Subject: POLITICO’s Morning Score: 5 polls show Santmentum is real - Gingrich sends Romney a Valentine - Romney defends himself on gay marriage, auto bailout - Early voting starts in AZ -Perry ‘absolutely’ may run again
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:18:02 -0600

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

FIRST IN SCORE - GINGRICH LAUNCHES LIBERALSLOVEROMNEY.COM:A Valentine's Day-themed microsite needles Mitt Romney over his better-known breaks with conservative values. Made-up quotes pop up over photos of six conservative villains, including Saul Alinsky, George Soros and Al Gore. "Love is in the air," says a forthcoming press release from Newt Gingrich's campaign. "Liberals and Mitt Romney are a perfect match. Just look at all their shared interests." The production value is low on the bare-bones page, but the guys at the campaign clearly had fun putting it together:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf09279950d3ea83b246dd95dd70cc88076a17f28e8a4b30aacbc090f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf09279950d3ea83b246dd95dd70cc88076a17f28e8a4b30aacbc090f .

STILL A 90's CULTURE WARRIOR - "SANTORUM PRAISES GAY-MARRIAGE FOES" IN WASHINGTON STATE:"Within an hour of Gov. Chris Gregoire signing a same-sex-marriage bill into law Monday, [Santorum] was meeting with a group of gay-marriage foes at a church minutes away, offering a message of support for their efforts to repeal the law," per The Seattle Times. "Santorum met with more than 100 pastors and other 'values voters,' offering his support ...duringa closed-door meetingat Calvary Chapel before heading to the state Capitol to meet with Republican legislators...Santorum said it doesn&#39;t make sense to have each state define marriage its own way and that he would push for a constitutional
 amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. 'We have a serious issue about trying to get moms and dads to marry and stay together,' he said." On the new gay marriage law generally:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995ed5a3a2a22b8e670ebe036557861501dbfdacb77f11ae4e0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995ed5a3a2a22b8e670ebe036557861501dbfdacb77f11ae4e0 . On Santorum's day specifically:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995dac24ca9c0150710b58cd05dcf08b79c4ba82c4fcf2f115f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995dac24ca9c0150710b58cd05dcf08b79c4ba82c4fcf2f115f .

LOOKING TO PICK A FIGHT - SANTORUM MIXES IT UP WITH OCCUPIERS:"Filling the front row at the Washington State History Museum where Santorum spoke [late last night], a group of Occupy protesters disrupted the event, forcing Santorum to engage them," Juana Summers writes. "Occupy Tacoma, the local branch of the Occupy Wall Street movement, is camped out right next to the museum, and advertised Santorum's visit on its web site. 'I think it's really important for you to understand what this radical element represents, because what they represent is true intolerance,' Santorum said, after two protesters were taken to the ground and placed in handcuffs by police. The protesters, Santorum
 suggested, 'instead of standing here unemployed, yelling at somebody' should instead 'go out and get a job.' Santorum's supporters roared their approval, chanting 'get a job' back at the Occupiers."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995841e0e21e82028dc9e20df3002c21d6920ab3a76917858db 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995841e0e21e82028dc9e20df3002c21d6920ab3a76917858db .

** As Romney's Super PAC goes big in Michigan, Newt's spokesman envisions a Gingrich-Santorum race and Kucinich gets testy during his debate with Kaptur, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

SANTMENTUM IS REAL:

NATIONAL-

NEW YORK TIMES/CBS (out this morning):Santorum, 30; Romney, 27; Paul, 12; Gingrich, 10.

THREE KEY CONSTITUENCIES NOW PROPELLING HIM:Self-described conservatives, evangelical Christians and Tea Party supporters. "The poll finds the former Pennsylvania senator backed by nearly 4 in 10 voters from each of these groups; last month, no candidate was the clear favorite among these voters," Dalia Sussman writes on the Times' site.

THE RACE IS STILL FLUID: "A majority of voters (6 in 10) who expressed a candidate preference said they could still change their mind - down from 74 percent who said so a month ago, but plenty with the potential to mix things up again." More results will post at 6:30 p.m. ET:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf09279950c2c9c1b580892f547d6ae681f73b37276d026d25b109b83 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf09279950c2c9c1b580892f547d6ae681f73b37276d026d25b109b83 .

