Romney wins Maine caucuses and CPAC straw poll by small margins. Here are ten things you need to know.
- Sunday shows lineup: Rick Santorum and White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew will both be on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN’s State of the Union, and ABC’s This Week. Ron Paul will also be on This Week. Sarah Palin and Jack Lew will be on Fox News Sunday; Ron Paul, Mitch McConnell and Jack Lew will be on CBS’s Face the Nation. Priorities USA Action director Bill Burton makes his Meet the Press debut as part of the round table.
- Romney wins CPAC straw poll and Maine caucuses: Mitt Romney won both the CPAC straw poll and the Maine caucuses on Saturday, though neither by a wide margin. He won Maine with 39% to Ron Paul’s 36%. Santorum took 18% and Gingrich took just 6% with 84% of precincts reporting. At CPAC, Romney took 38% to Santorum’s 31% and Gingrich’s 15%. Marco Rubio was the choice for vice president.
- Maine Democratic Party says Romney had a bad night: In response to Romney’s win in Maine, the state’s Democratic Party chair Ben Grant argued that Romney had actually had a bad night: “Tonight was another bad night for Mitt Romney. Following a string of losses this week in Missouri, Colorado and Minnesota, the Republicans lack of enthusiasm for their front runner continued tonight in Maine – where we saw staggeringly low turnout. In 2008 Romney won Maine easily with over 50% of the vote but today he wasn’t even able to break 40% despite living in the neighboring state.”
- Rick Santorum takes lead in national poll: Mitt Romney may have won a contest and a poll Saturday, but Rick Santorum took the lead in a national survey from Public Policy Polling (D). The survey has Santorum leading the pack by 15 points, with 38% to Romney’s 23%. Gingrich has 17% and Ron Paul got 13%.
- New poll shows Santorum rising in Gingrich’s home state: As yet another sign that Newt Gingrich is fading, a new poll shows Santorum closing in on Gingrich in his home state of Georgia. The Landmark Communications/Rosetta Stone poll of Georgia GOP voters has Gingrich ahead with 35% and Santorum with 26%.
- Did Obama win the contraception controversy?: A survey of Catholics by Public Policy Polling Friday night showed Catholics approve of the presidents rule change to accomodate religiously-affiliated organizations’ concerns about covering contraception 57%. Of the 34% who disapprove, 5% disapprove because they felt the change wasn’t necessary. This may be good news for Obama and bad news for Romney. Respondents preferred Obama’s position over Romney’s opposition to any birth control coverage requirement 51% to 38% and Hispanic Catholics preferred Obama’s 59% to 32%.
- Bachmann campaign spokesperson joins Santorum: According to a tweet from Mark Halperin, Bachmann campaign spokesperson Alice Stewart has joined the Santorum campaign as his national press secretary.
- Santorum says he can win Michigan: Mitt Romney, who grew up in Michigan and whose father was governor of the state, is the frontrunner there. But Rick Santorum said on Fox News that he thinks he can win and will make an effort to win Michigan. Santorum thinks his message about manufacturing will resonate in the struggling state.
- Romney heads to Arizona on Monday: Mitt Romney will hold a get out the vote rally in Mesa, Arizona on Monday. The Arizona primary on February 28 is the next primary contest.
- Santorum heads west: After blitzing three morning shows Sunday, Santorum will campaign out west. He has one event scheduled for Monday in Washington and two scheduled in Idaho Tuesday.
