Daily Links, Jan. 5: Elections and Super PACs and protests, oh my!

Election 2012 is underway, with the Iowa caucus results in on Tuesday. Michele Bachmann joined Herman Cain in ending her campaign, prompting the question: What happens when candidates "called by God" drop out? [1] The Huffington Post is asking if perhaps we're confusing civil and religious offices [2], while also nothing that apparently the first- and second-place finishers in Iowa have clashed before [3]--over the sex abuse crisis in the church. (Which, ten years later, Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley reminds us is still not a thing of the past [4], despite progress made.)Though Santorum finished second in Iowa, did many Catholics vote for him? [5]

In other election-related discussion, our own Scott Alessi takes a closer look [6] at some underlying themes of Stephen Colbert's Super PAC.

Protests [7] are being planned here in Chicago over Cardinal George's KKK comments [8].

And, since we still haven't had any significant snow in Chicago so far this year, pictures of the recently completed Bavarian snow church [9] seem cooler in January than they otherwise might.