PEW:Santorum, 39; Romney, 28; Gingrich, 17; Paul, 12.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995d6549bdf490f90eceadd07790088364e76cdb0be5a0f4700 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c64815bbf0927995d6549bdf490f90eceadd07790088364e76cdb0be5a0f4700 

GALLUP:Romney, 32; Santorum, 30; Gingrich, 16; Paul, 8.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc9cb43a22d08ff13e3ef19b9c444c93f708afb03fcbedb4e9 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc9cb43a22d08ff13e3ef19b9c444c93f708afb03fcbedb4e9 

MICHIGAN-

AMERICAN RESEARCH GROUP:Santorum, 33; Romney, 27; Gingrich, 21; Paul, 12; Undecided; 6.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc041c373acd62687cb792f4c3c778ceae48a4ba04e434219b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc041c373acd62687cb792f4c3c778ceae48a4ba04e434219b 

PUBLIC POLICY POLLING:Santorum, 39; Romney, 24; Paul, 12; Gingrich, 11. [Santorum favorable: 67/23. Romney's: 49/39]
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cca38a2df4366144d830aa96fd510fb80a190b324e74c5ca4b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cca38a2df4366144d830aa96fd510fb80a190b324e74c5ca4b 

PPP HAS UNDER-COUNTED SANTORUM STRENGTH THUS FAR:"Automated polling firms, like Public Policy Polling, often have low response rates, meaning that they tend to poll only the most enthusiastic supporters," 538's Nate Silver blogs. "So far, in fact, Public Policy Polling (like most other polling firms) has underestimated Mr. Santorum's performance. In the eight states that the firm polled immediately prior to the voting, Mr. Santorum had an average of 22 percent in the surveys - but he got an average of 27 percent of the vote."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccc92aed5e1639380bbbe5c1b3ac48579e51ae3f994c11d6cf 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccc92aed5e1639380bbbe5c1b3ac48579e51ae3f994c11d6cf 

ROMNEY'S BE-THE-LAST-MAN-STANDING STRATEGY UNDERCUTTING ELECTABILITY:"The 'nuke Newt' strategy may have worked in the short term, but recent polling shows just how problematic a purely negative campaign has been for Romney, especially among those independent voters Romney will need in November," ABC's Amy Walter writes. "According to a Pew poll released Monday, Romney has lost 8 points among independents since November... fewer Republicans see Romney as a 'strong conservative' than they did in November [from 53 to 42]... Just 39 percent of Republicans think Romney 'takes consistent positions on issues,' an 8-point drop since November. And, more ominously for Romney, almost half of all GOP
 voters (a 15-point jump since November), think that Romney is inconsistent on issues."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cca13c055d3966ec16ac254429eacf0e53558e6fb12d3de6c2 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cca13c055d3966ec16ac254429eacf0e53558e6fb12d3de6c2 

THE MICHIGAN MELEE -

ROMNEY OP-ED IN TODAY'S DETROIT NEWS - "TAXPAYERS SHOULD GET GM SHARES' PROCEEDS":He starts by stressing his roots in Michigan and familial ties to the auto industry. Then he tries to get out front on criticisms of his "Let Detroit go bankrupt" op-ed in the New York Times. "The president tells us that without his intervention things in Detroit would be worse. I believe that without his intervention things there would be better," Romney writes. "My view at the time - and I set it out plainly in an op-ed in the New York Times - was that 'the American auto industry is vital to our national interest as an employer and as a hub for manufacturing.' Instead of a bailout, I favored 'managed
 bankruptcy' as the way forward...In the case of Chrysler and GM, that was precisely what the companies needed." Romney ends the piece by calling himself a Detroiter:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc737795bfe77e03966f950905047a09fcc48dab3eea54b74d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc737795bfe77e03966f950905047a09fcc48dab3eea54b74d .

