Subject: POLITICO’s Morning Score: How the NV caucuses work--Why Gingrich will lose them--Mormonism helps Romney in Feb.--Gingrich web video highlights Soros praise--Witzel wins Florida contest--Predict Saturday results
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:45:57 -0600

By James Hohmann (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] ; Twitter: @jameshohmann)

LAS VEGAS-FIRST IN SCORE - WITH SUPER BOWL AD, HOEKSTRA WILL ATTACK STABENOW ON DEBT:Michigan Republican Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra will spend $144,000 to air an ad in Michigan during this Sunday's Super Bowl that hits incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow on her past votes for deficit spending. It's a Fred Davis production so expect it to be buzzy and potentially viral on Monday. Fred is the ad maker who gave us "One tough nerd," "King Rat," and "Demon Sheep." This is Hoekstra's first big buy of the cycle.

FLORIDA CONTEST WINNERS - WITZEL, SCHORSCH, HOEKSTRA, CALDWELL, CODY:Several readers came very close to forecasting Tuesday's primary results almost perfectly. Kurt Witzel, a member of the Missouri Republican State Committee, wins.Peter Schorsch, who edits the Florida politics blog Saint PetersBlog and runs Extensive Enterprises, finishes a close second. Matthew B. Hoekstra, Patrick Caldwell and Joe Cody tie for third. Here's the ranking of the 87 people who correctly guessed the top four:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068603792d511de6d31aef55ea8627c0dbffb25d5710476b764 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068603792d511de6d31aef55ea8627c0dbffb25d5710476b764 .

** As Nevada caucuses tomorrow, Romney says he actually does care about the very poor and two top North Carolina Democrats say they won't be on the ballot in November, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

NEVADA AT THE EPICENTER-

OVERNIGHT PPP POLLING - ROMNEY LEADS GINGRICH BY 25:Romney, 50; Gingrich, 25; Paul, 15; Santorum, 8. Among Mormons, projected to be 20% of the vote, Romney leads Paul 78-14. "But Romney&#39;s dominance in Nevada goes well beyond that," Democratic pollster Tom Jensen explains. "He&#39;s winning voters describing as &#39;very conservative,&#39; a group he&#39;s had huge amount of trouble with in other states, by a 43-34 margin over Gingrich. He&#39;s also winning men, women, Hispanics, whites, and every age group that we track. This will be a pretty thorough victory for him." Other data points:70% of Nevada Republicans view Romney favorably. 56% think he would be the strongest candidate in
 the general.49% view Gingrich UN-favorably.Jensen says Paul "catching up to Gingrich for 2nd place appears unlikely." The key is getting young people out: Paul leads Gingrich 23-20 with those under 45, but Gingrich leads Paul 29-11 with those older.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb39300687e35e4cd94973c6918ca85d72140b8cbc67cde655741d1b8 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb39300687e35e4cd94973c6918ca85d72140b8cbc67cde655741d1b8 

RALSTON PREDICTS A SECOND OR THIRD PLACE PAUL FINISH:"He got 14 percent last time. Is that his ceiling? If so, he gets third. Seems like even more enthusiasm and better organization than '08, so I think Romney folks are wary, if not nervous," The Las Vegas Sun's Jon Ralston told the Washington Post for a brief Q&A.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068f9cc291be61d9b2317dc60f3fabb456f354873dc6fade055 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068f9cc291be61d9b2317dc60f3fabb456f354873dc6fade055 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? - SCORE'S NEVADA PREDICTION CONTEST:Now it's time toguess the outcome in the Silver State. Please send a ranking of how the four will finish with the percentage of the vote you think each gets. The winner gets free dinner if in Washington. Second and third place get POLITICO swag and bragging rights. Send guesses by 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET Saturday to
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] .

