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Mitt Romney: middle income Americans are focus, not very poor — After winning the Florida primary, GOP presidential nominee hopeful Mitt Romney explains to CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien that he is focused on a particular portion of the American population in his campaign.
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Romney, citing safety net, says he's ‘not concerned about the very poor’ — In an interview with CNN Wednesday morning that should have been a Florida victory lap, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney made a fumble that could give rivals an attack ad sound bite.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Outside the Beltway, National Review, Hullabaloo, GOP 12, Campaign 2012, The Agonist, Shakesville, Hot Air, Wake up America, Connecting.the.Dots, Alas, a Blog and Daily Kos

The Morning Plum — * Romney: “I'm not concerned about the very poor”: Before we get to last night's results, this quote from Mitt Romney on CNN will prove to be important: … Romney seems to have meant that the “very poor” have a safety net while the middle class doesn't, and that the latter will be the focus of his campaign.
Discussion:
NationalJournal.com, Balloon Juice, RedState, The Huffington Post and Eschaton

Why Romney Is ‘Not Concerned’ About the Poor
Discussion:
msnbc.com, GOP 12 and The Daily Dish


Gingrich 2012? Going, Going, Gone — Last week, New York magazine's John Heilemann pointed out a deep truth about Newt Gingrich's peculiar presidential campaign: The very media elite that Gingrich delights in hammering has actually been in his corner all along.
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The GOP's ongoing turnout problem — There can be little doubt that Mitt Romney dominated in Florida's Republican presidential primary, but there were a few tidbits in the exit polls that stood out, including this one: — This has to be discouraging for the former governor and his campaign.
Discussion:
The Politico, Prairie Weather and The Reality-Based Community

Romney Wins, but Turnout Lags
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Washington Monthly, Wonkette, southernstudies.org and blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Newt Gingrich loses Florida — and reminds us why
Discussion:
The Politico, Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, Daily Kos and The PJ Tatler

2012 Florida primary: Romney cruises to big win over Gingrich
Discussion:
Fox News


Why Romney won — Why Gingrich lost
Discussion:
New York Times, 2012 Decoded, Washington Wire, National Review, Betsy's Page and Wall Street Journal

Romney wins Florida GOP primary, Fox News projects
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The Politico, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Reaction, The Hill, Washington Post, Pirate's Cove, The Other McCain, Wake up America, The Spectacle Blog, American Spectator, Hot Air, Wonkette, Scared Monkeys, Taylor Marsh, Michelle Malkin, The Moderate Voice, Questions and Observations, Don Surber, Pat Dollard, The PJ Tatler, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Gateway Pundit, American Glob, Atlas Shrugs, Jammie Wearing Fools, Daily Pundit, CNN, New York Times, CBS Tampa and FiveThirtyEight

Palin: Romney's $17 million in ads bought ‘some false narrative’ in Florida
Discussion:
The Politico, Gawker, The Gateway Pundit, The Raw Story and The Huffington Post


Mitt Romney heads to Minnesota amid talk of Michele Bachmann endorsement — TAMPA, Fla. - Mitt Romney is carrying a full head of steam after winning the Florida primary, but the Republican presidential contender isn't headed first today for Nevada or Maine, the next two states to vote.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Politico, Outside the Beltway, The Page, ABCNEWS and Joe. My. God.
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Romney Wins Big in Florida Primary
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Outside the Beltway, ABCNEWS, Firedoglake, Boston Globe, FiveThirtyEight, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Media Decoder, Washington Times, Tablet Magazine, The Daily Beast, Christian Science Monitor, CBS News, Associated Press, msnbc.com, The Politico, History Musings, Rumproast, The Caucus, The Page and The Moderate Voice

Komen Cuts Planned Parenthood Grants Months After Arrival Of New VP, Who Is Abortion Foe … Komen Planned Parenthood , Politics News — Breast cancer charity giant Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Tuesday did not renew a grant to Planned Parenthood to fund breast exams.
Discussion:
Feministe, DISSENTING JUSTICE, skippy the bush kangaroo, Gothamist, US Politics and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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Susan B. Komen's Act of Cowardice … - How Newt Lost Florida: It Wasn't Just His Bad Debating and Moon Base Nonsense — What Is Causing the Mass Hysteria Afflicting Those Girls in Upstate New York? — America Has a Huge, Pent-Up Desire—for Getting Divorced
Discussion:
Pharyngula, Right Wing Watch, pandagon.net and Lawyers, Guns & Money


