memeorandum: McDonnell signs repeal of one-gun-a-month law (Olympia Meola/Richmond Times-Dispatch)

11:15 AM ET, February 29, 2012

Top Items:

Romney Wins Arizona; Tight Race in Michigan — SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Mitt Romney won the Arizona primary on Tuesday, based on surveys of voters leaving polls, but was locked in a tight battle with Rick Santorum in Michigan, where Mr. Santorum hoped to use his strong showing in his rival's native state …

Discussion: NY Daily News, New Yorker, The Moderate Voice, ThinkProgress, Guardian, The Caucus, Scared Monkeys, Religion News Service, Shakesville, The Reaction, msnbc.com, Wall Street Journal, ABCNEWS, Towleroad News #gay, Politico, JustOneMinute and The Page

Josh Lederman / The Hill:

After tough race, Romney beats Santorum in Michigan primary — Mitt Romney re-established himself as the Republican front-runner Tuesday night with his win in Michigan's pivotal primary, fending off what would have been a crushing defeat by rival Rick Santorum.

Discussion: CNN, No More Mister Nice Blog, Politico and Ballot Box

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:

Poll finds Santorum up by double-digits in Ohio — Fresh off his victories in Michigan and Arizona, Mitt Romney will need to pull another come-from-behind effort to take Ohio on Super Tuesday, a new poll shows. — Romney trails Rick Santorum by 11 points in the latest Ohio Poll from the University of Cincinnati.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

msnbc.com:

First Thoughts: Winning ugly — Romney wins ugly in Michigan... But that win silences the talk about a white knight riding to the GOP's rescue... February took a toll on Romney... Did Santorum lose Michigan more than Romney winning it?... On to Super Tuesday... And Snowe's retirement gives Democrats …

Discussion: GOP 12

Maggie Haberman / Politico:
5 takeaways from Arizona and Michigan

Discussion: Pirate's Cove

Jonathan Martin / Reuters:
Michigan and Arizona primaries 2012: Mitt Romney wins ugly

Discussion: Politico, Bloomberg, Washington Post, NationalJournal.com, FiveThirtyEight, Marbury, The Moderate Voice, CNN and Algemeiner.com

Geneva Sands-Sadowitz / The Hill:
RNC chairman: Not a ‘fan’ of Santorum robocall tactic

Discussion: CNN

Jeremy W. Peters / The Caucus:
Huckabee Will Host a Presidential Forum on Fox News

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Washington Post, The New Republic, The Lonely Conservative, Politico, ABCNEWS, GOP 12 and Ballot Box

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
G.O.P. Greek Tragedy

Discussion: The PJ Tatler and Daily Kos

Hillary Chabot / Boston Herald:
John McCain: Close curtain on GOP ‘Greek tragedy’

Discussion: National Review, Connecting.the.Dots, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite and The Hill

Sean Trende / Real Clear Politics:
Odds of a Brokered Convention Are Increasing

Discussion: Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, blogs.telegraph.co.uk and Dean's World

CNN:
EXIT POLLS: Michigan

Discussion: CBS News, Swampland, Firedoglake and Campaign 2012

Amy Gardner / Washington Post:
In Ohio, fierce primary fight may hurt GOP's chances for the fall

Discussion: New York Times, Reuters, Riehl World View and The Page

McKay Coppins / BuzzFeed:
Romney Camp Will Haunt Santorum With Robocall Story

Discussion: GOP 12, 2012.talkingpointsmemo.com and BuzzFeed

Michael A. Memoli / Los Angeles Times:
Exit polls: 1 in 10 voters was a Democrat in Michigan primary

Discussion: The Hill, rebelpundit, Big Government, Daily Kos, FiveThirtyEight and Associated Press

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Open thread: Michigeddon; Update: Romney wins Arizona; Update: Michigan exit poll added; Update …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, GOP 12, The New Republic, The Caucus, ABCNEWS, BuzzFeed, The Daily Dish, Politico, The Other McCain and RedState

