Conservatives, here is Mitt Romney (hat tip Elect Romney Blog).

"Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest.” – National Review (Editorial, “Romney For President,” National Review, 12/11/07)

Conservatives, here is John McCain.

Today, The Washington Post Revealed Sen. McCain Is Not Interested In Social Issues:
Sen. McCain: “It’s Not Social Issues I Care About.” “McCain seems distinctly uninterested when asked questions concerning abortion and gay rights. While campaigning in South Carolina, he told reporters riding with him on his bus that he was comfortable pledging to appoint judges who would strictly interpret the Constitution in part because it would reassure conservatives who might otherwise distrust him. ‘It’s not social issues I care about,’ he explained.” (Juliet Eilperin and Michael D. Shear, “Contenders Highlight GOP’s Ideological Struggle,” The Washington Post, 2/3/08)

Others Have Noted That McCain Doesn’t Care About Social Issues:
A Former McCain Aide Previously Said “His Heart Isn’t In This Stuff.” “‘Yes, he’s a social conservative, but his heart isn’t in this stuff,’ one former aide told me, referring to McCain’s instinctual unwillingness to impose on others his personal views about issues such as religion, sexuality, and abortion.” (Todd S. Purdum, “Prisoner Of Conscience,” Vanity Fair, 2/07)

- Former McCain Aide: “But He Has To Pretend [That It Is], And He’s Not A Good Enough Actor To Pull It Off. He Just Can’t Fake It Well Enough.” (Todd S. Purdum, “Prisoner Of Conscience,” Vanity Fair, 2/07)

Sen. McCain Tries To “Placate” Conservatives. “Will McCain’s understandable effort to bend a little here and bow a little there to placate the most conservative elements of his party, who play a disproportionate role in the nominating process get him all twisted up before he ever gets to face the general electorate that polls suggest admires him so?” (Todd S. Purdum, “Prisoner Of Conscience,” Vanity Fair, 2/07)

Couple Sen. McCain’s Lack Of Interest In Social Issues With His Lack Of Understanding Economics:
Sen. McCain: “The Issue Of Economics Is Not Something I’ve Understood As Well As I Should.” “Like Mike Huckabee, who joked recently that he ‘may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night,’ McCain suggested to reporters Monday that American consumer culture offered a short cut to expertise. ‘The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should,’ McCain said. ‘I’ve got Greenspan’s book.’” (Sasha Issenberg, “McCain: It’s About The Economy,” The Boston Globe, www.boston.com, Posted 12/18/07)

- Sen. McCain: “I Still Need To Be Educated.” “On a broader range of economic issues, though, Mr. McCain readily departs from Reaganomics. His philosophy is best described as a work in progress. He is refreshingly blunt when he tells me: ‘I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.’” (Stephen Moore, “Reform, Reform, Reform,” OpinionJournal.com, 11/26/05)

Here's the latest poll for Arizona:

43%--McCain
34%--Romney
9%--Huckabee
7%--Paul

As Rush Limbaugh has said, a vote for Huckabee (and I would add Paul) is a vote for McCain. Romney could win Arizona if enough conservatives switch from Huckabee and Paul to Romney.

It's your choice Arizona.

Maine for Mitt!

Early results in the Republican caucuses showed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leading Sen. John McCain and dark-horse candidate Rep. Ron Paul by a wide margin.

With just over 12 percent of Maine precincts reporting, Romney had 53.2 percent of the vote, with Paul in a distant second at 20.6 percent and McCain at 18.3 percent. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was fourth at 5.2 percent.

Governor Romney On Cutting Wasteful Earmarks (Fox News, 1/28/08):

Governor Romney: "My record as the Governor of Massachusetts has been to veto over 800 items, and I would take my veto pen with me to Washington and do the exact same thing. I've said that if I get spending bills, which in discretionary accounts raise our spending by more than inflation less one percent, I'll veto them. I believe the President's executive order specifically saying don't spend these earmark accounts – if they haven't been voted on by congress, don't spend the money, that makes a lot of sense to me. It's a policy I'd maintain going forward. We're going to have to rein in these earmarks, rein in the pork barrel spending. I think that's essential."

To watch Governor Romney, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a1pVNkQQEU

Here are two previous posts that outline Gov. Romney's strengths and accomplishments.

Here's why many Evangelical Christians support Mitt.

Here's some biographical information about Mitt.

For a breakdown of McCain-onimics, click here. For a look at Romney's economic prowess, click here.

From James Fallows of The Atlantic:

Man from Mars perspective on the Republican debate
24 Jan 2008 11:19 pm

As soon as this evening's Florida debate ended, the MSNBC TV commentators were wondering how it would have looked to "someone who was seeing these candidates for the first time."

Why didn't they just ask me?

This is the first debate among the Republicans that I've seen at full length and in real time.* So factoring in all the expectations I'd gathered from coverage (Romney too weaselly, McCain really the strongest one, Huckabee a charmer, etc), how did it look?