Komen breast cancer charity severs ties with Planned Parenthood
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, The Atlantic Online, Campaign 2012, Colorlines, Wizbang and Crooked Timber

The Pink Badge of Cowardice
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Balloon Juice, Political Mojo, The Moderate Voice, US Politics and Crooks and Liars

Why Komen defunded Planned Parenthood
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Tablet Magazine, Feministing, The Mahablog, Catholic Bandita, Balloon Juice, Pirate's Cove, ECHIDNE of the snakes, Taylor Marsh, Comments from Left Field, The Gateway Pundit, National Review, Boing Boing, Planned Parenthood, ThinkProgress, Don Surber, Daily Kos, The Hill, Shakesville, Colorlines, The Democratic Daily and Little Green Footballs


Administration briefs Senate leaders on Taliban transfer — Top Obama administration officials briefed eight senior Senate leaders Tuesday on a pending deal to transfer as many as five Taliban prisoners from the U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to Qatar.
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, Lawfare, Weasel Zippers and New York Times
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Josh Fox led away in handcuffs from hearing — Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Josh Fox was led away in handcuffs from a House Science Committee hearing Wednesday morning after refusing to pack up his camera. — Fox was led out by Capitol Police shortly after 10 a.m., before the hearing could be gaveled into order.
Discussion:
ThinkProgress and Grist

Check With Climate Scientists for Views on Climate — Do you consult your dentist about your heart condition? In science, as in any area, reputations are based on knowledge and expertise in a field and on published, peer-reviewed work. If you need surgery, you want a highly experienced expert …
Discussion:
Power Line, ThinkProgress, Dot Earth, Little Green Footballs, Watts Up With That?, Grist, Gothamist, The Huffington Post and Sister Toldjah


EXCLUSIVE: Mitt Romney to Receive Secret Service Protection — TAMPA - Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has been informed that it will start receiving Secret Service protection on Thursday, two campaign sources and a senior Republican tell ABC News. — Secret Service protection …
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Page, The Hill, Hotline On Call, CNN, Townhall.com, Saint Petersblog and HotAirPundit


‘Soul Train’ creator Don Cornelius dead in apparent suicide — “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning. — Law enforcement sources said police arrived at Cornelius' home around 4 a.m. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound …
Discussion:
The Informer, Outside the Beltway and New York Times


Anthony Weiner used campaign money to hire private investigators to chase down his lie about crotch-shot tweet, financial statements reveal — Weiner hired T&M while in full spin mode over controversy that eventually led to his resignation — Infamous photo that Anthony Weiner tweeted.
Discussion:
The Hill, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Gateway Pundit, Runnin' Scared and The Daily Caller

Obama's Enemies List — David and Charles Koch have been the targets of a campaign of vituperation and assault, choreographed from the very top. — How would you feel if aides to the president of the United States singled you out by name for attack, and if you were featured prominently …
Discussion:
Ricochet Conversations Feed, Campaign 2012, Maggie's Farm and Atlas Shrugs

To My Old Master — In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdan — who, since being emancipated, had moved to Ohio, found paid work, and was now supporting his family …


Four men admit London Stock Exchange bomb plot — The men planned to terrorise people and to damage the economy and property — Four men inspired by al-Qaeda have admitted planning to detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange. — Mohammed Chowdhury, Shah Rahman …
Discussion:
The Jawa Report, Guardian, Harry's Place, msnbc.com and The Daily Caller


Eric Holder's ‘Fast and Furious’ woe — Editor's note: Gen. Michael V. Hayden, who was appointed by President George W. Bush as CIA director in 2006 and served until February 2009, is a principal with the Chertoff Group, a security consulting firm. He serves on the boards of several defense firms …
Discussion:
Power Line and emptywheel

Obama Approval Above 50% in 10 States and D.C. in 2011 — District of Columbia, Hawaii most approving; Utah, Idaho, least — PRINCETON, NJ — In 10 states plus the District of Columbia, a majority of residents approved of the job Barack Obama was doing as president last year, according to aggregated data from 2011.

House GOP seeks to bar the use of welfare funds at strip clubs — House Republicans don't want Uncle Sam paying for any more lap dances. — A bill that GOP leaders are bringing to the House floor Wednesday would require states to prevent welfare recipients from accessing or spending …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Daily Kos and Weasel Zippers