John Hinderaker / Power Line:
A Big Night For Mitt Romney

Discussion: The Daily Beast, CNN and The PJ Tatler

Matt Negrin / ABCNEWS:
Mitt Romney Wins Primaries in Michigan and Arizona

Discussion: CNN, Politico and CANNONFIRE

Fox News:
Romney fights to hold lead in Michigan primary after projected Arizona win

Discussion: Verum Serum and New York Times

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Will Olympia Snowe Join Americans Elect? — Olympia Snowe's retirement statement seemed like it dropped a huge hint, and I'm surprised it hasn't received any attention: … This sounds exactly like the kind of rhetoric emanating from Americans Elect, the third-party group that believes …

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, The Caucus, Guardian, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Hill and Mother Jones

Washington Post:

Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe to retire in blow to GOP — Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe will not seek reelection in 2012, she announced Tuesday. — Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) on Dec. 17, 2011, after leaving the floor of the Senate. (J. Scott Applewhite - AP)

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, UrbanGrounds, Feministing, Salon, Pine Tree Politics, Wonkette, Michelle Malkin, Swampland, The Political Carnival, The Democratic Daily, Balloon Juice, The Confluence, Shakesville, The Moderate Voice and The Page

Mike Allen / Politico:

Playbook: Leap Day edition — TO TELL THE KIDS -USA Today 1A, “What if there were no leap years? ... [T]he calendar would be ‘scrambled,’” by Dan Vergano: “[T]he Earth doesn't circle the sun in exactly 365 days [but] 365.2425 days ... Those extra digits add up to almost a full day, but not quite, every four years. ...

Discussion: Portland Press-Herald and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Matthew Gagnon / Pine Tree Politics:
Snowe Fall(out) — Speculation has already begun in the frenzy …

Discussion: The Lonely Conservative, Outside the Beltway, Ballot Box, Hot Air and Guardian

Sacramento Bee:

Support for gay marriage takes dramatic leap in California, new poll shows — A new poll shows gay marriage has arrived in California - in public opinion if not in state lawbooks. — Golden State registered voters now favor same-sex unions by 59 percent to 34 percent …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Steve Rothaus' Gay …, Towleroad News #gay and Joe. My. God.

Steven Shepard / NationalJournal.com:

Despite Detroit Comeback, Public Opposes Bailout — A majority of Americans think the federal government should not have helped out U.S. automakers that were in financial trouble, but rather should have allowed them to go it alone, according to a new United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll.

Discussion: Campaign 2012, Wall Street Journal, Michelle Malkin and Weasel Zippers

Matthew Pennington / Associated Press:

US: NK agrees to suspend nuclear activities — WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States says North Korea has agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and agree to a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. — State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also said Wednesday the North …

Discussion: ThinkProgress and Reuters

Washington Examiner:

Barone: Puzzling cheers for higher taxes — Copies of the president's FY2013 budget request are seen after they were delivered to the Senate Budget Committee on Feb. 13, 2012. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — I have long been puzzled by the enthusiasm with which many young liberal bloggers cheer …

Lawrence B. Lindsey / Wall Street Journal:

Geithner and the ‘Privilege’ of Being American — The Founders argued that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were rights that preceded government—not things to be granted by it. — Last week Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said that the “most fortunate Americans” …

Discussion: Betsy's Page

Religion News Service:

Franklin Graham apologizes for questioning Obama's faith — WASHINGTON (RNS) Evangelist Franklin Graham apologized Tuesday (Feb. 28) to President Obama for questioning his Christian faith and said religion has “nothing to do” with Graham's decision not to support Obama's re-election.

Discussion: Politico and USA Today

Pete Kasperowicz / The Hill:

Rules Chairman Dreier announces retirement after 16 House terms — House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) on Wednesday morning announced from the House floor that he would not seek reelection this year. — “We all know that this institution has an abysmally low approval rating …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Olympia Meola / Richmond Times-Dispatch:

McDonnell signs repeal of one-gun-a-month law — Gov. Bob McDonnell signed a bill Tuesday to overturn Virginia's landmark one-handgun-a-month law, a restriction put on the books in the early 1990s when gun trafficking was seen as a problem along the East Coast.