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 and emptywheel
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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? — Santorum goes to the small-donor well, but Romney may have to dip into his own pockets to survive the long haul. Looking “under every stone.” — (Getty Images / Eric Thayer) — Mitt Romney is running out of rich people.
Discussion:
Ricochet Conversations Feed, Hot Air, The Other McCain, American Prospect, Daily Kos and Newshoggers.com


Michigan governor to back Romney — Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder plans to endorse Mitt Romney at a campaign event on Thursday, a GOP source confirmed to CNN. — The governor will announce his support in Farmington Hills, Michigan, at a meeting of the area chamber of commerce.
Discussion:
Politico and The Reaction


Interview: Megadeth's Dave Mustaine talks guitar, politics and today's music
Discussion:
Don Surber, newsfeed.time.com, Rolling Stone, BuzzFeed and Shakesville

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:
detroitnews.com, Los Angeles Times, msnbc.com, ABCNEWS and New York Times
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Rasmussen national poll puts Santorum up 12 over Romney
Discussion:
CNN, Ballot Box, GOP 12, Big Government and The Reaction

Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum woos Idaho conservatives at Boise gathering
Discussion:
Washington Monthly and Balloon Juice


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


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

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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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


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
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Chimichangamalangarepaorale — So, leftist WaPo Columnist Dana Milbank “inadvertently” mocks latinos by stating “The Chimichanga? It may be the only thing Republicans have left to offer Latinos.” And subsequently Obama Campaign Manager Jim Messina tweets that this is “the line of the day” and the twitterverse is afire.
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GOP demands apology for Obama campaign manager's ‘chimichanga’ tweet
Discussion:
24Ahead, Hot Air, The Impolitic, Don Surber, Wonkette and The PJ Tatler


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.

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

Social conservatives press Obama on administration's birth-control mandate — A group of social conservative lawmakers on Wednesday intensified its push to overturn President Obama's new birth-control mandate. — The lawmakers, representing both parties and both chambers, said the president's recent …
Discussion:
Taylor Marsh and CNN

Payroll tax deal would take first real bite from Obama's health law — The payroll tax cut package under discussion in Congress would take the first real bite out of President Obama's healthcare reform law, according to congressional aides and lobbyists. — A tentative deal struck late …
Discussion:
CNN, Washington Post and Firedoglake


Newt Gingrich: The most disliked politician in America — Newt Gingrich hasn't just fallen in the GOP presidential race; he may be the most unpopular person in American politics right now. — Two new polls out this week show the former House speaker with an absolutely atrocious favorability rating.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Power Line, Hot Air, The Caucus, NewsBusters.org, ThinkProgress and Daily Kos

Santorum: Birth control ‘harmful to women’ — Yesterday I speculated on some of the reasons Rick Santorum has problems with women voters. This interview from 2006 sure isn't going to help — For starters, does he realize that married women (men too!) use birth control?


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