stance against raising revenue stands in contrast to his record as governor of Massachusetts, where he raised fees and revenues to balance the state's budget.

As USA Today wrote in 2007: Romney “managed to slash spending to eliminate a deficit pegged at $3 billion, but he also proposed or presided over a far-ranging series of fee hikes -- a strategy that allowed him to maintain the no-new-taxes stance he now boasts about as he runs for president. In all, then-Gov. Romney proposed creating 33 new fees and increasing 57 others -- enough, he said, to pull in an extra $59 million for the cash-strapped state.”

And on Meet the Press, Dec. 16, 2007: Romney defended raising fees: “First of all, it was nearly a $3 billion budget gap that we faced as we came into office, my team and I.  Secondly, we raised fees, and we generated about $240 million worth of increased revenue.  So of a $3 billion budget gap, we raised fees of about $240 million.” Grilled by moderator Tim Russert on the distinction Romney makes between taxes and fees, Romney said, “I'm not trying to hide from the fact we raised fees. We raised fees $240 million.”

By the way, $240 million in increased revenue -- via fees -- to solve a $3 billion budget gap is VERY close to a 10-1 deal.

Worst. Congress. Ever?... The Super Committee’s failure is the latest evidence to back up that assertion… The blame game begins over the Super Committee… Then again, gridlock could end up succeeding to produce as much as $6 trillion in deficit reduction… Gingrich and Romney lead the pack in new USA Today/Gallup poll… Crying it out in Iowa… Is Romney playing to win in Iowa?... And Perry targets a different Democrat a day.

*** Worst. Congress. Ever? Last summer, during the height of the debt-ceiling debate, congressional scholar Norm Ornstein wrote an article dubbing this Congress the “Worst. Congress. Ever.” And there’s now even more evidence to back up that assertion. According to Gallup, just 13% approve of Congress’ job (and that percentage is lower in other polls). As far as productivity goes, congressional lobbyist Billy Moore tells First Read that this Congress has enacted just 55 public laws so far this year (and 34 of them merely extended existing laws), compared with the average over the last 20 years of 148 public laws for a first full session. Moreover, back in the spring, Congress almost allowed the federal government to shut down. In the summer, Standard & Poor's cited Congress' brinksmanship over the debt ceiling as its rationale for downgrading U.S. debt. And now, unless a miracle occurs, it appears that the so-called Super Committee won't be able to reach an agreement to strike a deal over how to cut $1.2 trillion or more in spending.

*** The blame game: Of course, everyone is trying to blame the other side for the Super Committee’s expected failure. Republicans -- as well as GOP presidential contenders like Mitt Romney -- are blaming President Obama for not doing more (even though House Speaker John Boehner and the GOP walked away from the president’s grand-bargain offer last summer). Democrats are blaming Republicans for not making a serious effort to place higher taxes and more tax revenue on the table. And Republicans are blaming Democrats for not making a serious effort to reform entitlement spending. But the institution of Congress needs to take a deep look into the mirror. Because of how it works -- legislation has to pass both chambers to get to the president's desk, and 60 votes are now needed to get almost anything through the Senate -- both sides have to come together to get anything done. And right now, that's not happening. Make no mistake: This likely will hurt ALL incumbents; Congress' job rating will get lower (who knew that was possible?); and will make running against Washington all the more appealing.

*** Then again, gridlock could end up succeeding: But while Congress is unable to put politics aside to strike a grand bargain -- or any bargain -- here, there is still some significant deficit reduction going on. The Super Committee’s inability to reach a deal triggers $1.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years in military and civilian spending. That’s on top of the nearly $1 trillion Congress cut to raise the debt ceiling in the summer. And consider this: If Congress and Obama let the Bush tax cuts expire -- all of them -- that would produce another $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. So if Congress ends up doing NOTHING, you could see $6 trillion in deficit reduction. That said, efforts are already underway to restore military spending cuts, as well as those Bush tax cuts.

*** Gingrich and Romney leading the pack: Turning to the Republican presidential race, a new USA Today/Gallup poll has Newt Gingrich and Romney in the lead, with Gingrich at 22% among registered GOP voters and Romney at 21%. Herman Cain has dropped to third at 16%, and he’s followed by Ron Paul at 9% and Rick Perry at 8%.

