Here are ten things you need to know today.
- Santorum calls Freiss comments a ‘joke’: Foster Freiss, the mega-funder behind a super PAC supporting former Senator Rick Santorum’s (R-PA) candidacy for the presidency, said in a follow up interview Thursday night that the comments were a joke. Freiss, appearing on MSNBC earlier on Thursday, said “Back in my day, they used Bayer Aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.” Santorum himself told BuzzFeed “I’m not responsible for every bad joke one of my supporters makes.”
- Santorum leads Michigan Heading into the weekend, Santorum is approaching a ten point lead in Michigan, according to our TPM Poll Average of the race. Public Policy Polling (D) will be in the field in the Great Lakes State and in Arizona as their February 28th primaries approach.
- As CNN cancels Georgia debate, Newt spox gets angry: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, having completely faded into the background of the GOP presidential race, needs something to regain momentum — but that something won’t be another great debate performance in Atlanta. CNN has cancelled its scheduled March 1st debate in Georgia after former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney decided against going, and Gingrich was left as the only candidate who had accepted. “[Romney] spits in Georgia’s face and cancels Atlanta debate appearance,” Newt spokesman RC Hammond tweeted.
- Santorum not getting completely outspent in Michigan….yet: A Democratic source gave TPM a breakdown of the state-by-state ad wars so far, and Santorum seems to be holding his own at the moment in the Great Lakes State. The Romney advantage is 3 to 1 in Michigan, but 14 to 1 in Arizona and 5 to 1 in Ohio.
- Brown leads Warren in MA: Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) leads probable Democratic foe Elizabeth Warren by nine points in a new survey from Suffolk University in Boston. Warren had the lead in the two previous public polls of the race by a few points, but the Suffolk numbers showed that Brown was still the choice of many independent voters. The TPM Poll Average of the race now shows Brown with a lead over two points.
- DSCC hits Allen on VA personhood bill: Former Sen. George Allen (R-VA) and current candidate for the same office said this week that he supports a bill that passed the Virginia legislature defining life as beginning at conception. On Thursday Democrats started to hit him on it. “It’s bad enough that he’s completely ignoring the most pressing issues facing Virginia, but it’s even worse to see him embrace such a far right social agenda that would roll back healthcare for women,” said Shripal Shah, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in a release.
- Santorum fights for midwestern states: Rick Santorum will campaign in Michigan and Ohio on Friday, doing a town hall event in Shelby Township, MI before heading to the Lincoln Day Dinners of Mason and Georgetown, Ohio. Santorum has won every midwestern vote so far in the GOP presidential race (Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri).
- Romney, Paul in Idaho: Both Romney and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) are in Idaho stumping for votes in the states’ March 6th caucuses, part of Super Tuesday. Santorum was there on Thursday, Romney has the endorsement of the Republican governor of the state Bruce Otter, and Idaho Sen. Jim Risch (R) (a Romney backer) has already predicted that the former governor will win the state’s caucuses.
- Gingrich heads south: Newt Gingrich will be in Georgia, whether his Congressional district was, on Friday. Gingrich has spent the last few days in California desperately trying to raise money after his campaign has hit the skids.
- Adelson may reenter the fray: Casino mogul and Gingrich backer Sheldon Adelson may come back into the GOP fold, sources told the Wall Street Journal. Adelson is weighing another donation of ten million dollars, and this time he hopes to knock Santorum down, in the hopes that either Gingrich or Romney will get the nod. “In a bit of political chess, Mr. Adelson is ready to not only directly support the former House speaker in the Republican primary, but to use his cash to push Rick Santorum from his position atop the latest national polls, according to people who have discussed the matter with Mr. Adelson,” Alicia Mundy and Alexandra Berzon wrote.