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS - GINGRICH CAMP AIMING FOR DELEGATES:"Mr. Gingrich has just two paid staff members in Nevada, who have been joined by a contingent from his national staff," Trip Gabriel writes in today's New York Times. "The Nevada team is under no illusion that Mr. Gingrich can beat Mr. Romney...Because delegates to the national convention are awarded proportionally, not winner-take-all, Mr. Gingrich hopes to do as well as possible. 'This is Romney country,' said Sue Lowden, a former chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party and an adviser to Mr. Gingrich. 'The fact that Newt with just grass-roots support, with no organized support - the fact he's polling second is miraculous.'She
 added, 'Coming in second would be a major win.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068c471fe7e5b7fc06de13f9ba7ed887e33093aaa7fb34164b3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068c471fe7e5b7fc06de13f9ba7ed887e33093aaa7fb34164b3 

PRE-MORTERM ON GINGRICH LOSS - NEVADA OPERATION PLAGUED BY INFIGHTING:"Gingrich's national advisers are feuding with his Nevada team over the candidate's campaign here, sources said, highlighting the shortcomings of a hastily assembled local operation and toll of a long campaign," the Las Vegas Sun reports. "It was the candidate's national advisers who argued for Gingrich to skip the tour of Nevada's heavily Republican rural counties, putting them at odds with in-state advisers, who wanted him to make more appearances, particularly outside Las Vegas. 'Their egos are out of control,' said a Nevada campaign adviser, who spoke only on condition of anonymity. 'I'm not sure if they've ever
 looked at a map of the Nevada.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068b96c55dcadb8d8d31552a7b89b575759c4e520a5ee511ca3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb3930068b96c55dcadb8d8d31552a7b89b575759c4e520a5ee511ca3 

TEA PARTY TORN - NEVADA GRASSROOTS NOT COALESCING BEHIND NEWT:To pull off an upset in Nevada's caucuses, Newt Gingrich needs the tea party to embrace him. But that's not happening. Fractured and disillusioned, local activists concede that they don't have a single standard-bearer headed into Saturday's caucuses. They're not big fans of Mitt Romney. Some of them support Rick Santorum, including big-name 2010 Senate candidate Sharron Angle. Ron Paul gets the libertarian crowd. Gingrich, though, hasn't sparked any overwhelming enthusiasm among activists for his candidacy...Nevada's Republican National Committeewoman, Heidi Smith, predicts lower turnout for the caucuses than four years ago. Many
 voters aren't particularly captivated by a particular candidate, she explains, and there's been less campaigning here than in 2008. She's not endorsing a candidate but she said many in the tea party remain undecided and a good chunk actually support Romney." My story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb393006891570db541842ad0290b32dfec1bc847404a634aa318c84d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb393006891570db541842ad0290b32dfec1bc847404a634aa318c84d .

ROMNEY HOUSING STANCE NOT PLAYING WELL:"Seven of every 10 homeowners in the city-including the mayor and most city elected officials-owe more than their house is worth," Neil King reports from North Las Vegas in today's Wall Street Journal. Among many in that crowd, the let-the-market-bottom-out rhetoric (however delicate) just doesn't work. Story behind the WSJ pay wall:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb393006862441bdf310137d99e4ab4643a9285de17c5f842642c6cc6 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ff6c744fb393006862441bdf310137d99e4ab4643a9285de17c5f842642c6cc6 .

REPUBLICANS REGISTERED MORE VOTERS THAN DEMOCRATS LAST MONTH:The Nevada secretary of state&#39;s office released January voter registration data yesterday. "The figures show Republicans increased their number of active voters by 4,465, while the Democrats had a gain of 1,202," per the AP. "As of Jan. 31, there were 447,881 active Democrat voters. Active Republican voters totaled 400,310. More than 172,000 Nevada voters are registered as nonpartisan."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e5133935bf30a2a84c94db6b63a2d488ecd233719523f8290f898e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e5133935bf30a2a84c94db6b63a2d488ecd233719523f8290f898e 

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE UP TO ON CAUCUS EVE:Romney holds a business roundtable in Sparks, a rally in Elko and a get-out-the-vote event in Henderson. Paul starts the day with a rally Pahrump (see Rich Oppel's story for background on Nye County, home to brothels:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339cecdd9ef43be82b283c7f66b35ec489dc5c1973de5248ecc 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339cecdd9ef43be82b283c7f66b35ec489dc5c1973de5248ecc ). Then he closes his Nevada swing with a rally for gun owners and another for veterans in Las Vegas. Gingrich spends the day in Vegas, holding a rally at Stoney's in the morning and another at a church in the evening. Santorum is in Missouri, with stops in Hannibal, Fulton, Columbia and Lee's Summit. Details:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e513396c7bc19a3688adc0a9824f863c81234376c3998d3572f329 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e513396c7bc19a3688adc0a9824f863c81234376c3998d3572f329 .

