Welcome to the Lunchtime Reader, where we assemble important stories to keep your eyes on.

One despicable leftist ad showed a Republican pushing a grandmother off of a cliff.

Christmas comes early for Paul Ryan. Politifact calls the claim that “Republicans voted to end Medicare” as the “Lie of the Year 2011.” http://is.gd/vgJWIm

GOP unhappiness with the field fuels buzz for Jeb Bush. http://is.gd/0rsajT

Dissident, pro-abortion, lesbian ex-nun leaves the Catholic Church and becomes an Anglican priest. http://is.gd/Nr1iE6

Don Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association endorses Newt Gingrich. http://is.gd/SRZF13

UPDATED: Iowa social conservative activist Bob Vander Plaats endorses Rick Santorum. (I thought he was leaning toward Perry recently). http://is.gd/lJY3V5

President Obama seriously thinks he’s the fourth best president ever. Maybe higher. http://is.gd/o9QYjO

Good news: Support for the death penalty continues to decline. http://is.gd/2K22nu

Iowa Republicans worry if Ron Paul wins the Iowa caucuses that it will ignored in future years. http://is.gd/9B2gSX

Awesome: Michigan withdraws $200,000 grant to Planned Parenthood. http://is.gd/H02uOf

Lame: The city council of Duluth (4th largest city in Minnesota) votes to oppose state marriage amendment drive. Jeff Anderson, who brought up the resolution, is planning to run for Congress against Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack. http://is.gd/sZroEA

National Democrats don’t want a repeat of their special election loss in NY-9. They are flooding Oregon’s special election to be held on Jan. 31 with $1 million in ads. The election is being held in OR-1 after Democrat Rep. David Wu resigned after a sex scandal. http://is.gd/TroWPy

A new study release this week by a team of Italian scientists gives more evidence for the Shroud of Turin’s authenticity. http://is.gd/YGLS8G