*** Crying it out in Iowa: Over the weekend, six of the GOP presidential candidates (Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Paul, Perry, and Santorum) spoke at a forum sponsored by the Family Leader, and things got a bit emotional. Per a dispatch by NBC’s Carrie Dann, Alex Moe, Andrew Rafferty, and Jamie Novogrod, “Gingrich disclosed a time in the 1990s when he felt that he was ‘failing personally,’ even turning to the Alcoholics Anonymous handbook because he felt ‘truly hollow.’” Gingrich also admitted that his two divorces caused “a great deal of pain,” which he said he deeply regretted. Meanwhile, Cain “choked up when talking about his wife, Gloria, and the struggle he faced with cancer.” And he later “struggled past tears in describing one consequence of his business success. ‘I didn't believe that I was home enough when my kids were growing up,’ he said.” And another candidate who shed tears was Santorum, who discussed his daughter’s struggles for her life. “‘I had seen her as less of a person because of her disability.’”

*** Is Romney playing to win Iowa? One of the Republicans who didn’t attend Saturday’s forum -- Romney -- appears more and more likely to make a play for Iowa. As NBC’s Alex Moe and Garrett Haake reported over the weekend, Romney’s campaign opened an official headquarters in the Hawkeye State. “We’ve got a lot of volunteers and more activity as the caucuses approach and we thought it was time to get a little more space," David Kochel, Romney's top adviser in Iowa, told NBC. "We opened the office several days ago. We don’t plan any grand opening events there.” The New York Times later added that Romney “is now playing to win the Iowa caucuses. Television commercials are on the way, volunteers are arriving and a stealth operation is ready to burst into view in the weeks leading up to the caucuses, the first Republican nominating contest, on Jan. 3.” Romney travels to the Hawkeye State on Wednesday.

*** Perry targets a different Democrat a day: NBC’s Carrie Dann points out that Perry spent the past week criticizing Democrats and Democratic officials. On Tuesday, he took aim at House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. On Wednesday, it was a not-so cordial invitation to debate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. On Friday, it was a stinging rebuke of Attorney General Eric Holder. And in between, he was attacking President Obama. Who’s next? Anyone want to bet it’s Energy Secretary Chu?

*** On the 2012 trail: It’s a busy day in New Hampshire, with Romney, Gingrich, Paul and Huntsman all campaigning there… Huntsman also delivers a speech in DC on the Super Committee’s failure… Santorum stumps in Iowa… And Bachmann meets with Donald Trump in New York City, and she tapes an interview with Jimmy Fallon.

*** Monday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up (with guest host Luke Russert): House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on the super committee’s finger-pointing and what no deal means with NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and Jim Miklaszewski… The latest on Egypt with NBC’s Richard Engel and the accused New York City terror plotter with WNBC’s Jonathan Dienst… And more 2012 news with the Washington Post’s Dan Balz, USA Today’s Susan Page and the Chicago Tribune’s Clarence Page.

*** Monday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Richard Lui interviews the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein and Dana Milbank, the Des Moines Register’s Jennifer Jacobs, and Dem Rep. Karen Bass.

*** Monday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts interviews David Goodfriend & Robert Traynham (on Newt’s rise) and CNBC’s Shartia Brantley (on the black 1%).

*** Monday’s “NOW with Alex Wagner” line-up: MSNBC’s Alex Wagner’s panel includes former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Meghan McCain, Melissa Harris-Perry, and former RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

*** Monday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell (from New York) interviews Super Committee member John Kerry, Sen. Jim Webb, Vanity Fair’s Todd Purdum, Roll Call’s Christina Bellantoni, the Financial Times’ Gillian Tett, Stu Rothenberg, and NBC’s Richard Engel.

*** Monday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviews The Hill’s AB Stoddard and The Nation’s Ari Melber, as well as Dem Rep. Luis Gutierrez.

Countdown to Iowa caucuses: 43 days
Countdown to New Hampshire primary: 50 days
Countdown to South Carolina primary: 61 days
Countdown to Florida primary: 71 days
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 75 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 106 days
Countdown to Election Day: 351 days

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“With the Iowa caucuses just over six weeks away, an unexpected question about the early presidential states is beginning to make the rounds: Does retail politicking even matter much anymore?” Politico writes. “While no campaign would ever say so publicly, it’s hard to overlook what’s happening on the ground in Iowa and New Hampshire. In places where close contact with voters is a time-honored tradition, the usual rules appear to have been turned upside down: the candidates atop the GOP polls have spent the least amount of time meeting with voters and the cellar-dwellers are the ones who have hit the hustings the hardest.”