Romney by a mile. More precisely, the only candidate you could imagine putting up a plausible general-election fight. Again, I'm not handicapping the GOP race, which I know nothing about. I'm not saying how each candidate did relative to previous appearances. I am telling you how this one debate looked if you had never seen these guys on the same stage before.

McCain, Giuliani, and Huckabee all notably ill at ease when asked to say anything about the economy. (Huckabee: building two new lanes on I-95, Maine to Florida, as an energy saving measure???) When Romney asked Giuliani a specific question about how to deal with China, the answer reminded me of the way I would sound if asked to fill 90 seconds discussing my favorite fashion designers. McCain attempting to describe his economy policy by listing his advisors. (Jack Kemp?) The more the economy matters as The general election issue, the less this will cut it -- and the more Romney can use at least the veneer of his being able to discuss the issue.

Two other random points:- Boy, do these people hate Hillary Clinton! Her name was mentioned at least ten times as often as George Bush's (and all Bush mentions, that I heard, were from Romney).
-
The intrusiveness and badgering nature of Tim Russert's questions! I wonder whether the two parties will subject themselves to another presidential cycle of "debating" on these demeaning terms.

Here endeth the report from outer space.

What They're Really Saying About Gov. Romney At The Boca Raton, FL, GOP Debate - Vol. III

MSNBC's Pat Buchanan: "I got to say that I think clearly Mitt Romney dominated tonight. His performance was flawless. He looked presidential." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/08)

- Buchanan: "I think Romney clearly won tonight." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/08) - Buchanan: "He looked terrific. He got off the best two lines of the night." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 1/25/08) - Buchanan: "I think he was crisp and strong." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 1/25/08)

- Buchanan: "If Romney is in the lead tonight and people are looking at this, he looks to me like a man, quite frankly that can beat Hillary Rodham Clinton and can be president of the United States." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/08)

ABC News' Jake Tapper: "Romney, who is in a dead heat with McCain for first place in some recent polls here in Florida, had perhaps the best night, presenting a polished and confident demeanor." (Jake Tapper, "GOP Debate: Not Quite A Smoka In Boca," ABC News' Website, http://abcnews.go.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

The Washington Post's Michael D. Shear And Juliet Eilperin: "The debate offered Romney a chance to shine as he received several opportunities to discuss economic issues and his experience in the private sector." (Michael D. Shear and Juliet Eilperin, "Republicans Play To Right In Fla. Debate," The Washington Post, 1/25/08)

The Weekly Standard's Dean Barnett: "With that preamble out of the way, I must unequivocally state that last night was an enormously successful evening for Romney. He's a serious guy, and a capable one. That came through last night." (Dean Barnett, "Boca Break Down," The Weekly Standard, http://www.weeklystandard.com/, 1/25/08)

Time's Mark Halperin: "... Romney came out strong, unapologetic and on message." (Mark Halperin, "GOP Debate Report Card," Time, http://www.time.com/, Posted 1/25/08)

- Halperin: "[Romney] settled comfortably into the 'looks and sounds like a president' zone that is one of his chief assets." (Mark Halperin, "GOP Debate Report Card," Time, http://www.time.com/, Posted 1/25/08)

- Halperin: "[Romney] Seemed to anticipate an eventual one-on-one contest with McCain, and displayed the confidence of a man who feels certain he has a spot in the finals. Bottom line: Benefited more than anyone else from the oddly low-key nature of a high-stakes." (Mark Halperin, "GOP Debate Report Card," Time, http://www.time.com/, Posted 1/25/08)

National Review's David Freddoso: "By the time he was done, Romney even demonstrated that he understands why a one-time rebate is not a real economic stimulant." (David Freddoso, "The Debate Begins," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

Townhall's Jennifer Rubin: "Romney had perhaps his best debate performance? He was at his best when speaking on economics and he successfully ducked a question from Giuliani on his position on a national catastrophic insurance fund." (Jennifer Rubin, "Republican Debates Offer Little Foresight," Townhall, 1/25/08)

- Rubin: "He forcefully rebuffed the moderator's inquiries about how much of his personal fortune he has spent on the campaign. He too should be pleased that voters saw a confident, economically literate candidate." (Jennifer Rubin, "Republican Debates Offer Little Foresight," Townhall, 1/25/08)

Orlando Sentinel's Scott Maxwell: "Overall, Mitt Romney had a good night. He sounded informed, human and comfortable. And he handled several tough questions with ease." (Scott Maxwell, Op-Ed, "Debate Was A Good Night For Everyone But Pimps, Gamblers, Non-Republicans," Orlando Sentinel, 1/25/08)