62% OF MICHIGANDERS DO NOT CONSIDER ROMNEY A MICHIGANDER:Only 26% do, according to the PPP numbers out yesterday. "Only 39% have a favorable opinion of George Romney with a 46% plurality having no opinion about him," Democratic pollster Tom Jensen writes. "Romney really doesn&#39;t have some great reservoir of goodwill in Michigan to fall back on."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cca38a2df4366144d830aa96fd510fb80a190b324e74c5ca4b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cca38a2df4366144d830aa96fd510fb80a190b324e74c5ca4b 

GOVERNOR WILL ENDORSE - WOULD BE SURPRISING IF NOT ROMNEY:"Republican Gov. Rick Snyder said Monday he plans to endorse a presidential candidate within the next week, potentially giving one a boost before Michigan&#39;s influential primary at the end of the month. However, Snyder said he hadn&#39;t decided yet who will get the nod," per the Associated Press. "The first-term GOP governor provided his timetable for an endorsement following a speech to the Detroit Economic Club at a downtown hotel. Snyder told reporters he&#39;s looking for a candidate 'who can bring people together.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc12a09cd9f8c1d006996f90b80e7f8790ac183f0ecb8e053a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc12a09cd9f8c1d006996f90b80e7f8790ac183f0ecb8e053a 

RESTORE OUR FUTURE UPS MICHIGAN BUY $640K:"Signaling a shift to the next major GOP battleground, the super PAC supporting Mitt Romney, Restore Our Future, bought an additional $640,000 in television ad time in Michigan, the group confirmed to CNN Monday. Ads from the new buy start Tuesday. The super PAC previously purchased $250,000 worth of commercials in Michigan, according to CNN&#39;s advertising consultant Kantar Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG)."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccc6475fd9786b2b45e511cc807e76fc9b13d891e3bec992ac 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccc6475fd9786b2b45e511cc807e76fc9b13d891e3bec992ac 

THE AIR WAR - ROMNEY SUPER PAC BUYING IN AT LEAST EIGHT STATES:Besides Michigan, Alex Burns reports that Restore our Future has purchased airtime in West Virginia, Ohio, Arizona (where it's already on the air), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia (starting yesterday afternoon).
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc07834b83b8ec58c832f3ed76235e8544cee5b1f4cf645618 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59cc07834b83b8ec58c832f3ed76235e8544cee5b1f4cf645618 

SANTORUM SUPER PAC IS POLLING TO DETERMINE MICHIGANBUY SIZE:Per the New York Times, "The Santorum campaign plans to start advertising on Michigan television this week. The 'super PAC' that backs him, the Red, White and Blue Fund, is polling in the state now to determine whether and how much to invest there, said Stuart Roy, a spokesman for the fund. 'Michigan is very enticing,' Mr. Roy said, not only because it allocates its delegates proportionally, so even coming in second ensures delegates, but because it is Mr. Romney's home state. Still, he said, the fund did not want to spend all of its resources in Michigan and not have enough for Super Tuesday, March 6, when 10 states vote.
 Moreover, he said, it had to consider that going negative against Mr. Romney would undoubtedly start to erode Mr. Santorum's own high favorability ratings."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccfd414887c3d67bdda8ee0c65d4df4d2c78612e6f532a15a3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccfd414887c3d67bdda8ee0c65d4df4d2c78612e6f532a15a3 

STRATEGY - IN MICHIGAN, SANTORUM DOESN'T WANT TO GET TYPE CAST AS A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE:That's partly why he met behind CLOSED DOORS with religious leaders in Washington state. "On Thursday, Mr. Santorum is scheduled to address the Detroit Economic Club, and aides said he would weave together his proposals and present them for the first time as a single, broad blueprint for promoting growth and bringing back jobs," The New York Times' Katharine Seelye writes. "The goal is to compete with Mr. Romney on the issue that Michigan voters...say matters to them the most. 'The economy and jobs and unemployment are all that anybody talks about in Michigan, and Santorum needs to talk about them, too,'
 said Bill Ballenger, editor of a political newsletter called Inside Michigan Politics.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccfd414887c3d67bdda8ee0c65d4df4d2c78612e6f532a15a3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=541a974451fb59ccfd414887c3d67bdda8ee0c65d4df4d2c78612e6f532a15a3 

ROMNEY - DIDN'T MENTION SANTORUM BY NAME AT ARIZONA RALLY LAST NIGHT:"We've got four guys on the Republican side all running for president," Romney told the older crowd of about 2,000 people gathered at an outdoor amphitheater in this Mormon-heavy Phoenix suburb. "Perhaps the greatest distinction is ... what we've done with our lives, our experience. Congressman Paul was a doctor and then went into government. But the other guys have spent their lives entirely in government. And my view, it's helpful to have been involved in two businesses, an Olympics and a state, and to have had a chance to run all of them." Reid Epstein:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6cc123e3def67dc2c630bfca4741233a228067d1e16962c8d0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6cc123e3def67dc2c630bfca4741233a228067d1e16962c8d0 .