CAIN: “The media horde hounding Herman Cain was not the reason the U.S. Secret Service gave him a security detail, a federal official said Friday. ‘Media coverage or the number of media covering is not a factor in the decision of whether or not a candidate needs USSS protection,’ a Department of Homeland Security official told the Daily News. The GOP presidential hopeful — who has been a walking headline in recent weeks due largely to claims he sexually harassed at least four women — has faced threats and racially-fueled rhetoric, The Associated Press reported.

GINGRICH: Gingrich leads among Republican registered voters in a new USA Today/Gallup poll, 22%-21% over Romney. Gingrich is the sixth different candidate to lead the poll this year. 

“Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich is set to introduce a ‘growth and innovation’ plan that would offer younger workers an alternative to Social Security,” the AP reports. “The former House speaker, whose political comeback has seen his political fortunes improving in recent weeks, planned to tell students at St. Anselm College Monday that he would allow some members of the U.S. workforce to choose private retirement accounts and end the expectations that Social Security will be a safety net for older workers. Gingrich's plan would also let the markets determine retirees' income.” More: “Gingrich also planned to again call for returning welfare programs to the states, as well as offering states alternatives to Medicare and introducing private options.”

Myrtle Beach Tea Party chairman Joe Dugan endorsed Newt Gingrich this morning. 

But “former US Sen. Alfonse D’Amato yesterday called Newt Gingrich ‘a slick salesman with no chance of winning the general election,’ and vowed not to support him if he wins the GOP nomination,” the New York Post writes. D’Amato told the Post: “The Democrats will drag out his past history in government, and in his personal life, and in his business relationships, and that will prevent him from being elected.”

CBN’s David Brody interviews Gingrich.

HUNTSMAN: He was on Saturday Night Live.

PAUL: Ron “Paul, a representative from Texas, was asked on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’ by host Bob Schieffer, ‘Do you think there’s any place in the world US forces should be stationed?’ Paul responded ‘No,’” The Boston Globe writes.

The Hill wonders if “Ron Paul could be a major spoiler for the other Republican candidates in Iowa — and beyond.”

ROMNEY: “Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Sunday blamed President Obama for the failure of a congressional committee to agree on how to reduce the federal deficit – precisely because the Democratic president had nothing to do with it,” the Boston Globe writes. “ ‘He hasn’t had any role. He’s done nothing,’ Romney said. ‘This is another example of failed leadership.’”

He also said, "I believe the right answer is cutting taxes, so I will not endorse any plan that raises revenues, raises taxes.”

But a reminder: Romney didn’t exactly govern that way when he was governor of Massachusetts. Romney “managed to slash spending to eliminate a deficit pegged at $3 billion, but he also proposed or presided over a far-ranging series of fee hikes -- a strategy that allowed him to maintain the no-new-taxes stance he now boasts about as he runs for president. In all, then-Gov. Romney proposed creating 33 new fees and increasing 57 others -- enough, he said, to pull in an extra $59 million for the cash-strapped state,” USA Today wrote in 2007.

And on Meet the Press, Dec. 16, 2007: Romney defended raising fees: “First of all, it was nearly a $3 billion budget gap that we faced as we came into office, my team and I.  Secondly, we raised fees, and we generated about $240 million worth of increased revenue.  So of a $3 billion budget gap, we raised fees of about $240 million.” Grilled by late moderator Tim Russert on the distinction Romney makes between taxes and fees, Romney said, “I'm not trying to hide from the fact we raised fees.  We raised fees $240 million.”

Romney got the endorsements over the weekend from New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Charlie Bass, NBC’s Jo Ling Kent and Garrett Haake report.

Romney leads Obama in Michigan, 46%-41%, according to a new EPIC/MRA poll (per GOP 12).