WHAT NEVADANS ARE READING - THE RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL's five-column banner headline is"CANDIDATES BLITZ RENO." The three break-out stories are: "Paul keeps focus on message of liberty," "Romney says he plans to win Nevada," and "Santorum says he's the clear conservative." Paul:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339546404c20580ac5463b241cb5d01f66b270cef3f51a2011e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339546404c20580ac5463b241cb5d01f66b270cef3f51a2011e . Romney:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339f226a26789d9b654c7c323c7c89cdd9aab1b01e3f557034b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339f226a26789d9b654c7c323c7c89cdd9aab1b01e3f557034b . Santorum:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e513392b250f4627620c38d5752ff13630612d06e4d47aa0d5321c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e513392b250f4627620c38d5752ff13630612d06e4d47aa0d5321c . The front page of today's G-J:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e5133901f561d90421a31b386922c696c219bcb87e63490d05f942 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e5133901f561d90421a31b386922c696c219bcb87e63490d05f942 .

LEADING THE RENO PAPER'S WEB SITE is a link to the editorial board's ENDORSEMENT OF ROMNEY: "Mitt Romney is the best - the only - choice for Nevada Republicans when they consider the four presidential contenders in their caucuses on Saturday...he is the one candidate who can be elected and the one best able to deal with the political realities in Washington, D.C., to accomplish what he and his party hope to accomplish if he's elected president of the United States." Editorial:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e5133983caed91f0fc58686fffcb3f3fea5a911b962b3c4583644f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e5133983caed91f0fc58686fffcb3f3fea5a911b962b3c4583644f . Video of Romney speaking to the edit board:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e513393982e167b2a46115a00889c7365f79f81351b2e7363d0398 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e513393982e167b2a46115a00889c7365f79f81351b2e7363d0398 .

CAUCUS 101 - HOW IT WORKS IN NEVADA:"Republicans will gather at ... 125 locations across Nevada," the Las Vegas Sun writes in a helpful primer for voters. "Every county can set its own rules, and start times vary. In Clark County, doors open at 8 a.m. and meetings start at 9 a.m. ... In Washoe County, doors open at 9 a.m. and meetings start at 10 a.m. There will be party business to attend to - delegates, alternate delegates, party platforms, etc.People can give two-minute speeches endorsing a candidate, but you don't have to speak. In fact,voters will cast anonymous paper ballots...While a caucus meeting has been described as the 'Tupperware party from hell,' party officials ... said that,
 depending on the precinct,voters could be done in 20 to 30 minutes...Onlyregistered Republicans can participate. The cutoff to register as a Republican for the caucus was Jan. 20. You also must have a valid photo ID."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339cad81ed5a431f3e8fba9d689e2f630963c20f2093e93369c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8d1236ef08e51339cad81ed5a431f3e8fba9d689e2f630963c20f2093e93369c 

GUIDANCE - CAUCUSES DONE EARLY, RESULTS WILL COME LATE:"Voting in all but one caucus - a special, late-evening one for Jewish voters in Clark County that is expected to draw fewer than 300 people - will end by 3 p.m. Pacific time. Most of Nevada&#39;s counties will be through with voting by noon. Butthe state GOP doesn&#39;t plan to release any results until 5 p.m., [8 p.m. ET]which could raise questions about the validity of the count. It alsowon&#39;t release results from Clark County, the state&#39;s most populous and home to more than half of all Republicans, until after 7 p.m. [10 p.m. ET]" More from the AP:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017c8fd24ee791deae1f23c06cecba4f2e1f5ef3f7ce045d705 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017c8fd24ee791deae1f23c06cecba4f2e1f5ef3f7ce045d705 .

