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

Don’t like the 2012 Republican presidential field? Blame George W. Bush, says conservative columnist Philip Klein. http://is.gd/uxXhFU

Do you still support Herman Cain-style harsh anti-immigration rhetoric? Here’s your wake up call: “The Coming Latino Majority” in the U.S. Catholic Church. http://is.gd/ee1fK2

Democrats are collecting signatures at a feverish pace to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. But there are reasons for Republicans to be optimistic in Wisconsin, says the National Journal. http://is.gd/yuMnQR

A new book on Margaret Sanger attempts to airbrush her eugenicist sins from history, note Chuck Donovan and Nora Sullivan. http://is.gd/7tDnGK

“The Crisis of The Church Is the Crisis of Faith,” says Pope Benedict XVI in his “Year in Review” talk to Curial chiefs.  http://is.gd/Q0wYfE

Governor Sam Brownback is putting Tea Party principles into effect in Kansas, says the Washington Post. http://is.gd/h5S5Jq

“There are at least three reasons to hold a candidate’s past infidelities against his candidacy … that forgiveness and repentance do not nullify,” says Ramesh Ponnuru. http://is.gd/0UTPeB

The Minnesota Catholic Conference launches a pro-marriage website. http://is.gd/qa6Pr5

Dissident theologians threatened to resign, so Cardinal Pell called their bluff. You have to read this short story. http://is.gd/GIrXz4

Michael Sean Winters is not a right-winger.

Michael Sean Winters of the National Catholic Reporter rails against the Obama administration for not providing a true religious exemption in their contraception mandate and also calls it bad politics. http://is.gd/WaNb1l

Even Commonweal magazine published an editorial (sorta) against the lack of religious exemptions in the HHS mandate (but not without taking a swipe at our bishops).http://is.gd/PQjZsI

You must read this devastating review of George McGovern’s new book by CV blogger Mark Stricherz over at The Public Discourse. (I didn’t know that about his daughter’s abortion nor that she died of alcoholism.)  http://is.gd/LXWI3Y

I tip my hat today to Dale Hansen, a TV sportscaster at WFAA in Dallas, who spoke courageously on the air about the critical need to protect children from sexual abuse. http://is.gd/2Up45G

Conservative columnist Matt Lewis says that a Ron Paul win in Iowa will increase Mitt Romney’s chances of winning the nomination. http://is.gd/Ghrn2d

Newt Gingrich forced to leave Iowa to gather signatures in Virginia to get on the state’s ballot. http://is.gd/1VF1tj

Is there a Rick Santorum surge going on? http://is.gd/w4V7bb

Pro-family activist Bob Vander Plaats denies that he explicitly asked Michele Bachmann to drop out of the race. Frankly, I like his chutzpah. http://is.gd/wb2eMT

Life magazine releases breathtaking vivid color photos from the Battle of the Bulge. http://is.gd/caR44L

U.S. existing homes sold since 2007 is revised down by 14%. http://is.gd/poeWXA

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

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

Pat Archbold is still praying for Christopher Hitchens, an atheist writer who passed away this morning. [Correction: he died last night.] http://is.gd/uOtopL

Our own Thomas Peters encouraged Catholics to pray for Hitchens when word first broke out about his cancer back in 2010. http://is.gd/ZODe9L

Planned Parenthood loses $130K in taxpayer funding in Wisconsin. http://is.gd/eZSErC

Virginia allows faith-based adoption groups freedom of conscience. http://is.gd/lQPK0z

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley endorses Romney. http://is.gd/xC3kYA

This National Review editorial against Newt Gingrich caused quite a stir yesterday. http://is.gd/KgO44O

52% say Obama doesn’t deserve re-election, while 42% say he deserves another term. http://is.gd/OFp8Yp

Ohio moved up its presidential primary to Super Tuesday and this will help Romney. http://is.gd/aESMG2

CV blogger Joseph Bottum writes about football star Tim Tebow at Hudson New York. http://is.gd/DYutAa

Speaking of Tebow, he told his critics that he won’t back off talking about Jesus Christ. http://is.gd/gMxAmk

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR

Bipartisan support, finally! Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, teamed up with Oregon Democrat Sen. Ron Wyden on a new plan to reform Medicare. Wyden said it was time for conservatives and progressives to come together and “deal with the costs and demographic challenges.” It won’t do as much to solve Medicare’s insolvency as Ryan’s previous plan, but reforming the expensive but popular plan without any Democratic support is impossible. http://is.gd/AZwNoA

Newt Gingrich drops 12 points in Iowa, with 12 points going to Perry and Paul in the latest Rasmussen poll. Mitt is now in first in Iowa. Romney 23%, Gingrich 20%, Ron Paul 18%, Rick Perry 10%, Michele Bachmann, 9%, Rick Santorum 6%, and Jon Huntsman 5%.  http://is.gd/MsQiQK

Lifeway, a Christian bookstore chain, pulls the Komen Bible from their shelves because of Komen’s support for Planned Parenthood. http://is.gd/nCt4lY  

No surprise, but good to make it official: The National Right to Life Committee and its Nebraska affiliate will oppose Sen. Ben Nelson’s reelection in Nebraska. http://is.gd/33O8GL

Rumors have swirled that former NM Gov. Gary Johnson, who supports abortion, might leave the GOP presidential race and run on the Libertarian Party banner. He says he hasn’t made up his mind, but he did offer an idea of what a third-party run would look like. http://is.gd/H4I4iw

According to Andrea Tornielli, all documentation is being prepared for Pope Benedict XVI to proclaim Blessed Hildegard the new Doctor of the Church in October 2012 during the “Year of the Faith.” http://is.gd/lNHQUN