“Mitt Romney [yesterday] briefly reiterated his campaign’s assertion that his aides did nothing wrong when they purchased their state-issued hard drives in 2006, as they left their jobs and Romney began his first run for president,” the Boston Globe writes. “‘They all followed the law exactly as it’s written,’” Romney said. And: “The Romney administration also wiped the server for the governor’s office and replaced the remaining computers in the office as they prepared to turn over power to Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat. As a result, Patrick’s office, which has been inundated with requests for records from the Romney era, has said that it has no emails from the Romney administration.”

More: “Romney did not address why his aides wiped the server, or if they were seeking to keep public information confidential. But he pointed out that his administration turned over paper records to the state archives in Dorchester. ‘We actually put 700 boxes of information into the archives that wasn’t even required, so we followed the law exactly as intended and as written,’ he said.”

The Hill notes that Democrats have their sights set on Romney for a general-election matchup with President Obama. At the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Iowa, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s former chief of staff, said, "Mitt Romney says he's a man of steadiness and consistency. If that's true, then I'm a linebacker for the Chicago Bears.”

And: “Romney has been the target of 12 news releases from the Democratic National Committee since the start of October against two for businessman Herman Cain and one for Perry. During the same period, the group’s blog has featured 36 posts tagged with Romney’s name against six for Cain and four for Perry. [Former White House spokesman Bill] Burton’s group has spent over $300,000 so far against Romney, records show — and nothing, it appears, against any other Republican presidential contender.”

“Republicans and Democrats appeared no closer today to reaching an accord on a plan to tackle the country’s growing budget deficits -- and couldn’t agree either whether talks have broken down,” the Boston Globe writes.

Admitting defeat: “The congressional ‘supercommittee’ stumbled its way toward failure Sunday, with final staff-level discussions focusing mostly on how the panel should publicly admit that lawmakers could not meet their mandate of shaving $1.2 trillion from the federal debt,” the Washington Post says. “Rather than making a final effort at compromise, members of the special deficit-reduction committee spent their final hours casting blame and pointing fingers, bracing for the reaction from financial markets that are already jittery over the European debt crisis.”

“The supercommittee is expected to make plain on Monday that it will fall short of its deficit-reducing mandate, an outcome many in Washington have expected for days,” The Hill reports. “The panel technically has a Wednesday deadline for their deficit-reduction package, which must be at least $1.2 trillion over a decade to avoid across-the-board cuts. But any deal the supercommittee comes up with must also be vetted by the Congressional Budget Office – and be available to the 12 lawmakers on the committee for 48 hours prior to any vote, giving the panel an effective Monday deadline.”

“As both parties prepare to blame each other for the super committee’s likely failure, House and Senate leaders face the stark reality that they now have to take swift action to rescue key programs they were expecting the panel to extend,” Roll Call writes.

“Now, both parties are quickly trying to figure out how to turn the committee’s embarrassing failure into a political win for their side,” Politico writes.

The New York Post calls it the “Stupor committee.”

“Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) believes First Amendment rights were violated when a group of Tea Party-affiliated voters were barred from holding a planned meeting in a House office building this week, his office said Friday,” The Hill writes, adding, “According to Lee's office, the Rules Committee shut down the meeting because it was being called a hearing and a hearing had not been cleared with the committee. Freedom Works had been promoting the event as a ‘Tea Party Hearing On Capitol Hill,’ apparently raising questions when the Rules Committee obtained a flier.”

“Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI) ‘fiercely denied allegations by distant relatives that he sexually abused a then-12-year-old second cousin several decades ago,’ the AP reports,” Political Wire writes.

“Michelle Obama yesterday got a mixed reception at NASCAR’s season finale in Homestead, Fla. — where the drivers applauded her, but the crowd booed,” the New York Post writes. She was there with Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, to honor the military. They got a standing ovation when Obama told the drivers in a prerace speech that NASCAR has been ‘amazing in terms of its support, not just today but every day, for military families.’ But later, when the first lady announced to the drivers, ‘Gentlemen, start your engines,’ fans booed.”

The Hill also picks up on it: “First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, were booed Sunday as they served as ceremonial Grand Marshals before the start of the Ford 400 NASCAR race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. The pair was at the NASCAR event to promote the Joining Forces initiative, a program championed by the First Lady to help veterans returning home from wars in the Middle East.”