NEW GINGRICH WEB VIDEO - ROMNEY AS GEORGE SOROS' FAVORITE:The three-minute video includes a clip of the liberal billionaire everyone on the right loves to hate saying in Davos that there won't be much different if Mitt Romney or President Obama wins. Then it juxtaposes clips of Obama and Romney both talking approvingly about abortion rights, health care mandates and Tim Geithner's qualifications. Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce0172566e9697c54ae59c66abec2e2ce9dd04dd2b4b267dac744 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce0172566e9697c54ae59c66abec2e2ce9dd04dd2b4b267dac744 .

A FLURRY OF MORMON STORIES -

LEADING POLITICO - LDS WILL HELP MITT IN NEVADA, ARIZONA AND COLORADO:"There, Romney will be aided by the more robust presence from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members tend to vote in high numbers and supported Romney en masse in 2008. That makes the Western-heavy lineup of February primary and caucus states, which also includes Romney's native state of Michigan, a promising opportunity for Romney to deny his opponents any semblance of political traction," Alex Burns and Maggie Haberman write in the story leading our web site this morning. "Republicans say it will help Romney to compete on turf where voters of all stripes - even more conservative Christian
 Republicans - are more familiar with Mormonism and view it with less suspicion."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017c08ad007af5f2731079e1a9bdbb28cb74f05bbda0a265403 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017c08ad007af5f2731079e1a9bdbb28cb74f05bbda0a265403 

NEW YORK TIMES A13 - "ROMNEY'S IMMIGRATION POSITION AT ODDS WITH HIS CHURCH":"The church was instrumental last year in passing controversial legislation in Utah that would provide 'guest worker' permits to allow illegal immigrants with jobs to remain in the United States. The church also threw its weight behind the Utah Compact, a declaration calling for humane treatment of immigrants and condemning deportation policies that separate families, which has been adopted by several other states. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is known for its reluctance to be seen as meddling in politics. But on immigration, the church actively lobbied legislators, sent Presiding Bishop H. David
 Burton to attend the bill signing and issued a series of increasingly explicit statements in favor of allowing some illegal immigrants to stay in the country and work. The church's endorsement helped shift the debate on immigration in a Republican state where more than 80 percent of legislators are Mormons."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce0176920133a8dbdb43723c5c7ab49864283667f30ad6673e760 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce0176920133a8dbdb43723c5c7ab49864283667f30ad6673e760 

USA TODAY -WILL MORMON'S RACIAL HISTORY BE A PROBLEM FOR ROMNEY?"Until 1978, the LDS church banned men of African descent from its priesthood, a position open to nearly all Mormon males and the gateway to sacramental and leadership roles," according to a Religion News Service story that got picked up earlier this week by USA Today. "The church had also barred black men and women from temple ceremonies that promised access in the afterlife to the highest heaven."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017998e1664468869d092f250408c9b539beb0922eb0df162bb 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017998e1664468869d092f250408c9b539beb0922eb0df162bb 

BOSTON GLOBE - ROMNEY FLIP-FLOPPED ON "CONSCIENCE" ISSUE:"Romney accused President Obama this week of ordering 'religious organizations to violate their conscience,' referring to a White House decision that requires all health plans - even those covering employees at Catholic hospitals, charities, and colleges - to provide free birth control. But a review of Romney's tenure as Massachusetts governor shows that he once took a similar step," Tracy Jan reports. "In December 2005, Romney required all Massachusetts hospitals, including Catholic ones, to provide emergency contraception to rape victims, even though some Catholics view the morning-after pill as a form of abortion. He said he was
 acting on his legal counsel's interpretation of a new state law - one passed by lawmakers despite his veto - but he also said that 'in his heart of hearts,' he believed that rape victims should have access to emergency contraception.Some Catholic leaders now point to inconsistency in Romney's criticism of the president and characterize his new stance as politically expedient, even as they welcome it."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce01773da42482e2f8014f7f77f33ae95b9ee355866547f17cd39 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce01773da42482e2f8014f7f77f33ae95b9ee355866547f17cd39 

"THE VERY POOR" - CONTAINING THE FALLOUT ON DAY TWO:

