The Note’s Must-Reads for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Compiled by ABC News Digital News Associates Jacqueline Fernandez, Amanda VanAllen  and Jayce Henderson

MITT ROMNEY The New York Times' Michael Barbaro: " Campaign Sends Romney to the Rescue. Ann Romney" Ann Romney switches off shrill TV coverage of the presidential race "all the time." She is exasperated by the hyper partisanship of the moment. As for the debates? "Listen," she said in a rare interview here, "I don't even want to go to the debates." LINK

USA Today's Catalina Camia: " Romney says he's ready for long primary fight" Mitt Romney says he's prepared to fight Newt Gingrich for the GOP presidential nomination for "months and months." In an interview with Politico, the former Massachusetts governor conceded Gingrich is the GOP front-runner "right now" but vowed to fight for the nomination without offering "red meat" or "incendiary" comments to tear down his rivals. LINK

NEWT GINGRICH The Washington Times' Seth McLaughlin: " Gingrich bashes, employs media to get ahead" Newt Gingrich has made a point of ridiculing the press during his presidential campaign, but he actually owes the media a debt of gratitude. Without the free coverage he has received, the money-challenged Gingrich campaign might never have gotten off the ground. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's John D. McKinnon: " Gingrich Plan Gets Close Look" Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's tax plan would lower tax bills for most U.S. households but increase the deficit significantly unless Congress were to cut spending, a new analysis says. The study by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center-a joint venture of the liberal Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute-offers insight at a time when Mr. Gingrich is moving to the fore among GOP candidates. LINK

The Boston Globe's Shira Schoenberg: " Newt Gingrich target of robo-calls by gun- rights organization" As Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich campaigned in New Hampshire today, the National Association for Gun Rights sent out robo-calls in New Hampshire accusing the former House speaker of being "anti-gun." The calls say Gingrich has not returned the organization's survey, adding, "Maybe it's because of his past support for gun control." LINK

GINGRICH VS. ROMNEY ABC News' Emily Freidman: " While Gingrich Debates, Romney Earns Cold, Hard, Cash in N.J." While GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich participated in a Lincoln-Douglas debate with Jon Huntsman in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney had already slipped out of the Granite State after a day of campaigning and into the arms of some very generous supporters. As much as $1.1 million was reportedly raised at a much-anticipated fundraiser this evening in Parsippany, N.J., which was hosted by N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, who endorsed Romney in October. LINK

The Los Angeles Times' Maeve Reston: " Gingrich, Romney exchange blows" Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney exchanged furious personal criticisms Monday, each accusing the other of gaining financially at the expense of Americans - criticisms usually leveled at the Republican presidential contenders by Democratic opponents. Bristling at Romney's suggestion during a Fox News interview Monday that Gingrich should return $1.6 million in payments that his firm received for advising mortgage giant Freddie Mac , Gingrich slammed Romney's experience heading Bain Capital, a leveraged-buyout firm, for 15 years before becoming governor of Massachusetts. LINK

The Washington Post's Amy Gardner, Karen Tumulty and Philip Rucker: " Mitt Romney steps up attacks on Newt Gingrich" Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney escalated his rivalry with Newt Gingrich on Monday with a series of pointed, personal attacks, signaling a more aggressive and negative shift in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Douglas Belkin and Sara Murray: " The Front-Runners Start to Go at It" Turning increasingly personal in their attacks, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich traded criticisms Monday over how each man had become wealthy, another sign that the Republican presidential nominating contest has turned into a duel between the two men. LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEOS " Romney's Bet with Perry; Gingrich vs. Huntsman Debate" LINK

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