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent and Garrett Haake

BEDFORD, N.H. -- Fresh off of New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte's endorsement, Mitt Romney is set to snag another key Granite State backer on Monday morning: the support of Congressman Charlie Bass of the state's second district. This is a helpful boost for Romney in a state where he is trying to grow his already commanding lead with approximately seven weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation primary.

In a widely expected move, Bass is the second of New Hampshire's three-person Congressional delegation to throw his support behind the former Massachusetts governor. To date, Romney now has congressional and gubernatorial endorsements from 25 states across the country.

"Voters in New Hampshire and across our country are looking for a candidate that understands what our economy needs to recover and grow, that has the experience of creating jobs, and has the leadership qualities needed to bring the citizens of our nation back together in these challenging times," Bass said in a statement to NBC News. "I firmly believe that Mitt Romney is the candidate that will renew our country's faith in the American dream."

Bass was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010. He also held the same office from 1995 to 2007. Bass will serve as a co-chair of New Hampshire's New Hampshire Steering Committee and will be a member of his National Steering Committee as well.

While they are certainly helpful, endorsements and poll numbers in New Hampshire have rarely indicated the actual outcome for the primary in recent cycles. Voters in New Hampshire tend to buck trends and Romney is trying to prevent history from repeating itself.

Four years ago, Romney held a double-digit lead similar to the one he has now. However, it evaporated in the final weeks and Romney lost the contest to Senator John McCain. Pat Buchanan overtook Bob Dole in 1996, and John McCain surprised George W. Bush in 2000. With many undecided voters expected to participate in the Republican contest, candidates are unlikely to hold onto double-digit leads in the final stretch of campaigning here.

Although Romney enjoys about 40 percent overall support here among likely Republican voters, last week's New Hampshire Journal poll showed Newt Gingrich gaining. It put Romney at 29 percent, compared to Gingrich's 27 percent.

Clearly the Romney campaign has taken notice. While all of his rivals except Jon Huntsman campaigned in Iowa this weekend, Romney returned to New Hampshire for a four-day swing, his longest visit to the state this cycle. A rally and retail stop were added to his schedule and, flanked by his own camera crew, Romney revealed that he will soon hit the airwaves with ads. It appears that although Romney has effectively campaigned here since his 2008 defeat and owns a home in the state, he is not taking his lead for granted this time.

To date, Congressman Frank Guinta is the only remaining Republican member of the New Hampshire congressional delegation yet to endorse. Guinta told NBC News he does not intend to back any of the candidates but did not completely rule out doing so.

New Hampshire will hold its primary on January 10.

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent and Garrett Haake

NASHUA, NH -- Accepting his most notable congressional endorsement to date at an afternoon rally here, Mitt Romney used the upcoming Congressional supercommittee deadline as his latest weapon with which to bludgeon President Obama.

"That committee looks like it's headed for failure and some of the Democrats were asked well, what's the president's role been to try and help the supercommittee come to consensus and the answer is he hasn't had any role," Romney said. "He's done nothing. It's another example of failed leadership. He hasn't taken personal responsibility to get this supercommittee to find ways to balance our budget and cut spending."

Standing in the same public plaza where John F. Kennedy began his 1960 campaign for president, Romney also accepted a coveted endorsement: that of New Hampshire's junior senator, a conservative rising star, Kelly Ayotte.

Ayotte, who became the first senator from any of the early nominating states to endorse a candidate, praised Romney's economic credentials, and said he was the only candidate in the field who could "ensure that Barack Obama is a one-term president."

After the rally, a noticeably relaxed and ebullient Romney headed down the street to greet supporters at a diner, where he passed out BLT sandwiches and joked about his weakness for bacon.

And in a moment only fully appreciated by those in the crowd who had seen last night's episode of Saturday Night Live, Romney referenced the show's cold-open sketch, in which Jason Sudeikis, playing Mitt Romney, looked to spice up his image.

"Today, this is me, just raw and unleashed." Romney said, quoting Sudeikis, to laughs from the crowd.  

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent

Manchester, NH -- Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman may have scored more speaking time on "Saturday Night Live" than he did at the last debate he attended.  In a surprise appearance on "Weekend Update," a jovial Huntsman showed off his humorous side, which until now has been limited to awkward one-liners at crowded debates and via his social media-savvy daughters (@Jon2012girls).