FALLING ON HIS SWORD - ROMNEY BACKS OFF "NOT CONCERNED" COMMENT:'Jon, it was a misstatement,' Romney told Nevada's top political reporter, Jon Ralston, in an interview for his TV show that aired last night. ' I misspoke. I&#39;ve said something that is similar to that but quite acceptable for a long time. And you know when you do I don&#39;t know how many thousands of interviews now and then you may get it wrong. And I misspoke. Plain and simple.' Story with more quotes:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017d61397804254421100cfad42eb087b1c52e85f561f6f9368 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017d61397804254421100cfad42eb087b1c52e85f561f6f9368 . Video of the interview:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017724bf373e285bfb57f05dcb9b01fd1ed355580d4664df286 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017724bf373e285bfb57f05dcb9b01fd1ed355580d4664df286 .

METAPHOR ALERT - GINGRICH WANTS TO REPLACE SAFETY NET WITH A TRAMPOLINE: "I really believe that we should care about the very poor, unlike Gov. Romney. But I believe we should care differently than Barack Obama,' Gingrich said Thursday. "Both Gov. Romney and Barack Obama seem to believe that a quote 'safety net' is all the poor need. I don&#39;t believe that. What the poor need is a trampoline so that they can spring up. ... So I&#39;m for replacing the safety net with a trampoline.'
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce0170a46fe8a6b99c48a8084f95b60254b90ad69c354bff37e11 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce0170a46fe8a6b99c48a8084f95b60254b90ad69c354bff37e11 

ROMNEY HAD NO CHOICE - CONSERVATIVE ALLIES OFFERED NO AIR COVER:Peggy Noonan calls it a "big gaffe" in her column for Saturday's Wall Street Journal: "Every criticism has been true. It was politically inept, playing into stereotypes about Republicans and about his own candidacy. It was Martian-like in its seeming remove from the concerns of everyday citizens. We&#39;re in a recession here!"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017ea8fd64a71b9fad318f86e6cc232571835e5be1411076595 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2b55cd28f32ce017ea8fd64a71b9fad318f86e6cc232571835e5be1411076595 

THE SAFETY NET IS FAILING - WHY ROMNEY SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE VERY POOR:"Romney's statement that the 'very poor' don't concern him comes at a time when the portion of Americans living in deep poverty is the highest in more than a generation while assistance varies widely and is often inadequate," writes Bloomberg's Mike Dorning. "More than 20 million Americans live in a household with income of less than half the federal poverty rate, the level social scientists often use as a category for the very poor, according to census data for 2010. Last year that meant an annual income below $11,057 for a family of four (!!!). The portion of the population in that category was the highest in
 at least 35 years and has almost doubled since 1975, from 3.7 percent then to 6.7 percent in 2010."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa564e55b7854bfa16a207f73b097180626193f61bd5137aa00 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa564e55b7854bfa16a207f73b097180626193f61bd5137aa00 

THE POOREST HAVE BEEN HIT HARDEST: Princeton Prof. Larry Bartels graphs real income changes by class from 2008 through 2010 to make the point that it actually is the poorest 20% who have been hit hardest by the economy. See his telling graph on the Monkey Cage blog:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa559b8a5a10fe3e1491fa0915dac7ecb6f6707ea04e3fed1e5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa559b8a5a10fe3e1491fa0915dac7ecb6f6707ea04e3fed1e5 .

THE FREAK SHOW -

TRUMP ENDORSED ROMNEY, NOT GINGRICH, YESTERDAY:"For an event so politically fraught, it flashed by in what seemed like a New York minute," The Los Angeles Times' Mark Barabak and Robin Abcarian write. "Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president Thursday in a brief joint appearance at Trump&#39;s Las Vegas hotel, an occasion more notable for its odd brevity and lack of theater than anything either man said. Stepping to the microphone in an area curtained off from the marble-and-chandeliered lobby, Trump praised the Republican presidential hopeful as tough, smart and sharp...Romney stepped to the microphone. 'There are some things that you just can&#39;t imagine happening in your life.
 This is one of them,' he said...In all, with time for applause from Romney supporters, the event was over in about five minutes. Neither man took questions...Soon afterward, the Romney campaign issued a long list of his endorsements, as if to place the support from the showman-businessman into a broader context." If you're a fan of Mark Leibovich's writing, here's his SCENE piece for the NYT:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5a844f5afa67cf53fcb4610ec397c8727b3589f88b0c2b68d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5a844f5afa67cf53fcb4610ec397c8727b3589f88b0c2b68d . Here's the Barabak day story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa56192265ddeacccb7dde17958977fd44ef5b2093fbfcae45d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa56192265ddeacccb7dde17958977fd44ef5b2093fbfcae45d .

