memeorandum: First Thoughts: High stakes (msnbc.com)

10:25 AM ET, February 27, 2012

Top Items:

Susan Page / USA Today:

Swing states poll: Health care law hurts Obama in 2012 — WASHINGTON - The health care overhaul that President Obama intended to be the signature achievement of his first term instead has become a significant problem in his bid for a second one, uniting Republicans in opposition and eroding his standing among independents.

Discussion: American Prospect, GOP 12, Michelle Malkin, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Hill, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, Questions and Observations, Hot Air, Ballot Box, Scared Monkeys, CNN, The Lonely Conservative, Politico, ABCNEWS and The Page

James Hohmann / Politico:

Battleground Poll: GOP president's race takes toll, Obama inches up — A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll reveals the prolonged nominating battle is taking a toll on the GOP candidates and finds the president's standing significantly improved from late last year.

Discussion: CBS News, The Moderate Voice, CNN, Los Angeles Times, Washington Wire, Mediaite and Associated Press

Rick Santorum / Wall Street Journal:

My Economic Freedom Agenda — We need bold tax reform, but Mitt Romney wants to tinker at the margins. — America's budget process is broken. Our economy and American families are struggling, and the country needs bold reforms and major restructuring, not tinkering at the margins.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Hill, The Spectacle Blog, Campaign 2012, JunkScience.com and Politico

Quinnipiac University:

Men, Conservatives Push Santorm To 7-Pt. Ohio Lead, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 45% Of GOP Voters Might Change Their Mind — With strong support from men and conservatives, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum leads the Ohio GOP presidential field with 36 percent of likely Republican primary voters …

Discussion: GOP 12, CNN, Politico, The Charlotte Observer, 2012 Decoded, Taegan Goddard's … and msnbc.com

CNN:

GOP voters split over Romney, Santorum, new poll shows — (CNN) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has erased a 10-point deficit against rival Rick Santorum among registered Republicans in the race for the GOP nomination, according to a new Gallup poll released Monday on the eve of the Michigan and Arizona primaries.

Discussion: The Agonist and Politico

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:

Americans Divided on Repeal of 2010 Healthcare Law — Majority of Republicans strongly favor repeal if a Republican is elected president — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans divide evenly when asked if they favor (47%) or oppose (44%) a Republican president's repealing the 2010 healthcare law if elected this November.

Discussion: The Hill, Campaign 2012 and Weasel Zippers

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney takes small Michigan lead — Mitt Romney's taken a small lead over Rick Santorum in PPP's newest Michigan poll. He's at 39% to 37% for Santorum, 13% for Ron Paul, and 9% for Newt Gingrich. Compared to a week ago Romney's gained 6 points, while Santorum's just stayed in place.

Discussion: Politico, CNN, USA Today, Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Bloomberg, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, The New Republic, Los Angeles Times and New York Magazine

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney headed for an Arizona rout — Mitt Romney is headed for an overwhelming victory in Arizona's primary on Tuesday. He's at 43% to 26% for Rick Santorum, 18% for Newt Gingrich, and 11% for Ron Paul. — You can make a fair argument that Romney's already won the Arizona primary.

Discussion: American Prospect, Outside the Beltway, Taegan Goddard's …, msnbc.com and CNN

msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: High stakes

Discussion: The Political Carnival, Taegan Goddard's … and Los Angeles Times

Gerald Herbert / ABCNEWS:
‘World News’ Political Insights: What Mitt Romney Has Already Lost

Discussion: The Hill, Politico and New York Times

Nia-Malika Henderson / Washington Post:
Rick Santorum presses culture wars attack

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, ABCNEWS and USA Today

Sarah B. Boxer / CBS News:

Romney: Not a NASCAR fan, but friends are owners — Mitt Romney went to the races today, and instead of putting his pedal to the metal, seems to have put his foot in his mouth. — Asked by a reporter from the Associated Press about whether or not he follows NASCAR, Romney reportedly responded …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Obama Diary, Balloon Juice, Toronto Star and Dependable Renegade

Associated Press:
Romney takes campaign detour to Daytona

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Raw Story, Crooks and Liars, Rumproast, Los Angeles Times, Tucson Citizen, BuzzFeed and Associated Press

New York Times:

Violent Uproar in Afghanistan Casts Shadow on U.S. Pullout — WASHINGTON — American officials sought to reassure both Afghanistan's government and a domestic audience on Sunday that the United States remained committed to the war after the weekend killing of two American military officers inside …

Discussion: Via Meadia and Outside the Beltway

Greg Jaffe / Washington Post:
Violence in wake of Koran incident fuels U.S. doubts about Afghan partners

Discussion: Althouse and Prairie Weather

Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:
Karzai's Response to Obama's Apology: Put U.S. Troops on Trial and Punish Them

Discussion: Don Surber, The Right Scoop, Weasel Zippers and Randy's Roundtable

Sandra Tsing Loh / The Atlantic Online:

Daddy Issues — Why caring for my aging father has me wishing he would die — To my surprise, in a motion as automatic as the reflex of a mussel being poked, my body bent double and I heard myself screaming: — “I WAAAAAAAANT MY FATHERRRRRR TO DIEEEEE!!!”

Wall Street Journal:

Unions Rejigger Political Spending — Labor-union contributions to candidates and parties are leveling off in the 2012 election cycle, hindering Democrats' campaign- funding plans amid a spending surge by groups backing Republicans. — Some union officials suggest that …

Discussion: Campaign 2012

Adam Winkler / The Daily Beast:

Clarence Thomas Is a Long Shot for President, But His Candidacy Makes a Lot of Sense — Call it a longshot if you like, but in this anything-can-happen political year, the Supreme Court justice has qualities to recommend him to a broad spectrum of voters. — With the Republican presidential …

Discussion: Instapundit, Outside the Beltway and Brad DeLong

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Sick Man: Santorum makes it explicit — Sick man — So John F Kennedy's seminal speech on the separation of church and state made Rick Santorum sick: … So is the idea that the first Catholic president was sickening a big seller among Catholics these days? Who knew?

Discussion: pandagon.net