Cheat Sheet - Pro-Newt Group: Romney Is “Dangerous”

Today: Mitt Playing to Win in Iowa, Iran Seeks to Execute U.S. Man, Morgan Stanley Begins Layoffs December 28, 2011 LASHING OUT 1. Pro-Newt Group: Romney Is "Dangerous" So much for staying positive. With Newt Gingrich dropping from first to a distant third in Iowa, he's started lashing out at the two current frontrunners. A Gingrich Super PAC is calling Mitt Romney the "second most dangerous man in America," and yesterday Gingrich's own campaign sent out statements to the press calling Romney "Massachusetts Moderate Mitt." As for Ron Paul, Gingrich said on CNN that his views are "totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American." Read it at Talking Points Memo STRATEGY 2. Mitt Playing to Win in Iowa Mitt Romney is anxious to lock up this nomination. Though Iowa "looks like a 2 person race between Paul and Romney," according to Public Policy Polling's analysis of its latest poll, Romney is seeking an edge by pouring resources into the state ahead of next week's caucuses. The candidate, already a frontrunner in New Hampshire, has transferred key staffers from his Boston headquarters to fill out his Iowa team and is buying up a late batch of TV advertising—clear signs that "he's playing to win," according to Politico. The PPP poll shows Romney just behind Ron Paul, 24 percent to 20 percent. Read it at Politico MIDDLE EAST 3. Iran Seeks to Execute U.S. Man Iran is seeking the death penalty in the trial of a U.S.-born man who appeared on state TV earlier this month to confess to being an American spy. The man, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, was born in Arizona in 1983. Prosecutors say he tried to enter Iran's intelligence department three times, while his lawyer says he was deceived by the CIA. Hekmati's father, who lives in Michigan, says his son was only trying to visit his grandmothers. Read it at The Wall Street Journal WALL STREET 4. Morgan Stanley Begins Layoffs Hard times have come to Wall Street, with Morgan Stanley beginning the first round in a projected 1,600 layoffs. The company filed a notice with the New York State Department of Labor, saying it will slash 580 jobs in the city. It cited "economic" woes as the reason. Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley announced it would cut 1,600 jobs, or 2.6 percent of its workforce, by the first quarter of 2012. The company isn't alone: Citigroup recently announced it would cut 4,500 jobs, and Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have announced layoffs as well. Read it at The New York Times FACE OFF 5. Kucinich Challenges Democrat Rep. Dennis Kucinich isn't getting redistricted out of his seat without a fight. After looking for a district in Washington state and contemplating a challenge to Ohio Democrat Rep. Marcia Fudge, Kucinich decided to stick to his home turf and challenge Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur. Kucinich and Kaptur's districts were combined when Ohio lost two House seats. Kaptur is the longest-serving female in the House, and she's stronger in the redrawn district than Kucinich is. Read it at The Hill CONCESSION Syria Frees 755 Political Prisoners As observers tour restive city. DEATHS North Korea Begins Kim's Funeral Thousands mourn Dear Leader. META Stephen Farber on Movies About Movies As 'The Artist' and 'Hugo' contend for an Oscar. RELIGULOUS Maher Attacked for Tebow Tweet Some are calling for a boycott of HBO. TELL-ALL Weiner Wanted Threesome: Report Woman says ex-congressman attracted to men. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET The Yes List Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Gingrich, Perry, Bachmann, and Santorum Go Extreme on Abortion by Michelle Goldberg NewsBeast: What Did Occupy Wall Street Accomplish? by The Daily Beast Video Flick Picks: 2011's Best and Worst Movies (Video) by Ramin Setoodeh, Peter Travers

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