ADDS ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE LINE INTO THE STUMP:Desperate to win over social conservatives, Romney touted his efforts to prevent Massachusetts "from becoming the Las Vegas of same sex marriage." He first used the line at CPAC on Friday, and he repeated it in Arizona.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6cb74421caefbe9ceb9cb3ece4b8ca1a8d6685d27943806a71 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6cb74421caefbe9ceb9cb3ece4b8ca1a8d6685d27943806a71 

HE'LL CONTINUE USING MASS RECORD TO APPEAL TO THE RIGHT:In an interview with National Review, "Romney says his CPAC speech was an important moment - a reintroduction to Republicans unfamiliar with his endeavors in deep-blue Massachusetts. He spent hours writing and rewriting the text, polishing lines and passages, intent on underscoring his conservatism and his gubernatorial achievements," per NR's Robert Costa. "In the coming days, Romney plans to emphasize his retooled message, building upon his CPAC argument...he will also tout his administration's efforts to curb illegal immigration and his leadership on traditional marriage, abortion, and contraception. Romney will also get a little
 more personal in his public remarks, talking about his family and his background, from his immigrant grandfather to his father, George Romney, who rose from being a Mormon outcast in Mexico to become Michigan's governor."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6ca6960faabcee6c7f0bf11901432d34acdf48635d4407f9a9 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6ca6960faabcee6c7f0bf11901432d34acdf48635d4407f9a9 

EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED IN ARIZONA:"Romney made his remarks in a state with 29 delegates at stake and where early voting has already begun for a Feb. 28 primary," per the LA Times. "The former Massachusetts governor has the backing of key establishment figures here, including his 2008 rival Sen. John McCain...Voters who share Romney's Mormon faith make up one-tenth of the GOP electorate in Arizona, and Mesa is a hub. Voters attending the event here cheered heartily when Romney mentioned his faith."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c57abe70db3bdd9189946572b8035acf38effece67082e90d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c57abe70db3bdd9189946572b8035acf38effece67082e90d 

INDIANA BALLOT - ROMNEY BACKER CO-CHAIRS ELECTION COMMISSION:"Four Hoosier voters have filed challenges seeking to have Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum removed from Indiana&#39;s May primary election ballot," the Indianapolis Star reports. "Santorum&#39;s fate now will be decided by the four-member Indiana Election Commission. Chairman of the commission is Dan Dumezich, a Schererville attorney who is co-chairman of the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney in Indiana...Dumezich said there is no reason for him to recuse himself from the case. 'I can be impartial,' Dumezich said."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c0a64e82a929bc932caf340cbff9825f1495b73563363e7b0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c0a64e82a929bc932caf340cbff9825f1495b73563363e7b0 

AP KNOCKS ROMNEY FOR CONCEALING BUNDLERS:"Despite criticism of Fannie Mae by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, his campaign accepted nearly $280,000 in donations raised by a registered lobbyist who once represented the government mortgage giant and whose clients now include a private equity firm and the drug company Pfizer," The Associated Press' Richard Lardner writes in a story picked up by many of the nation's newspapers today. "Yet Romney has not identified all of his so-called fundraising 'bundlers' who have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, even after President Barack Obama&#39;s re-election campaign released the names of his top fundraisers. Rick Santorum and Newt
 Gingrich also haven&#39;t disclosed their bundlers. Ron Paul&#39;s campaign has said it doesn&#39;t use them...Keeping their identities secret could end up stinging Romney - like the mishandled release of his income tax returns - if voters conclude he is withholding politically damaging information." Via the Star Tribune:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c4451f0bb5e713862a1e9b2e0d34fc644ada8d2c4f8c1eab4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c4451f0bb5e713862a1e9b2e0d34fc644ada8d2c4f8c1eab4 .