NBC

Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman on SNL's Weekend Update with Seth Meyers.

Huntsman, who recently shrunk his national campaign to a one-state strategy in New Hampshire, poked fun at how much time he has spent in the Granite State. Last week, he surpassed his 100th campaign stop in the state.

Sharing the news desk with New Hampshire native and "Weekend Update" host Seth Meyers, the former ambassador to China showed off some state trivia in a clever skit that was sure to tickle New Hampshire viewers.

"I love all of America -- from Dallas, Texas, to Manchester, New Hampshire. From the majestic Rocky Mountains to New Hampshire's scenic Lake Winnipesaukee. From the innovation of Silicon Valley to the affordable outlet malls in North Conway, New Hampshire," Huntsman quipped.

Meyers cautioned Huntsman that New Hampshire citizens don't take compliments easily. Huntsman leaned over and coolly said, "That's because you are as wise as a Dartmouth professor."

Huntsman also embraced his ongoing status as an underdog in the race for the White House.

"Only a few months ago, I was polling at margin of error. To have any digit at all is a pretty big deal," Huntsman joked. Huntsman was polling at 8 percent in a recent New Hampshire state survey by Bloomberg News.

In perhaps the most telling line of the sketch, Huntsman asked Meyers about his parents' political affiliations. Meyers' mom is a registered Democrat while his father is a registered independent voter. Huntsman, who needs to win over independent voters to make a splash in New Hampshire's Jan. 10 primary, leaned over to Meyers and said, "Say hi to your dad for me."

Huntsman has had several major appearances on television this week, including an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN and a new ad sponsored Our Destiny PAC, a group supporting his candidacy. He returns to New Hampshire on Monday.

From NBC’s Alex Moe & Andrew Rafferty

ALTOONA, Iowa – After an emotional roundtable discussion, six Republican presidential candidates put on their party hats and headed to Adventureland to kiss the ring of the don of Iowa politics.

Cliff Owen/AP

Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad takes part in the Health and Human Services Committee meeting at the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Gov. Terry Brandstad celebrated his 65th birthday tonight, and five candidates – Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul – stopped by to celebrate and address the nearly 300-person crowd.

Newt Gingrich was the only candidate to attend the Family Leader Thanksgiving Forum but not speak at the birthday party.

The former House speaker did show up late, however, and apologized to the governor for his tardiness, explaining he needed to fulfill an obligation he made with Fox News.

Perry, the Texas governor, was first to take the stage at Adventureland Palace Theater just outside Des Moines.

With his wife, Anita Perry, by his side, he joked, "We just got through with a little debate downtown and she asked me -- she said, ‘Where do you want to go,’ and I said, ‘Let's go to Adventureland.’”

Cupcakes bearing the Iowa governor’s likeness – with a special emphasis on his signature mustache -- were served up as dessert.

Bachmann, the Republican Minnesota represtnative, said, "I bought my own mustache and so because there's cameras here, I won't put it on. But just to let you know, I'm for you Terry Branstad, happy birthday!"

The candidates weaved between doling out Brandstad birthday wishes and giving abridged versions of their stump speeches in front of a crowd filled with many likely caucus voters.

The two noticeable candidate absences tonight were Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman. Speaking to reporters, Brandstad made it clear he did not approve of Romney missing out on his party.

“I think they made a mistake by not being here,” said Brandstad of Romney’s absence.  “I hope they'll spend a lot more time between now and January 3rd here is Iowa.” (Romney plans to be there Wednesday.)

Still, the night was not all politics and at times resembled a roast of the longest serving governor in Iowa history.

"I was a little surprised,” Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, joked, “last I heard he was 39 and now all of a sudden he is 65. How did that work out?”

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent and Garrett Haake 

Peterborough, NH -- Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, will endorse Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney Sunday at a rally in Nashua, the campaign told NBC News on Saturday evening. Her endorsement is the first by the three Republicans in New Hampshire's four-person Congressional delegation.

Alex Wong/Getty Images file

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, will endorse Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former governor of neighboring Massachusetts.

This is an important endorsement for Romney, who has also been formally backed by John Sununu, former New Hampshire governor and White House chief of staff, and former Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH.

Ayotte, 43, is considered a well-respected rising star in the Republican party. She won a closely fought GOP primary for the senate seat in 2010. Earlier, she was reappointed New Hampshire attorney general by Democratic Gov. John Lynch after first being appointed by Republican Gov. Craig Benson.

