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Romney opens 21-point lead in South Carolina: Reuters/Ipsos poll — (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opened a wide lead over his rivals in the South Carolina primary election race, trouncing Newt Gingrich and gaining momentum in his march toward the party's nomination, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.
Discussion:
Power Line, The Politico, Don Surber, The Moderate Voice, Riehl World View and The Hinterland Gazette
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Evangelicals Throw Support to Santorum — After a two day meeting at a ranch outside of Houston a group of 150 Christian leaders, business leaders and conservative activists have coalesced behind Rick Santorum. — Friday night surrogates from every GOP campaign (except that of Jon Huntsman) …
Discussion:
Hot Air, Box Turtle Bulletin and The Hinterland Gazette

What does Ron Paul want? — Ron Paul is on track to end the GOP presidential race in second place. But his refusal to directly take on the man who's ahed of him — Mitt Romney — has Republicans wondering: What does Ron Paul want? — Paul has already ruled out a return to the House …
Discussion:
The Politico, Hit & Run, Booman Tribune and Public Policy Polling


150 Social Conservative Activists Settle on Supporting Santorum In Stop Romney Move
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, CNN, The Raw Story and The Other McCain

Group of 150 social conservatives, activists votes to back Rick Santorum

Social conservatives back Rick Santorum
Discussion:
Politics, Rick Santorum for President and ABCNEWS

Santorum wins support of evangelical leaders at Texas meeting
Discussion:
Sky Dancing

Religious leaders rally behind Rick Santorum
Discussion:
The Impolitic, Applesauce and The New Civil Rights Movement

BREAKING: Social Conservatives Officially Unite on Rick Santorum As Romney Alternative
Discussion:
Booman Tribune


Police arrest Italian captain of cruise ship that ran aground, killing 3 — Cruise ship runs aground off Italy — Porto Santo Stefano, Italy (CNN) — The Italian captain of the cruise ship that ran aground — killing three people, injuring 20 and leaving dozens unaccounted for …
Discussion:
Runnin' Scared, The Hinterland Gazette, Scared Monkeys and Gawker
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Italy cruise ship Costa Concordia: Search for missing — The BBC's Alan Johnston says it “must have been an extraordinarily harrowing experience” — Emergency teams in Italy are racing to rescue those missing after a cruise ship ran aground off the country's west coast with about 4,000 people on board.
Discussion:
The Stir By CafeMom, Suburban Guerrilla, The Hinterland Gazette and The Raw Story


Unreal: Obama Regime Condemns Assassination Of Iranian Nuke Scientist... In other words, Obama condemns Israel's Mossad for doing something we should be doing.
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Santorum: US wrong to condemn Iran scientist death — GREENVILLE, S.C.—Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said Saturday the U.S. was wrong to condemn the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist this week. — The Obama administration's public posture on the death Wednesday …
Discussion:
Israel Matzav, nation.foxnews.com and Jihad Watch


Obama Administration Responds to We the People Petitions on SOPA and Online Piracy — The White House has responded to two petitions about legislative approaches to combat online piracy. In their response, Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of Management and Budget …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Hot Air, Gothamist, AllThingsD, Deadline.com, The Raw Story, The Daily Caller, VentureBeat, Engadget and Fire Andrea Mitchell!, more at Mediagazer »
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Mitt Romney's new problem: A rising sun — Mitt Romney was on the campaign trail in South Carolina yesterday, and brought up the issue he expects to ride into the White House: the U.S. economy. Unfortunately for the former governor, the message isn't quite the same as it was a few months ago.
Discussion:
msnbc.com and The Reality-Based Community

Merkel says eurozone must act fast — By Gerrit Wiesmann in Berlin and Scheherazade Daneshkhu in Paris — German chancellor Angela Merkel has called on eurozone governments speedily to implement tough new fiscal rules after Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit ratings of France and Austria and seven other second-tier sovereigns.
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How the Wall Street Journal Misleads About Federal Jobs — The editorial board of Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal has a simple game. They want to cut taxes for the rich and government services for the rest, and end regulations of banks and the environment.

Romney Gives Unemployed Woman Cash on Ropeline — SUMTER, S.C. — Amid shaking hands and signing campaign posters, Mitt Romney did something he has never done before on the ropeline: He took out his wallet and handed a wad of cash to a woman waiting to shake his hand.
Discussion:
Washington Post


U.S. Warns Israel on Strike — Officials Lobby Against Attack on Iran as Military Leaders Bolster Defenses — WASHINGTON—U.S. defense leaders are increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran, over U.S. objections, and have stepped up contingency planning …
Discussion:
Informed Comment, Weasel Zippers, Tikun Olam, Taylor Marsh, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Sky Dancing, Israel Matzav, The Daily Dish and emptywheel


‘Supply-Sider’ for the Working Man — Mitt Romney's conservative rival Rick Santorum wants to grow the economy with tax breaks for manufacturing—and babies. — Manchester, N.H. — 'I'm someone who believes that making things creates wealth," says Rick Santorum.
Discussion:
National Review