GINGRICH - SPOKESMAN PREDICTS TWO-MAN RACE...WITHOUT ROMNEY:This was the most interesting paragraph in a Washington Post day story by Karen Tumulty and Amy Gardner, but the paper removed it from the web site overnight for some reason: "Gingrich is also launching yet another new strategy as his campaign tries to recapture momentum after Santorum's wins last week. His goal now, spokesman R.C. Hammond said, is to knock Romney out of the race and finish the nominating battle in a two-man sprint with Santorum. 'The mainstream media and the Romney campaign would like to see the narrative continue as 'Who is the alternative to Romney?' - because they think Romney is inevitable,' Hammond said. 'We
 see this election finishing as a Gingrich-Santorum race.' How Gingrich plans to sideline Romney is unclear."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c3d308bcc78eec9c7604d481c219f4ce19990dfe7884bbace 
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NEXT WEDNESDAY'S DEBATE WILL BE NEWT'S LAST CHANCE TO TURN AROUND HIS FADING CAMPAIGN:"The way some Gingrich advisers see it, the former speaker has just one big chance to revive his fortunes before voters go to the polls again: the Feb. 22 Republican debate in Phoenix," Byron York writes in today's Washington Examiner. "'I can&#39;t even begin to tell you how important that debate is,' says one adviser. The Gingrich team is seeking to regain the momentum he had in South Carolina, and they see the Phoenix debate, which will be run by CNN, as his best chance to do it. Of course, in the two debates in South Carolina, Gingrich scored big by taking on the media moderators, not his fellow
 candidates. In Florida, where he faced off twice with Romney, he lost. There&#39;s no guarantee he won&#39;t lose again in Phoenix."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c3a67abae3aeb56425b0de364a79f64ae6459d52b5c45ac9c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c3a67abae3aeb56425b0de364a79f64ae6459d52b5c45ac9c 

GINGRICH SAYS HE'LL STAY POSITIVE IN STUMP SPEECH:"Newt Gingrich said he&#39;s backing off his attacks on Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum moving forward, and made little mention of his opponents in his stump speech on Monday," Ginger Gibson reports from his California appearance last night. "I think my ideas are much bolder than Santorum or Romney's," Gingrich said when asked why he didn&#39;t mention either during his speech. "I think my ideas are much clearer and more specific and I have to focus on communicating those ideas. The two periods I focused on communicating those ideas I ended up No. 1 in Gallup both times. And we're going back to doing what we did that worked...When we went back
 and analyzed it I do dramatically better when I focus on the nation's problems and I focus on the nation's solutions," he said. "I don't do nearly as well when I focus on my competitors. So we took the lesson that has worked twice in the last 3 months."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c4037a448a06f683fa2b5016ee953f5b18467027e902f261d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c4037a448a06f683fa2b5016ee953f5b18467027e902f261d 

HE TARGETED HIS PITCH TO CALIFORNIA LAST NIGHT: "The former House speaker also appealed specifically to California conservatives, promising to make the state competitive in the fall, calling for the preservation of memorial crosses that came under fire for being on public land, knocking the teachers union in Los Angeles for defending incompetent teachers, saying he would rein in federal environmental officials, and pledging to take on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which just ruled against the state's same-sex marriage initiative," The Los Angeles Times' John Hoeffel writes.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c096d412e10f06fa0958585e340b21799f779cad729d7f9d1 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4d13077f4adc1e6c096d412e10f06fa0958585e340b21799f779cad729d7f9d1 

CHUCK NORRIS ATTACKS SANTORUM FOR ENDORSING ROMNEY:"In 2008 when my wife, Gena, and I were on the campaign trail backing former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for president, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was fighting to get former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney elected," the Gingrich endorser writes for World Net Daily. "How can the 'alternative to Romney' also be a Romney supporter?" Norris offers a long list of areas where Santorum has broken with conservative orthodoxy:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93763ae308703d5ad674441f9fedd7a6eb4667b23e337e69618 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93763ae308703d5ad674441f9fedd7a6eb4667b23e337e69618 .

WHAT THE ELITE CONSERVATIVE MEDIA IS SAYING -

"SANTORUM'S TURN" - NATIONAL REVIEW CALLS ON GINGRICH TO DROP OUT:"It is not clear whether Gingrich remains in the race because he still believes he could become president next year or because he wants to avenge his wounded pride: an ambiguity that suggests the problem with him as a leader. When he led Santorum in the polls, he urged the Pennsylvanian to leave the race. On his own arguments the proper course for him now is to endorse Santorum and exit. Santorum has been conducting himself rather impressively in his moments of triumph and avoiding characteristic temptations. He is doing his best to keep the press from dismissing him as merely a 'social-issues candidate.'...So far Romney has
 been running mostly on his biography: Republicans are supposed to vote for him because he is a family man and shrewd businessman. And Republicans, even the many who are well disposed to him, have been saying as loud as they can: It isn't enough."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93739a1c91b040991680d48e5bd3148f39ea4acf8ac51ee3ec7 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93739a1c91b040991680d48e5bd3148f39ea4acf8ac51ee3ec7 

RAMESH PONNURU - "SANTORUM IS ROMNEY'S TOUGHEST TRIAL YET":"Unlike Perry, Santorum is articulate. Unlike Cain, he has political experience and knowledge of public policy. Unlike Gingrich, he has a personal life that seems to be above reproach. Romney has no advantage over Santorum in any of these respects," the conservative commentator writes in a column for Bloomberg. "Santorum's strengths have left Romney resorting to weak attacks. Romney has pointed out that Santorum, like most Republicans who served in the Senate with him, supported such big-spending initiatives as the expansion of Medicare to cover prescription drugs. But Romney's own health-care law in Massachusetts undercuts any
 attempt to portray other Republicans as soft on big government.More recently Romney has gone after Santorum for having supported earmarks. But Santorum no longer supports them. If having previously taken positions that conservatives dislike disqualifies a candidate for the Republican nomination, Romney might as well quit the race now: His past liberal positions easily outnumber Santorum's."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9375e5c46a3906afe39f884e3944286025a20f4d077a45ddd02 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9375e5c46a3906afe39f884e3944286025a20f4d077a45ddd02 

MICHAEL BARONE - SANTORUM UNDERPERFORMS IN AFFLUENT SUBURBS THE GOP NEEDS:"Santorum's case is that he has shown appeal to blue-collar voters - to the non-college-educated whites whom Democrats have been enticing to return to their fold for decades...But are there as many votes there as Santorum thinks? The old steelworker House district where he was first elected in 1990 has been losing population ever since," handicapper Michael Barone writes in a column today. "But there's also a case to be made that Romney may run better among another, less noticed group - affluent voters. This year and in 2008, Romney's best showings in primaries have come in affluent areas. And polling seems to
 indicate that he does particularly well with affluent women. You can see the trend in the four suburban counties just outside Philadelphia. The first George Bush carried them with 61 percent in 1988. Since then, the Democratic percentage has been rising steadily. Barack Obama carried them with 57 percent in 2008.Santorum carried the Philadelphia suburbs in Senate races in 1994 and 2000. But in 2006, a dreadful year for Republicans, he lost them by 60 percent to 40 percent.Santorum would probably do better this year, with economics overshadowing cultural issues. But it's easy to imagine that Romney would run better in what seems to be his natural terrain." The column appears in the Boston
 Herald:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9373d0364900b63a587e6cd1deaff6149e6f3a71119bb42096b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9373d0364900b63a587e6cd1deaff6149e6f3a71119bb42096b .

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE UP TO TODAY:Santorum hosts two rallies in Idaho. Gingrich fundraises in San Diego in the morning and visits the Tulare World Ag Expo in the afternoon. Details:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93728a48c7c97649e58366f0af0172b6aa5272fc1da81379929 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93728a48c7c97649e58366f0af0172b6aa5272fc1da81379929 

WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS UP TO: "The President and the Vice President will hold a meeting with Vice President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China in the Oval Office...In the afternoon, the President will do a round of regional interviews to continue discussing his plan to help responsible homeowners. The President will sit down with anchors from KLAS, Las Vegas, Nevada ; WAGA, Atlanta, Georgia; WFLA, Tampa, Florida; and WBTV, Charlotte, North Carolina. These interviews are embargoed until 5PM EST."

2016 WATCH - PERRY SAYS HE "ABSOLUTELY" MAY RUN AGAIN:He tells ABC's Jonathan Karl that his debate experiences this time around will make him a better candidate next time around. The Gingrich endorser also tells Romney he should repudiate Romneycare (it's not gonna happen, but it shows that Perry is clearly more interested in winning over conservatives than serving in Romney's cabinet ).
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9371df08993704137b5158a5a5121d065d88ffe011dc9a0b19f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9371df08993704137b5158a5a5121d065d88ffe011dc9a0b19f 

