memeorandum: After Three Straight Losses, Romney Edges Past Paul in the Maine Caucuses (Katharine Q. Seelye/New York Times)

10:50 AM ET, February 12, 2012

Top Items:

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: The Hill, The Moderate Voice, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Monthly, CNN and Wake up America

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: Guardian, Right Wing News, The Caucus, Outside the Beltway, The Hinterland Gazette, Connecting.the.Dots, Balloon Juice, BuzzFeed, The Lonely Conservative, The Moderate Voice, Weasel Zippers, National Review, Daily Kos and The Other McCain

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: Riehl World View, Power Line, Campaign 2012 and The Spectacle Blog

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:
After Three Straight Losses, Romney Edges Past Paul in the Maine Caucuses

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, FiveThirtyEight and The Caucus

James Hohmann / Politico:
Romney doubles down, wins CPAC, Maine caucuses

Discussion: Mediaite and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

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

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Politico and Hot Air

Tim Mak / Politico:
Romney tops Paul in Maine

Discussion: LifeNews.com

Sarah Palin / CNN:
TRENDING: Palin calls on Romney to work harder for the conservative vote

Discussion: 2012 Decoded, Politico, The PJ Tatler, AlterNet, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Page, Wake up America and Outside the Beltway

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Palin Says Brokered Convention Would Not Hurt G.O.P.

Discussion: New York Times, The Hinterland Gazette, ABCNEWS and Conservatives4Palin

Tim Mak / Politico:
Paul could be Maine event

Discussion: Mediaite, Washington Post, CNN and Ron Paul 2012 Presidential …

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

Discussion: Big Government, Wizbang and The Moderate Voice

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

Discussion: CNN, Taylor Marsh and The Raw Story

CNN:
Romney wins prized straw poll at conservative gathering

Discussion: The Raw Story

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: CNN, Runnin' Scared, L.A. NOW, Hit & Run, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Towleroad News #gay, Mediaite, Taylor Marsh, Gothamist, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Outside the Beltway

Shelby Grad / L.A. NOW:

Whitney Houston's death: Medics performed CPR for about 20 minutes — Beverly Hills paramedics found singer Whitney Houston unresponsive at a room at the Beverly Hilton hotel and declared her dead after performing CPR on her for about 20 minutes, officials said.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Runnin' Scared, Towleroad News #gay, Show Tracker, THEROOT.COM and TalkLeft

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: Taylor Marsh, Don Surber, Zandar Versus The Stupid, The Moderate Voice, CNN, Grim's Hall, Big Government, Ricochet Conversations Feed, New York Times, National Review and ThinkProgress

CNN:

Lew defends new contraception policy — (CNN) - White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew stood by the administration's recent policy change on contraception coverage Sunday, arguing the new plan ensures women can keep their “right to preventive care” while religious institutions can respect their principles.

Discussion: Politico and Balloon Juice

Laurie Goodstein / New York Times:

Bishops Reject White House's New Plan on Contraception — The nation's Roman Catholic bishops have rejected a compromise on birth control coverage that President Obama offered on Friday and said they would continue to fight the president's plan to find a way for employees of Catholic hospitals …

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Beast, The Moderate Voice, Hullabaloo, CNN and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
The Contraception Controversy Would Have Been Avoided If Obama Were President

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Mahablog and New York Times

New York Times:

Even Critics of Safety Net Increasingly Depend on It — LINDSTROM, Minn. — Ki Gulbranson owns a logo apparel shop, deals in jewelry on the side and referees youth soccer games. He makes about $39,000 a year and wants you to know that he does not need any help from the federal government.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Power Line, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice and Booman Tribune

Tara Brady / Daily Mail:

'Do not follow me down the road to jihad. Go and get a good education in the West': Osama Bin Laden's extraordinary instructions to his young children — Osama Bin Laden told his children to live peacefully in the West where they would get a good education, his brother-in-law has revealed.

Discussion: Via Meadia and Jihad Watch

Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:

Democrats' star speaker Van Jones fires up crowd — and emerges party “leader of the future”? — San Diego - Van Jones, the former Obama Administration green czar who resigned in controversy, appears on the fast track to a political comeback — emerging as a star at this weekend's California …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit and utsandiego.com

Anita Singh / Telegraph:

BBC ‘buried Savile sex abuse claims to save its reputation’ — The BBC shelved a Newsnight investigation into allegations that Sir Jimmy Savile sexually abused a teenage girl in his dressing room at Television Centre, it has emerged. — Sir Jimmy Savile was accused of using his role as a BBC presenter to groom girls

Discussion: Biased BBC