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Santorum Catches Romney in GOP Race — Obama Leads Both in General Election Matchups — OVERVIEW — Rick Santorum's support among Tea Party Republicans and white evangelicals is surging, and he now has pulled into a virtual tie with Mitt Romney in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Discussion:
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Campaign 2012, AlterNet, Lippmann's Ghost, Jay Bookman, americanthinker.com, News Desk, Daily Kos, Opinion L.A., Runnin' Scared, ABCNEWS, Guardian, Truthdig, Washington Post, Doug Ross, Hot Air, Firedoglake, Ballot Box, Booman Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Caucus, CNN, Washington Monthly, GOP 12 and Taegan Goddard's …
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Poll: Rick Santorum takes slight lead in GOP race — CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto. — Rick Santorum has pulled slightly ahead of Mitt Romney in Republican primary voters' preference for the presidential nomination …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, Washington Post and Daily Kos

Santorum Surges to Tie Romney — Race takes another turn as Santorum gains 14 points since winning Feb. 7 GOP contests — PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are now statistically tied for the lead in Republican registered voters' preferences for the 2012 GOP nomination — 32% to 30%, respectively.
Discussion:
The Caucus, The Moderate Voice, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Weasel Zippers, Ballot Box, Associated Press, ABCNEWS, CNN and Washington Post

Protestors disrupt Santorum event, get arrested — (CNN) - A group of protesters disrupted a Rick Santorum campaign rally in Tacoma, Washington, on Monday, prompting the presidential hopeful to brand it as a “radical element” that represents “true intolerance.”
Discussion:
CBS News and Campaign 2012

GOP Gov. McDonnell warns Santorum not to demean military women
Discussion:
CNN, Boston Globe, Politico and GOP 12


Romney's Santorum problem
Discussion:
Vox Popoli, ABCNEWS, The PJ Tatler, Hot Air, Eunomia and The Hinterland Gazette

Santorum moves ahead in Michigan
Discussion:
American Spectator, msnbc.com, Slate, The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, emptywheel, Daily Kos, Firedoglake, GOP 12, Wonkette, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Daily Dish, Washington Wire, The Maddow Blog, Politico, Political Watch, The Other McCain, Ricochet Conversations Feed and New York Times

ARG poll shows Santorum up 6 over Romney in Michigan
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight, American Spectator, The Caucus, Jay Bookman, The Week, RedState and Outside the Beltway


Political Punch — “Dogs Against Romney”? Democrats Say Unleash the Hound! — Tomorrow outside the Westminster dog show at Madison Square Garden at noon the group “Dogs Against Romney” will protest “to ensure pet lovers are aware that Mitt Romney is mean to dogs,” according to the group's press release.
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and The Raw Story
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For Immediate Release: Dogs Against Romney Press Event: Westminster Dog Show, NYC. — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: A Dogs Against Romney press event will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, February 14 at NOON EASTERN TIME in front of MADISON SQUARE GARDEN during The American Kennel Club's Westminster Dog Show (SEE EXACT LOCATION DETAILS BELOW).

Gregoire signs gay marriage into law — With Gov. Chris Gregoire's signature on Monday, Washington joins six other states and the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex couples to marry. — OLYMPIA — Surrounded by applauding gay couples and with media from around the country looking on …
Discussion:
The Maddow Blog, msnbc.com, ACS Blog, Outside the Beltway and Taylor Marsh
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BREAKING: Washington Governor Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill
Discussion:
The Political Carnival and Booman Tribune

NJ Senate OKs gay marriage bill in milestone vote
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Politico, Washington Monthly, Truthdig and The Raw Story

New Jersey Senate approves gay marriage; veto looms
Discussion:
Campaign 2012

Washington gov signs gay marriage bill into law
Discussion:
HyperVocal, Towleroad News #gay, Daily Kos and Feministing


Obama set to okay Egypt, PA aid despite tension — Palestinians to see only slight roll back despite unity deal with Hamas; Egypt aid to remain at 2012 level. — By REUTERS/Larry Downing — WASHINGTON - Despite recent tensions between the US and Egypt and a new Palestinian Authority government set …
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Ricochet Conversations Feed and Israel Matzav
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Obama proposes $800 million in aid for “Arab Spring”
Discussion:
Rush Limbaugh, LifeNews.com, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Mail Online, Atlas Shrugs, Politico, Jihad Watch and The Hill

Obama's ‘rosy’ budget scenario doubles down on class warfare
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Campaign 2012, Doug Ross, National Review, Sister Toldjah, Firedoglake and American Spectator

House GOP leaders drop demand that payroll tax cut be offset — House Republicans said Monday that they would offer a measure to extend the current payroll tax cut for the rest of the year, dropping a previous demand that the tax break be offset. — The move marks a sharp turnaround for GOP leaders …
Discussion:
CNN, Wall Street Journal, Erick's blog, Politico, The PJ Tatler, RedState and The Maddow Blog
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House GOP scrambles payroll tax cut calculus
Discussion:
The New Republic, tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com, Swampland and CNN


Norquist: Romney Will Do As Told — Is Mitt Romney so weak he won't be able to stand up to Congress? — Grover Norquist, head of the Americans for Tax Reform advocacy group, speaks at a session entitled “Scrap the Code: Towards Pro-Growth Tax Reform” at the conservative Americans for Prosperity …


Republican Women Senators Breaking Ranks With Party, Come Out In Favor Of Obama Contraception Rule — While GOP senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has pledged to fight the Obama's administration's modified regulation requiring health insurers and busnisses to offer contraception …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Firedoglake, The Impolitic, The Raw Story, Pundit & Pundette, Daily Kos and The Maddow Blog

Tucker Carlson takes on the media — The top editors at the Daily Caller have come out with the first in a series of articles about the liberal media watchdog Media Matters For America, and in doing so they have suggested that MSNBC and reporters from the Washington Post, POLITICO …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, American Spectator, Mediaite, Big Journalism and Erick's blog, more at Mediagazer »
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Inside Media Matters: David Brock's enemies list
Discussion:
Power Line, Big Journalism, Politico, Michelle Malkin, Ed Driscoll, Weasel Zippers, Wonkette, Washington Monthly and RedState


Clinton: We need Assad's consent to put troops in Syria — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had a clear and unified message coming out of their meeting in Washington, D.C. Monday: They are looking for a political solution in Syria …
Discussion:
US Department of State, Israel Matzav and The Gateway Pundit
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Justice Breyer robbed at West Indies vacation home — WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Stephen Breyer was robbed last week by a machete-wielding intruder at his vacation home in the West Indies, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said Monday. — The 73-year-old Breyer, wife Joanna and guests were confronted …
Discussion:
iOwnTheWorld.com, CNN, Mediaite, The Hill and The Caucus


Privately, Obama sees recovery 1-2 years off — Follow on Twitter:Follow @SecretsBedard — The public President Obama, bubbly in his reelection campaigning about a recovering U.S. economy, isn't as optimistic in private, telling a select few that it will likely take up to two years for any recovery to click in.
Discussion:
Hot Air and Weasel Zippers

Verizon, AT&T to Sell 4G iPad — Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up.
Discussion:
Engadget and The Verge, more at Techmeme »