Top Items:

Mitt Romney is the best choice — A little more than a year ago, Michigan voters put their trust in a businessman to serve as their governor. They were looking for someone who understands the private sector and has a plan for reversing the economic decline that had befallen our great state.
Discussion:
Ballot Box, CNN, msnbc.com, emptywheel and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog
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Mitt Romney lose to Rick Santorum in Michigan? 'That won't happen,' Romney says — KENTWOOD - Jerome Bush, an 81-year-old lifelong Republican, shook GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's hand Wednesday, recalling doing the same with his father, George Romney, during his campaign for governor more than 40 years ago.
Discussion:
The Page

Poll: Rick Santorum leads Mitt Romney in Michigan — Rick Santorum visits a school in North Dakota on Wednesday. Santorum, who has turned the Michigan race into a fight, will be in Detroit and Novi today. (Will Kincaid / Associated Press) — Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum …
Discussion:
Politico, GOP 12, Los Angeles Times, Hot Air, The Page, msnbc.com and Washington Post

Announcing Operation Hilarity: Let's keep the GOP clown show going! — It's time for us to take an active role in the GOP nomination process. That's right, it's time for those of us who live in open primary and caucus states—Michigan, North Dakota, Vermont and Tennessee in the next three weeks …


Is Romney Going To Run Out Of Money?
Discussion:
Ricochet Conversations Feed, Hot Air, The Other McCain, CNN, American Prospect, Daily Kos and Newshoggers.com

CNN Poll: Obama approval rating back to 50% mark
Discussion:
New York Times, Politico and Hot Air


Sarah Palin will ‘help’ brokered convention — Former Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday that a brokered Republican presidential convention was a possibility and that if it happened she “would do whatever I could to help.” — “If one of the nominees, one of the GOPers …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
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Palin: Obama Is ‘Underestimating the Wisdom of Women’
Discussion:
Daily Kos and Little Green Footballs

Exclusive: Santorum releases four years of tax returns — Rick Santorum said they would come this week, and here are four years worth of his taxes, from years 2007 through 2010. — They can be found here, here, here and here. The returns are the most in number that have been released …
Discussion:
Campaign 2012, msnbc.com, ABCNEWS, Angry Bear and New York Times


OMB director undercuts legal case for Obamacare — Testifying before Congress this morning, President Obama's acting budget director Jeffrey Zients directly undercut one of the administration's key legal defenses of its national health care law as it nears a hearing before the Supreme Court.
Discussion:
Hot Air, Betsy's Page, americanthinker.com, The Lonely Conservative, Sister Toldjah and The Volokh Conspiracy
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Did OMB director not get the mandate memo?
Discussion:
JustOneMinute and Budget Committee

How I'll Respond to China's Rising Power — The character of the Chinese government—one that marries aspects of the free market with suppression of freedom—shouldn't become the norm. — Should the 21st century be an American century? To answer, it is only necessary to contemplate the alternatives.
Discussion:
The Hill and Daniel W. Drezner

Heartland Institute Responds to Stolen and Fake Documents — FEBRUARY 15, 2012 - The following statement from The Heartland Institute - a free-market think tank - may be used for attribution. For more information, contact Communications Director Jim Lakely at jlakely@heartland.org and 312/377-4000.
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Supreme Court should take on New York City's rent control laws — James and Jeanne Harmon reside in and supposedly own a five-story brownstone on Manhattan's Upper West Side, a building that has been in their family since 1949. But they have, so to speak, houseguests who have overstayed their welcome by …


Contraception's Con Men — By a revolting combination of con men and fanatics, the current primary race has become a demonstration that the Republican party does not deserve serious consideration for public office. Take the controversy over contraceptives.
Discussion:
Corey Robin and A plain blog about politics

Lawmakers reach deal to extend payroll tax cut — House and Senate negotiators early Thursday finalized a deal to extend the payroll tax cut, emergency unemployment benefits and the Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors. — Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) …
Discussion:
The CFO Report

Op-Ed Contributor: Philadelphia Newspapers Are a Target — I LIVE in Philadelphia. I have for nearly 40 of my 57 years. It is a wonderful city but also a corrupt one. Power is concentrated in the hands of a select few, who sometimes act in the public interest but too often act …
Discussion:
JIMROMENESKO.COM and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

OVERNIGHT TECH: Cybersecurity bill headed straight to Senate floor — THE LEDE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring a cybersecurity bill straight to the Senate floor in the coming weeks, skipping any committee markups, according to Democratic aides.
Discussion:
Pirate's Cove, Politico and RedState


Unemployment applications drop to a 4-year low — WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell to the lowest point in almost four years last week, the latest signal that the job market is steadily improving. — The Labor Department says weekly applications …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress

Farage On Greek Chaos: “You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet” — Outspoken and oracular MEP Nigel Farage bombards his fellow unelected officials with 'you can't handle the truth' comments as he points out the total contradiction that is the European Parliament's (and 'Puppet Papademos') …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice and National Review


Greece spiralling into catastrophic depression — NOTE: WE DO NOT STORE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS(ES) BUT YOUR IP ADDRESS WILL BE LOGGED TO PREVENT ABUSE OF THIS FEATURE. PLEASE READ OUR LEGAL TERMS & POLICIES — Greece is expecting to agree the terms of European leaders for a rescue package …
Discussion:
US Politics and Via Meadia


Iran helping al Qaeda plot attack on West, intelligence sources say — LONDON — Iran and al Qaeda's core leadership under Ayman al Zawahiri have established an operational relationship amid fears the terror group is planning an attack against the West. — There are concerns such an attack …
Discussion:
The Long War Journal and The Jawa Report


Gay marriage bills in New Jersey, Maryland face hurdles — (Reuters) - Bills to permit gay marriage in New Jersey and Maryland face key legislative debates and votes on Thursday, highlighting a hot-button social issue gaining prominence in the election year debate.

A Point By Point Commentary On Keith Olbermann's “Debunking” Of The Occupy Rape — Before I debunk Keith Olbermann's “debunking,” let's remember what Keith Olbermann said. It's the standard to which Mr. Olbermann needs to be held: … That is Mr. Olbermann's statement and he hasn't backed down from it.
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, The Raw Story, Mediaite, Hot Air and KATU-TV

Obama: 'We've been slogging through prose' — President Obama appeared at two star-studded Los Angeles fundraisers on Wednesday night and, as he spoke to a crowd that included actor George Clooney, acknowledged that governing hasn't been easy. — Mentioning former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo's quip …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS