memeorandum: Maine GOP chairman say Romney wins caucuses (Beth Fouhy/Associated Press)

9:05 PM ET, February 11, 2012

Top Items:

Santorum surges into the lead — Riding a wave of momentum from his trio of victories on Tuesday Rick Santorum has opened up a wide lead in PPP's newest national poll. He's at 38% to 23% for Mitt Romney, 17% for Newt Gingrich, and 13% for Ron Paul. — Part of the reason for Santorum's surge is his own high level of popularity.

Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:

Romney wins The Washington Times/CPAC Straw Poll — Returns to top after two years on the outs — Mitt Romney won The Washington Times/CPAC Presidential Straw Poll on Saturday, and also nipped Rick Santorum as the top choice of conservatives nationwide, according to a new version …

Discussion: BuzzFeed, The Moderate Voice, National Review, The Lonely Conservative, Weasel Zippers, Daily Kos, The Other McCain and Mediaite

Sarah Palin / CNN:

TRENDING: Palin calls on Romney to work harder for the conservative vote — Washington (CNN) - Sarah Palin issued a warning to Mitt Romney Saturday, calling on the former Massachusetts governor to do a better job explaining his record to conservatives or risk dampening voter turnout in November …

Discussion: 2012 Decoded, Politico, The PJ Tatler, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Campaign 2012 and The Page

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:

Palin shines brightest at CPAC conference — If Sarah Palin had been on the ballot for the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference, there is little doubt she would have won. — The former Alaska governor received far-and-away the most spirited and enthusiastic reception …

Discussion: CNN and Wake up America

Jonathan Martin / Politico:

CPAC ‘severely’ conflicted over Mitt Romney — Mitt Romney wanted to use his CPAC speech Friday to allay concerns about his candidacy on the Republican right, but with one ad-libbed word he reinforced conservative fears that he's not one of them. — “I was a severely conservative Republican governor …

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com, AlterNet and Outside the Beltway

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:

Palin Says Brokered Convention Would Not Hurt G.O.P. — Sarah Palin said Saturday that Republicans should be in no hurry to wrap up the presidential nominating contest, declaring that a competitive campaign until the August convention in Tampa would not complicate the party's efforts to defeat President Obama.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, New York Times and Conservatives4Palin

Washington Examiner:

Did Romney quell conservative doubts? — For many observers, the key question of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington was: How would Mitt Romney be received? Would the conservative crowd embrace him enthusiastically, or hold him at a distance?

Discussion: Power Line, Campaign 2012 and The Spectacle Blog

Tim Mak / Politico:
Romney tops Paul in Maine

Discussion: LifeNews.com

Beth Fouhy / Associated Press:
Maine GOP chairman say Romney wins caucuses

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and ABCNEWS

Alexander Burns / Politico:
Romney wins CPAC straw poll, barely edges Santorum nationally

Discussion: CNN

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Breaking: Romney wins CPAC straw poll

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Tim Mak / Politico:
Paul could be Maine event

Discussion: CNN and Mediaite

Shannon Travis / CNN: Romney does campaign first as Paul hopes for first win in Maine

CNN:
Romney wins prized straw poll at conservative gathering

Discussion: The Raw Story

Wall Street Journal:

Immaculate Contraception — An ‘accommodation’ that makes the birth-control mandate worse. — Here's a conundrum: The White House wants to impose its birth-control ideology on all Americans, including those for whom sponsoring or subsidizing such services violates their moral conscience.

Discussion: Grim's Hall, Ricochet Conversations Feed and National Review

Jennifer Haberkorn / Politico:
Bishops: Contraception deal ‘unacceptable’

Discussion: The Hill, Religion Dispatches, Firedoglake, dotCommonweal, Jezebel, Outside the Beltway and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »

usccb.org:
Bishops Renew Call To Legislative Action On Religious Liberty

ABCNEWS:

Which Republican Presidential Candidate Supported Sotomayor? — Pop quiz: Which Republican presidential candidate supported the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor? — Hint: It's the same one who endorsed a pro-abortion-rights presidential candidate in an earlier campaign. — Give up?

Discussion: National Review

Nekesa Mumbi Moody / Associated Press:

Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Gothamist and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Lee Smith / Weekly Standard:

Assad@axisofevil.com . . . Leaked emails show Westerners truckling to the Syrian regime. — In the fall of 2007 Israel reportedly hacked into Syria's air defense systems and disabled them, as a prelude to bombing a nuclear facility in the Syrian desert. This vaunted cyber exploit …

Discussion: Israel Matzav

Jonathan S. Landay / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
U.S. officials: Al Qaida behind Syria bombings

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, msnbc.com and Hot Air

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

The Contraception Controversy Would Have Been Avoided If Obama Were President — Helene Cooper and Laurie Goldstein of the Ministry of Truth pick up the pom-poms to cover the contraception controversy and assure their readers of two points - Obama is caving in to the Religious Left …

Discussion: New York Times and The Lede