R.I. Governor Lincoln Chafee, an Independent who made news for dedicating a “holiday” tree dropped even further in the polls, now at just a 27% approval rating. Merry Christmas, Linc. http://is.gd/N5CHFk

Mitt Romney suggests that Newt Gingrich should return over a million dollars in consulting money to failed housing giant Freddie Mac. Gingrich responds suggesting that Romney return money he earned at Bain for laying people off. Newt’s response backfires big time. http://is.gd/jqLHqv

If Romney or Gingrich falter, Rick Perry might take it all, says Ken Klukowski. (It’s possible, but tough.) http://is.gd/qVOVxw

President Obama’s favorable ratings hold steady, still below 50%. http://is.gd/9K61gY

A new Pennsylvania redistricting map would strengthen five congressional districts held by Republicans while pitting two Democrats (Jason Altmire and Mark Critz) in the same district.  http://is.gd/a6heYD

A new Church foundation named after Pope John Paul II promotes Catholic sportsmanship. http://is.gd/QqY10r  

The Diocese of Orange recently purchased the Crystal Cathedral once used by TV preacher Robert Schuller. (I really can’t understand why.) Deacon Kandra thinks to renovate the cathedral, the Diocese ought to hire the person who transformed one church from drab to sacred. http://is.gd/skRZ0L

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., expressed repentance for sins committed by members of the Church, including the sexual abuse of minors. http://is.gd/YH8nyr

“I was taught the faith in Catholic schools using materials that were weak and insubstantial. I wasn’t being taught my faith. The liturgy suffered from experimentation as well,” said Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Mich. http://is.gd/qJLxDF

There is little room for dissent with Kathleen Sebelius in charge, says WSJ columnist Bill McGurn. He gives a shout out to the new CatholicVote ad in his column. (Subscription might be required). http://is.gd/gzNO77

Too soon to call it a comeback, but Rick Perry climbs up to 13% in the latest Iowa poll.

Perry’s also starting a month-long bus tour of Iowa. http://is.gd/01oIhI

Michele Bachmann will one-up him, by hitting all 99 counties of Iowa in her bus tour. http://is.gd/rwIaYw

A brokered GOP convention? Don’t bet on it, says Sean Trende. http://is.gd/Z8Krl8

Speaker Boehner says the House will pass a bill extending the payroll tax cut. The bill also contains a provision on the Keystone Pipeline which Obama opposes. http://is.gd/uO9gqW

NBC calls the ad with Tim Tebow and his mother a “controversial anti-abortion ad.” http://is.gd/btr2aQ

The Supreme Court is an ‘enormous issue’ for 2012. http://is.gd/aX0Q7T

Obamacare could obliterate most health care conscience protections, experts say. http://is.gd/DbjGro

Rivals fail to stop Newt Gingrich’s momentum during Saturday’s Iowa debate. http://bit.ly/vDTlAm

Seven former employees offer to testify against Planned Parenthood. http://bit.ly/tiSpYu

Jon Huntsman praised abortion champion Kathleen Sebelius when Barack Obama nominated her as head of the Dept. of Health and Human Services. http://bit.ly/slhTBx

Documents on possible Archbishop Fulton Sheen miracle headed for Vatican. http://bit.ly/s1tzLB

Many Catholic colleges not complying with Ex corde Ecclesia, study shows. http://bit.ly/uUHGn0

This excellent profile on the successes of Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, has one conservative leader musing of brokered convention that nominates him to go against Obama. (Me, too!) http://bit.ly/vBvkEK 

Ron Paul accuses Newt Gingrich of selling access. http://bit.ly/uCFk8U 

Justice Elena Kagan will be recused from the Arizona immigration case because of her earlier involvement as Solicitor General. http://bit.ly/w0L5TT

Catholic blogger Matthew Warner thinks Rick Perry’s new ad about gays in the military is overly simplistic red meat that doesn’t help the pro-marriage cause. (I think Matt’s right.) http://cvote.to/9m  

Non-partisan political analyst Charlie Cook says Newt Gingrich’s campaign fundamentals are very lacking and will hamper his chances of winning the nomination. http://cvote.to/9n

The Saint Louis Police Dept. calmly and quietly cleared out the Occupy Wall Street crowd in their town — without using harsh techniques or causing social unrest. (Sometimes it’s best not to be Clint Eastwood.) http://cvote.to/9o    

Washington Post blogger Jen Rubin also thinks Newt Gingrich needs to explain his changes on embryonic stem cell research. http://cvote.to/9p

Ron Paul is making a major play for evangelical Christians in Iowa. http://cvote.to/9q

The GOP Senate fight in Wisconsin is just between former Gov. Tommy Thompson and former Rep. Mark Nuemann, right? Actually, a third candidate might win the race, says Hotline. That’s State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. http://cvote.to/9r

Awesome News: Abortions in Arizona drop 30% after pro-life law takes effect. http://cvote.to/9s

The Catholic Church confirms Pope Benedict XVI will visit Cuba in the spring. http://cvote.to/9g

The mitts come off: Romney slams Gingrich for attacking Paul Ryan’s Medicare reforms. http://cvote.to/9h

Mitt Romney now says he wouldn’t recommend other states adopt Romneycare. That’s a shift from what he said in 2008. (Go figure, he changed his position.) http://cvote.to/9i

Nancy Pelosi refers to our Catholic bishops as ‘lobbyists.’ http://cvote.to/9j  

Catholic universities see the value of single-sex housing. http://cvote.to/9k

As Congress debates extending unemployment benefits, they should make those who receive benefits also do volunteer work in the community, says commentator Nolan Finley. http://cvote.to/9l 

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States! Today is a holy day of obligation, but don’t simply go because you must. Go willingly and with great joy! And ask Holy Mary to bless “the land of our birth.”