memeorandum: Reagan shooter John Hinckley wishes he could change ‘would-be assassin’ image (Associated Press)

5:45 PM ET, February 26, 2012

Top Items:

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

Santorum says he ‘almost threw up’ after reading JFK speech on separation of church and state — Former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) on Sunday defended a statement he made last October in which he said that he “almost threw up” when he read John F. Kennedy's 1960 Houston address on the role of religion in public life.

Discussion: Don Surber, Mediaite, The Mahablog, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos, Marbury, The Other McCain and Lawyers, Guns & Money

ABCNEWS:

Rick Santorum: JFK's 1960 Speech Made Me Want to Throw Up — GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said today that watching John F. Kennedy's speech to the Baptist ministers in Houston in 1960 made him want to “throw up.” — “To say that people of faith have no role in the public square?

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Little Green Footballs, Show Tracker and The New Civil Rights Movement

Adam Peck / ThinkProgress:

Santorum: 'I Don't Believe In An America Where The Separation Between Church And State Is Absolute' — Rick Santorum took issue with President John F. Kennedy's famous speech on the separation of church and state on Sunday, telling This Week's George Stephanopoulos that he does not believe the separation is absolute:

Discussion: Balloon Juice, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The New Civil Rights Movement and Daily Kos

Tim Mak / Politico:

Santorum: JFK speech ‘makes me want to throw up’ — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says the notion of religion not playing role in politics “makes me want to throw up.” — “To say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes me want to throw up.

Reuters:

Seven U.S. soldiers wounded after Afghan NATO base attacked — (Reuters) - Seven U.S. military trainers were wounded on Sunday when a grenade was thrown at their base in northern Afghanistan, police said, as anti-Western fury deepened over the burning of the Koran at a NATO base.

Discussion: Campaign 2012, The Gateway Pundit, American Forces Press Service, Jihad Watch, Atlas Shrugs and americanthinker.com

Guardian:
Afghan police hunt for colleague suspected of shooting US officers

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The Long War Journal

New York Times:
2 Americans Killed as Afghan Unrest Enters Fifth Day

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Rod Dreher and Booman Tribune

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Ghastly Outdated Party — IT'S finally sinking in. — Republicans are getting queasy at the gruesome sight of their party eating itself alive, savaging the brand in ways that will long resonate. — “Republicans being against sex is not good,” the G.O.P. strategist Alex Castellanos told me mournfully.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and The Moderate Voice

Keach Hagey / Politico:

Mitt Romney's talk-radio blitz — In the past 10 days, Ron Jolly, the morning drive-time host on Traverse City, Michigan's conservative talk radio station, has interviewed Mitt Romney twice and his surrogate, Donald Trump, once. — It's better access than most national media outlets get.

Discussion: CNN, Riehl World View and Ballot Box

Jan Brewer / CNN:
Arizona governor endorses Romney

Discussion: Politico, Ballot Box, americanthinker.com and No More Mister Nice Blog

Kyle Whitmire / Second Front:
Poll: Santorum comes from behind in Alabama three-way

Discussion: The Political Carnival, americanthinker.com, BuzzFeed and WSB-TV

Politico:

Daytona 500: Rick Santorum sponsors car — If Tony Raines prevails at Sunday's Daytona 500, one will also be able to count that as a victory for GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum. — The Santorum campaign is one of the sponsors for Raines's No. 26 Ford Fusion in the race …

Discussion: CNN

The State Column:

Could global warming shrink humanity? New study suggests it's possible — Humans may be much shorter if global warming continues, according to the latest study. — A new study finds that ancient horses shrunk even smaller than their ancestors, a trend scientists say is likely the result of global warming.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Ed Driscoll and Jammie Wearing Fools

Byron Tau / Politico:

Koch brothers fire back at Obama — Oil magnates Charles and David Koch are firing back at President Obama's reelection campaign over a fundraising letter tying Mitt Romney to their business interests. — In an open letter addressed to campaign manager Jim Messina, president …

Discussion: Power Line

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

The G.O.P.'s Fuzzy Delegate Math — If Rick Santorum wins in Michigan on Tuesday but loses Arizona, he may get the better spin out of the evening while winding up with fewer delegates. That is because Arizona is a winner-take-all state whereas Michigan is not.