Our Evan McMorris-Santoro reports from South Carolina that the attack ads began airing as soon as the New Hampshire polls closed.

Benjy Sarlin has it right: “The big question now is how far Gingrich et al are willing to go before they decide they either can’t win or it isn’t worth damaging their standing with the party to continue lobbing bombs at the likely nominee.”

Presumably Team Romney’s plan to combat attacks over Bain Capital has always been to paint anyone raising the issue as a loony left-wing extremist.

However, the barrage has come earlier than expected, and from some unexpected opponents, including Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich.

That hasn’t stopped Romney’s backers from responding with their original plan. So tonight brought us some amazing moments. Who’d ever have thought you’d see Fox News’ Sean Hannity tell Perry he sounds “like something out of Occupy Wall Street”? Or Romney surrogate John Sununu dropping the “Socialist!” S-bomb on Newt? It happened, and you can see it here.

Fabled hate leader Tom Metzger tells followers to beware of women and their charms after Feds use female informant to bring down two of his followers on bombing charges.

The South Carolina phase of the primary season begins with Mitt Romney holding a 10-point lead in the TPM Poll Average.

Bernard Avishai looks ahead to the Obama v. Romney race and the quest to make Obama a one-term president.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is suing the FAA for more information about who has received the 285 certifications for using aerial drones in the United States.

Jon Stewart roasts CNN’s 5 a.m. “news” show that specializes in cold calling people in the early morning hours. Watch.

Pema Levy on how Mitt Romney’s opposition to the Dream Act might cost Republicans a shot at wooing Hispanic voters in the general election yet again.

Lawyer defending South Carolina’s voter ID law was one of the Bush-era DOJ guys who thought the department was discriminating against … white people.