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.

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 …

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 …

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?

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.