Iowa Republicans are trying to dismiss claims that the vote count in Tuesday’s Iowa Caucus was wrong. An Iowa voter told a local TV station yesterday that he noticed a 20-vote discrepancy in the count – and that Rick Santorum was the real winner of the Caucuses. Republican Party officials, though, are sticking to their first count – showing Mitt Romney as the winner by 8-votes - and there will be no recount.

The New York Times is finally catching on to the fact that the American Dream is dead. An article running in the paper today points out the disturbing fact that the United States is one of the least socially mobile nations in the developed world. As in – it’s harder for someone born poor to become rich – or even just join the middle class throughout their life. Only 8% of Americans born in the poorest fifth of the popula

Even though a debt crisis is gripping the European continent – the German economy is surging. According to the latest economic data – German unemployment fell in the month of December – bringing the average number of unemployed people in that nation to a two-decade low. Economists are now openly wondering just how long the German economy can be immune from the chaos surrounding it in places like Greece where unemployment is at 18%

• Professor Robert Reich, UC Berkeley. 2012...Obama/Clinton vs. Romney/Rubio?
• John Nichols, The Nation Magazine. Iowa caucuses today.
• Brad Friedman, The Brad Blog. Republicans flip-flop on Voter ID and voter fraud.
• David Cobb, Move to Amend. Montana's high court decision on Citizen's United.
• Noel Flasterstein, Gun Rights For You.