Ayotte is the sixth sitting senator to announce support for Romney, and the second to do so just this week.

In an email to supporters, Ayotte said she is endorsing Romney as a candidate "who can win." She cited his electability and private sector experience, calling Romney the "strongest candidate to face President Obama."

Ayotte also committed to joining Romney on the trail in the first-in-the-nation primary state, similar to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's promise to Romney.

"I will be working as hard as I can to help him secure the Republican nomination," Ayotte told voters late Saturday evening.

Charlie Neibergall/AP

Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., greets audience members Saturday after the Thanksgiving Family Forum sponsored by The Family Leader in Des Moines, Iowa.

By NBC's James Novogrod and Carrie Dann

Although the Family Leader Thanksgiving forum held on Saturday night had far less inter-candidate fireworks than a typical Turkey Day family reunion, Rep. Michele Bachmann launched an attack even before the candidates walked off stage.

The Bachmann campaign sent an email skewering the newly surging Newt Gingrich’s record on abortion.

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has failed to uphold a consistently pro-life stance throughout his career in public life,” the email reads. Team Bachmann accuses Gingrich of being "open to watering down the Republican Party's commitment to the inalienable right to life."

The candidate told reporters that she only intends to draw a contrast with other candidates' "surprises."

"What we're trying to do is underscore again the fact that there are differences in the candidates and you won't find surprises with me," she said.

Asked after the forum to comment, Gingrich appeared incredulous.

"I have no idea what she's talking about," he said, later adding "I'm not going to comment randomly on emails I haven't read."

The attack from Bachmann is the second time this week that she has targeted Gingrich. She honed in on reports about his consulting for Freddie Mac earlier this week, telling voters she "wasn't shilling" for the mortgage giant before the financial crisis.

Michael Dwyer/AP

Republican presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a town hall event Saturday in Peterborough, N.H.

By NBC's Jo Ling Kent

PETERBOROUGH, NH -- Facing increased scrutiny, Republican GOP front-runner Mitt Romney defended his administration's controversial decision to purchase hard drives and erase emails upon his leaving the Massachusetts' governor's office in 2007, saying he and his aides followed the law "and then some."

Romney claimed that under Massachusetts law, there is "no provision that requires the governor's office or Legislature to provide any information for the archives" and that his administration "voluntarily decided to do something that is not required by law."

He made a similar defense Friday.

Romney was campaigning in New Hampshire while most of his rivals, including newly minted front-runner Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain, were at a Des Moines, Iowa, forum sponsored by the Family Leader group. Romney, who quietly opened an Iowa headquarters this week, plans to campaign there Wednesday.

In a Saturday press conference in which he responded to a Boston Globe story, he said that he and his staff elected to assemble 700 boxes of documents and provided them to the state archives in an "unprecedented" move.

Romney went on to defended his aides' disposing of documents and purchasing of hard drives, citing that there might have been confidential information including medical records, resumes from job applicants and personal information on the devices.

"Those are confidential of course... putting it in the public domain would be violating their trust," Romney told reporters.

However, Romney gave no indication that he knew of any specific aides having such information on their workplace computers.

In what seemed like a circular answer, Romney explained his reasoning. "The reason I presume you would make sure if you're not going to make something public, you in effect don't make it public. By having computers with that information on it, why would you make it public? Which may well be a privileged, confidential medical-in-nature [item] that would not be appropriate to be in the public domain."

When asked by NBC News how transparent a potential Romney White House would be in light of his past performance and recent calls for transparency from the Obama administration, Romney only said, "I would anticipate while I have not been in federal office ... we would do what's required by the law and then some."

With the Jan. 10 primary quickly approaching and new threats to his frontrunner status, the Romney campaign appears to be doubling down on its Granite State strategy, having made a last-minute addition to the campaign schedule with a rally Sunday in Nashua. On Monday, Romney is scheduled to address employees at BAE Systems, a major New Hampshire employer.

As for when Granite Staters can expect Romney to begin television advertising, Romney kept his cards close to his chest. "As we get closer we will go up on the air," he said. "I wouldn't be expecting to wait weeks and weeks; it has got to be coming relatively soon."