The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com

Compiled by ABC News Digital News Associates Jayce Henderson and Amanda VanAllen

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Politicos' Glenn Thrush: " 9 numbers Obama will watch in 2012" President Barack Obama has always styled himself a numbers guy, a rational, dispassionate devourer of OMB, IMF and NBA statistics. Even though Obama hates to be compared with Mr. Spock, two of his top advisers, David Plouffe and Jim Messina, are so metric-minded they are more likely to exchange spreadsheets chocked with arcane data than pleasantries. LINK

RICK PERRY: ABC News' Arlette Saenz: " Rick Perry's Security Costs Texas Taxpayers up to $400,000 a Month"  Rick Perry's security costs have risen since he entered the presidential campaign in August, costing Texas taxpayers as much as $400,000 a month, according to a report by the Texas Tribune. An examination of Texas public safety department records found that the agency spent more than $1.4 million on out-of-state trips between September to mid-December, including more than $397,000 between Sept. 5 and Sept. 28 this year. LINK

RON PAUL: The New York Times' Jim Rutenberg and Serge Kovaleski: " Paul Disowns Extremists' Views but Doesn't Disavow the Support" The American Free Press, which markets books like "The Invention of the Jewish People" and "March of the Titans: A History of the White Race," is urging its subscribers to help it send hundreds of copies of Ron Paul's collected speeches to voters in New Hampshire. The book, it promises, will "Help Dr. Ron Paul Win the G.O.P. Nomination in 2012!" LINK

The Hills' Jonathan Easley: " Ron Paul supporters: Uncut video shows he didn't 'storm out' of CNN interview" The uncut version a CNN interview between Ron Paul and Gloria Borger surfaced online Sunday leading many Paul supporters to claim that the footage shows the GOP hopeful didn't "storm out" of the interview, as some media outlets reported based off the edited version that aired on CNN. In the interview, Borger pushed Paul about newsletters from the 80s and 90s that bear his name and contained racist and homophobic content. In the originally aired video, Paul seemed to walk out on Borger after a terse rebuttal. LINK

IOWA VOTERS / 2012 RACE: The Washington Post's David Fahrenthold: " Many Iowans struggle with political indecision" ANKENY, Iowa - At first, she liked Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He was about faith and family, just like she is. Then she heard Perry debate. And then she liked Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.). Another assertive Christian. But that ended, too: "She has kind of an annoying voice." LINK

The Washington Times' Dave Boyer: " Dozen states will prove pivotal in race to White House" The 2012 presidential race will be decided in a dozen swing states, and President Obama faces a hard road to victory in many of them. "It appears this election will be much more like Bush-Gore" in 2000, said Democratic strategist Steve McMahon, co-founder of Alexandria-based Purple Strategies. "The president ain't gonna win by 95 electoral votes." LINK

BOOKMARKS: The Note: LINK The Must-Reads Online: LINK Top Line Webcast (12noon EST M-F): LINK ABC News Politics: LINK The Political Punch (Jake Tapper): LINK George's Bottom Line (George Stephanopoulos): LINK Follow ABC News on Twitter: LINK ABC News Mobile: LINK ABC News app on your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad: LINK