PEW STUDY - 1 IN 8 VOTER RECORDS FLAWED:"More than 24 million voter-registration records in the United States - about one in eight - are inaccurate, out-of-date or duplicates. Nearly 2.8 million people are registered in two or more states, and perhaps 1.8 million registered voters are dead. Those estimates, from a report published today by the non-partisan Pew Center on the States, portray a largely paper-based system that is outmoded, expensive and error-prone," per USA Today. "Experts say there&#39;s no evidence that the errors lead to fraud on Election Day...Pew&#39;s solution: create a multistate data center to give officials voter registrations, motor vehicle records and death
 certificates from other states, allowing them to spot records that could be removed. That effort is starting this year with Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9379862837893b1f886faf487058203e4e0c5b894fbf73c6989 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9379862837893b1f886faf487058203e4e0c5b894fbf73c6989 

MASSACHUSETTS SENATE - 2/3s of BROWN'S DONATIONS FROM IN-STATE:"US Senator Scott Brown continued to draw a large share of his campaign money from within Massachusetts in the final quarter of 2011, tapping wealthy suburban enclaves across Greater Boston, according to an analysis of campaign finance documents," The Boston Globe reports. "About 66 percent, or $1.5 million, of the itemized contributions Brown reported in the last quarter came from donors within the Bay State.Brown...raised about $3.2 million in total over the last three months of 2011, including about $400,000 in small contributions that do not have to be reported individually...Warren's campaign brought in $5.7 million in the
 last three months of 2011. More detailed data on her contributions, including the amounts raised from in-state donors, is not yet available from the Federal Election Commission."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9375b412d39dbfdbe47bce3bd77aa363b57cd8396ab3427850a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba9375b412d39dbfdbe47bce3bd77aa363b57cd8396ab3427850a 

POLL OUT THIS MORNING - WARREN, 46; BROWN, 43:That's within the 4.4% margin of error for the WBUR-MassINC survey. Brown is +24 with 30-44-year-olds. Warren is +23 with 60-and-over respondents. Story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93728ffcae0fcd29eb72f79ae750628056ee98aed32641f8400 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba93728ffcae0fcd29eb72f79ae750628056ee98aed32641f8400 .

INDIANA SENATE - DEMS LAUNCH HOOSIERHOTELBILL.COM:The microsite, which just went live, hits vulnerable six-term incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar for staying at the Marriott when he visits Indianapolis, where he was mayor in the 1970s and is registered to vote.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba937303e45a619de96dba5e0c5ff21785ae410064f0d283229be 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0184df8f532ba937303e45a619de96dba5e0c5ff21785ae410064f0d283229be 

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR - 2013 GOP PRIMARY WELL UNDERWAY:"Since [AG Ken] Cuccinelli's announcement, [Lt. Gov. Bob] Bolling has refocused a network of volunteers and embarked on a fundraising tour, while Cuccinelli has hired campaign consultants and pursued support from powerful business leaders," The Washington Post's Anita Kumar writes today. "Cuccinelli has uncharacteristically declined to comment on the race. But Bolling has lashed out, expressing his disappointment with his rival's decision to get in the race and deriding him for putting his "personal ambition" ahead of the state. Now, many Virginia Republicans are bracing for a bitter and expensive primary fight that threatens to divide the
 party - much like the presidential race has done for the GOP nationally."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3d04a8548657492077bde5b662f5230b4a0cbce456847c94d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3d04a8548657492077bde5b662f5230b4a0cbce456847c94d 

NEW HAMPSHIRE GOVERNOR - STEPHEN WON'T RUN AGAIN:"Republican John Stephen, who ran for governor in 2010, will not run for the office this year, he said Monday," The Union Leader reports. "Stephen, who lost to Gov. John Lynch by a 53 to 45 percent margin, said he was asked by numerous people to enter a Republican primary field that already includes Manchester attorney Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith, the former executive director of Cornerstone Action. Lynch is not seeking election to a fifth term...Stephen said his consulting business, The Stephen Group, which focuses on health care, is growing after already doing work for Republican governors in several other states."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3746ec2e89231423bd753e60cebaaca4c936c9dc952bcd609 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3746ec2e89231423bd753e60cebaaca4c936c9dc952bcd609 