HOW IT'S PLAYING IN TODAY'S LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL:Nevada's biggest newspaper gives the endorsement a big splash as the centerpiece of page 1. The sub-headline: "Billionaire's move surprises Gingrich supporters who expected the nod." The paper's opinion columnist, John Smith, ponders the optics of having a guy whose signature line is "You're Fired" stand with Romney two days before the caucuses. "This is what you might call 'very poor' timing," he writes. "Accused of being out of touch with plain folks and insensitive to the 'very poor,' [Romney] on Thursday embraced an endorsement from America&#39;s Mr. Everyman, real estate mogul and TV show celebrity Donald Trump." His column:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5e5093ac9fccb7fa407a4dc7445835c5eb3fc03d7ef15bdab 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5e5093ac9fccb7fa407a4dc7445835c5eb3fc03d7ef15bdab . The front page of today's R-J:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa59b720be879f992a4d86230f5c65d014825359b3cb86fd962 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa59b720be879f992a4d86230f5c65d014825359b3cb86fd962 .

RON PAUL's campaign statement:"Reality TV star, Donald Trump, who endorsed and contributed money to Harry Reid and Charlie Rangel will travel today to Nevada to endorse a Republican candidate? Please explain to us why anyone would care. Please explain to Republican voters in Nevada why they should consider the opinion of a billionaire from New York who endorsed the arch enemy of all Republicans in Nevada, and really the enemy of all Republicans in the US."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa59ca10cbb37a3a0f4415126e033a975e774d4fa68ba4baecb 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa59ca10cbb37a3a0f4415126e033a975e774d4fa68ba4baecb 

JON STEWARTjoked about the endorsement on his show last night:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5de61eebf7c53addf534ce6d635c41569af526838dce59ff4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5de61eebf7c53addf534ce6d635c41569af526838dce59ff4 

FOX's Shep Smith mocked the Trump endorsement ON AIR. "I&#39;ve just gotten word that in the next hour, Shakira and Big Bird will also be issuing endorsements, and we&#39;ll be having live, Team Fox coverage of that!' he said. 'Shakira, Big Bird and Donald Trump. In serious news today...' Video:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5970bd6f6e91a78a4c28eb6cfbec1ff6d81ff1d22943521e3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa5970bd6f6e91a78a4c28eb6cfbec1ff6d81ff1d22943521e3 .

SANTORUM -- BELLA HOME FROM HOSPITAL:Santorum told reporters that his three-year-old daughter, recovering from pneumonia, left the hospital on Thursday and is back at her Virginia home, per the AP's Phil Elliott.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa52168512126a98990e1211101760118849de687d08784e727 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99cf49b228f74aa52168512126a98990e1211101760118849de687d08784e727 

MINNESOTA MELEE -

ST. PAUL ESTABLISHMENT RALLYING TO ROMNEY:Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Majority Leader Matt Dean will endorse Romney today, scoops the AP's Brian Bakst.

SANTORUM SUPER PAC RUNNING AN ATTACK AD AGAINST GINGRICH, ROMNEY:The attack ad we've told you about before from the Red, White and Blue Fund in Colorado is now on the air in Minnesota. 'They&#39;re not so different,' an announcer says over photos of Romney and Gingrich. 'Supporting big government that strangles our nation&#39;s ability to create jobs. Bailouts. Government run healthcare. Who can we trust?' CNN:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d2eae12b0e9e24cd36f8d4cbdc350f9cbcea6bbf3be7c96487 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d2eae12b0e9e24cd36f8d4cbdc350f9cbcea6bbf3be7c96487 .

