Tonight is the GOP debate in Arizona. Follow TPM for live updates and analysis. Here are ten things you need to know today.
- New national poll has Santorum up among GOP candidates: A new Quinnipiac poll shows Santorum leading the GOP field by 9 points. Santorum has 35% to Romney’s 26%, Gingrich has 14% and Ron Paul has 11%. In a one-on-one matchup between the frontrunners, Santorum beats Romney 50% to 37%. But against President Obama, the President beats both candidates by a few points.
- New poll shows Obama besting all GOP candidates: A new Associated Press-GfK survey has Obama leading all the GOP candidates. The President beats Romney 51% to 43% — a much bigger lead than the virtual tie they were in last December. That lead only widens against Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul.
- Latest poll has Romney ahead in Arizona, coming back in Michigan: An NBC/Marist Poll out Wednesday morning shows Romney and Santorum now in a virtual tie in Michigan, meaning Romney is closing the once 15-point gap Santorum had over him in his home state. In Arizona, Romney leads comfortably with 43% to Santorum’s 27%. This is a big difference from an ORC Poll released Tuesday, which had Romney leading Santorum by only 4 points.
- Obama to offer corporate tax plan: The Obama administration on Wednesday will announce a new plan to lower and simplify the corporate tax code. The Treasury Deparment will reveal the proposal, which, CNN reports, will “enhance American competitiveness by simplifying the tax code and eliminating dozens of tax loopholes and subsidies…” The plan would bring the corporate rate down to 28% and 25% for manufacturing.
- Sheriff Arpaio will endorse in coming weeks: After an appearance and a meeting with Rick Santorum Tuesday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who initially endorsed Rick Perry, said he would endorse another candidate in the next few weeks. Arpaio also said he would soon release the results of an investigation into President Obama’s birth certificate, which Santorum allegedly told Arpaio was not a problem for him in terms of receiving his endorsement.
- Michigan paper endorses Romney: The Oakland Press in Michigan has endorsed Mitt Romney, calling him “far and away the best candidate” and the most likely to beat President Obama.
- Santorum raises ‘over $6 million’ in February: Tuesday, Rick Santorum, who raised about $4.5 million in January, told reporters he had already raised “well over $6 million” in February. That number would put Santorum in the same range as what Romney brought in in January.
- Bachmann will run in her old district: Michele Bachmann attacked the “liberal courts” in an email to supporters Tuesday after a judicial panel released its redistricting map for Minnesota. In the new map, Bachmann’s hometown is no longer in her old district. Still, Bachmann will run for reelection in her old district and is still favored to win.
- Republican leads in Arizona Senate race: A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows an uphill climb for the Democratic Senate candidate against GOP candidate Jeff Flake. The poll shows Flake leading both Democratic candidates by 11 points. There remains room for improvement, but it won’t be an easy seat for Democrats to take back.
- Candidates campaign in Arizona ahead of debate: The candidates are in Arizona Wednesday ahead of Wednesday night’s debate. Romney will hold a rally Wednesday morning in Chandler, Arizona, Santorum will speak at a Tea Party rally in Tucson, Ron Paul will hold a fundraiser breakfast and lunch in Mesa, and Newt Gingrich will drop by an elementary school in Gilbert.