OHIO HOUSE - KUCINICH, KAPTUR DEBATE GETS TESTY:"Rep. Dennis Kucinich often refers to Rep. Marcy Kaptur as his friend on the campaign trail, but the Democratic duo appeared to be anything but comrades in their first debate," per Roll Call. "In the hour-long back-and-forth [Monday] morning, Kucinich was forced to defend his flirtation with running for a new House seat in Washington state, including multiple visits to the West Coast for speeches and events. 'At no time, did I ever state I was leaving the area,' Kucinich responded. 'I've never said that, and any claim to the contrary is fictional.' The two veteran Democrats are facing off in the March 6 primary... At multiple times during the
 debate, Kaptur and Kucinich interrupted each other, interjecting with terse phrases including, 'Oh, I beg your pardon' and 'You said your piece.' In one particularly testy exchange, the two Democratic Members argued over funding for an unfinished bridge in Cleveland."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a36b755bfd7265a1157f6d6a1b07dcdc0f85639eee8749d1a0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a36b755bfd7265a1157f6d6a1b07dcdc0f85639eee8749d1a0 

DNC - STATE DELEGATIONS GET HOTEL ASSIGNMENTS TODAY:"Top-ranking convention and campaign players already know where they&#39;ll be in September - at the uptown Westin Charlotte and Hilton Center City hotels," per the Charlotte Observer. "The 56 delegations representing the states and U.S. territories find out specifics today about where they&#39;ll stay. Typically at national conventions, delegations from the home state and influential swing states get plum hotel assignments. In Charlotte, smaller delegations will share hotels, while large ones will be split up. All delegations will have their own ballroom or meeting-room space for their daily breakfast meetings, where they conduct business
 and host speakers. Kelsey Larus, director of housing for the convention, thinks the 6,500 delegates and their accompanying parties will be happy."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3e931fc40ea35bf44827243e613116ab5323538f350faff97 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3e931fc40ea35bf44827243e613116ab5323538f350faff97 

FIVE MOST VULNERABLE HOUSE INCUMBENTS TO PRIMARY CHALLENGESper Alex Isenstadt: Spencer Bachus (R.-Ala.); Tim Murphy (R-Pa.); Ed Towns (D-N.Y.); Fred Upton (R-Mich.); Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a39dcaa22ff842652c2926933716787b6b2c399c12c830b2d0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a39dcaa22ff842652c2926933716787b6b2c399c12c830b2d0 

DESSERT -

JON STEWART made fun of Santorum and Gingrich's responses to President Obama's contraception accommodation on his show last night. Video:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3ffe4319616056869a3af1a865a3e14de1149ca605efbf1da 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3ffe4319616056869a3af1a865a3e14de1149ca605efbf1da .

THE ONION headline today is "New breeding program aimed at keeping moderate Republicans from going extinct." From the top of the fake story: "Saying the now critically endangered species of politician is at high risk for complete extinction within the next 10 years, Beltway-area conservationists announced plans Monday for a new captive breeding program designed to save moderate Republicans. According to members of the Initiative to Protect the Political Middle (IPPM), centrist Republicans...are in dire need of protection, having lost large portions of their natural terrain to the highly territorial Evangelical and Tea Party breeds."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3e9c9533904636c745c34088e8ee951d6ffa691d38c24328d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3e9c9533904636c745c34088e8ee951d6ffa691d38c24328d 

FRED UPTON'S NIECEis the cover girl of this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The Kalamazoo Gazette's blog item:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3ea112751887e1571cd3b77c996b528fb20b128a839c410b5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3ea112751887e1571cd3b77c996b528fb20b128a839c410b5 . The New York Times' A1 story on how she used social media to catapult herself to stardom:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3ca8dd8acf493c61f5f121f5740022568179ae989829fdeb2 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a3ca8dd8acf493c61f5f121f5740022568179ae989829fdeb2 . The photos on the SI website:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a33fbba65b5c90855ff70cdd0ecaf8403f178e0408abfd6147 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=00a592da1653d7a33fbba65b5c90855ff70cdd0ecaf8403f178e0408abfd6147 .

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY:"I think for the first time in a while we have a private dinner and hopefully [we can] exchange gifts, and reconnect a little bit. No more details." - Newt Gingrich teases his Valentine's Day plans at a California campaign stop. He paused before the last sentence. The crowd reportedly cheered after the punch line.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a4aeea44e2ce68fa92c4416e6fda32980d5566fd8635809b1141e18c8d15bb5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a4aeea44e2ce68fa92c4416e6fda32980d5566fd8635809b1141e18c8d15bb5 

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