STATE GOP PUSHING RIGHT-TO-WORK BILL - CANDIDATES WILL GET QUESTIONS ON THIS:"Republicans pulled Minnesota into an explosive issue Thursday by introducing legislation to make union membership optional, setting the stage for a fight that has triggered boycotts by Democratic lawmakers and large protests in other states," per the AP. "GOP senators introduced the plan as a proposed constitutional amendment, meaning it would need only a simple majority in the House and Senate - and bypass Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton - to get on the ballot. If voters ultimately approved it, the amendment would bar labor contracts from requiring both public and private workers to pay union fees or compelling
 membership. Democrats have vowed not to support the proposal, but Republicans have narrow majorities in both legislative chambers. Still, some GOP lawmakers have been skittish about the issue, leaving its fate in question."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d29fba782ebeda168447c2a654c5d4f0ac01c0b76c4e20bd74 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d29fba782ebeda168447c2a654c5d4f0ac01c0b76c4e20bd74 

WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS UP TO - RESPONDING TO JOBS REPORT:"In the morning, the President and the Vice President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office...Later in the morning, the President will deliver remarks on the economy at Fire Station #5 in Arlington, VA...In the afternoon, the President will attend a campaign event in Washington, DC."

A BAD DAY FOR NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATS -

BOB ETHERIDGE STEPS IN AS ERSKINE BOWLES PASSES ON GOVERNOR'S RACE:"Erskine Bowles said Thursday that he would not run for governor, but other Democrats moved to fill the void with former Congressman Bob Etheridge announcing that he would seek his party's nomination," per the Charlotte Observer. "Bowles, 66, a Charlotte investment banker, was the rarest of political figures: the subject of a legitimate draft by his party, which saw the former university president, former White House chief of staff and budget hawk as the sort of senior statesman who might rescue the Democrats after Gov. Bev Perdue's surprise announcement last week that she would not seek re-election.But after mulling the
 idea seriously for a week, Bowles sent out an email Thursday morning announcing that he would remain a private citizen."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d21126716786bdde2db8423b5d2114aa23e0106b2daade3c71 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d21126716786bdde2db8423b5d2114aa23e0106b2daade3c71 

HEATH SHULER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT - AS WIDELY EXPECTED:"Democratic U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler said [yesterday afternoon] that he won&#39;t run for re-election in North Carolina&#39;s 11th District," per the Charlotte Observer. "Shuler announced that he&#39;ll step down at the end of his third term...His district in western North Carolina was redrawn by Republican lawmakers this year. The new map took most of Asheville, a Democratic stronghold, out of the district, making it more friendly to Republicans." This pretty much guarantees a GOP pick-up:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d2a3c8960ac8320c05c0a58d8aff2d2edb93e060a39e8633a2 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d2a3c8960ac8320c05c0a58d8aff2d2edb93e060a39e8633a2 .

VEEPSTAKES - RUBIO SPENT $21,000 TO RESEARCH HIMSELF:Florida Sen. Marco"Rubio spent $21,421 for 'research consulting' from MB Public Affairs, a well-regarded firm based in Sacramento, according to his most recent campaign finance filing," BuzzFeed reports, acknowledging they were tipped off by the Democratic opposition research group American Bridge. "One of its partners, Andrew Davis, 'led a team of seven researchers in Alaska for the Republican National Committee and McCain/Palin,' among other qualifications.A Rubio aide confirms that the spending was for research into Rubio himself."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d24245e32edbb98d352bc7eab193beda17ee5c897f8b681f0e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d24245e32edbb98d352bc7eab193beda17ee5c897f8b681f0e 

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY:"I&#39;m not going to comb over that question. There&#39;s a danger in speaking off the cuff." - White House spokesman Jay Carney answering a question in the briefing room about whether the president sought Donald Trump's endorsement.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d220996dfb32d1f5b9ec476d325e4532678e7d488bc1bd81ac 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=606ace4e5efb27d220996dfb32d1f5b9ec476d325e4532678e7d488bc1bd81ac 

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