RedState's Alexham: "There weren't many fireworks between our candidates last night, but one did stand out in a big way: Mitt Romney. He was good. Very good." (Alexham, "Romney Rising: And This Time, It's For Real," RedState, http://www.redstate.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Alexham: "I think we are finally seeing the real Mitt Romney: The smart, wonkish, well-mannered, technocrat, problem-solving businessman. That's who Mitt Romney is, and he has finally revealed his true persona to the rest of us. And I, for one, appreciate it." (Alexham, "Romney Rising: And This Time, It's For Real," RedState, http://www.redstate.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Alexham: "Romney is at his best when he is engaged in wonkish problem solving ..." (Alexham, "Romney Rising: And This Time, It's For Real," RedState, http://www.redstate.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Alexham: "Be who you are Mitt, and you may just become the next president of the United States." (Alexham, "Romney Rising: And This Time, It's For Real," RedState, http://www.redstate.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

What They're Really Saying About Governor Mitt Romney At The Boca Raton, FL GOP Debate - Vol. II

MSNBC'S Chuck Todd: "Romney looks good and sounds confident tonight." (Chuck Todd, "Romney Starting Off Well Tonight," MSNBC's First Read, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "Romney made a strong first impression." (Marc Ambinder, "Live Twittering Of The Debate," The Atlantic, http://twitter.com/marcambinder, Posted 1/24/08)

Captain's Quarters' Ed Morrissey: "Florida voters got their final head-to-head look at the Republican presidential candidates tonight, and the winner of the debate was Mitt Romney." (Ed Morrissey, "Florida Debate: Romney Scores, Rudy Close Behind," Captain's Quarters' Blog, www.captainsquartersblog.com, Posted 1/24/08)

- Morrissey: "He looked presidential, poised, and factually prepared." (Ed Morrissey, "Florida Debate: Romney Scores, Rudy Close Behind," Captain's Quarters' Blog, www.captainsquartersblog.com, Posted 1/24/08)

- Morrissey: "In a debate that spent the first two-thirds with everyone doing well, Romney not only broke out on his own in the last stanza, he successfully parried some strange attacks from Tim Russert as well." (Ed Morrissey, "Florida Debate: Romney Scores, Rudy Close Behind," Captain's Quarters' Blog, www.captainsquartersblog.com, Posted 1/24/08)

Michelle Malkin: "Romney's being treated like the front-runner and he's acting like it." (Michelle Malkin, "GOP Florida Debate: Show Us The Conservatism," Michelle Malkin's Blog, http://michellemalkin.com/, Accessed 1/24/08)

Townhall's Hugh Hewitt: "Mitt Romney should send a thank you card to Tim Russert and Brian Williams. They threw hard balls at the former Massachusetts governor and he hit them all, many out of the park. Romney's allocation of time had to be disproportionate, but that was the Williams/Russert choice, and Romney made the most of it." (Hugh Hewitt, "'General Hillary Clinton' And 'They're Doing It In Europe Now,'" Townhall Blog, http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Hewitt: "Democrats watching tonight have to be very worried that Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee." (Hugh Hewitt, "'General Hillary Clinton' And 'They're Doing It In Europe Now,'" Townhall Blog, http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

American Spectator's Wlady: "Terrific Romney answer to Russert's nosiness about how much he's spent in Florida. Russert's mistake: his insinuation that he was asking the question on behalf of the people's right to know. Romney instead let it be known he'll report his spending on Jan. 31, as required by law; and there's no reason to give his opponents a competitive advantage." (Wlady, "Rich Man, Poor Man," AmSpec Blog, http://www.amspec.org/, Accessed 1/24/08)

ABC News' Rick Klein: "Romney gets an initial question on the economy -- this is tailor made for him. ? He sounds authoritative and in control on this subject." (Rick Klein, "Live Blogging During GOP Debate," ABC News' Political Radar, http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar, Posted 1/24/08)

National Journal's Jennifer Skalka: "Winners?Mitt Romney -- Mistake-free night." (Jennifer Skalka, "No Battle In Boca," National Journal's On Call, http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

Heading Right's Ed Morrissey: "Best line of the evening so far: General Hillary Clinton." (Ed Morrissey, "Best Line Of The Evening So Far," Heading Right Blog, http://headingright.com/, Accessed 1/24/08)

- Morrissey: "Romney just delivered a hell of a punch against Hillary Clinton, Bill, and the Democrats." (Ed Morrissey, "Romney Lapping The Pack," Heading Right Blog, http://headingright.com/, Accessed 1/24/08)

- Morrissey: "I am impressed." (Ed Morrissey, "Romney's Running Away With It!" Heading Right Blog, http://headingright.com/, Accessed 1/24/08)

American Spectator's Phillip Klein: "Romney is clearly benefiting from the focus on the economy." (Phillip Klein, "Quick Debate Reaction," AmSpec Blog, http://www.amspec.org/blogger, Accessed 1/24/08)

Heading Right's Fausta Wertz: "[Y]es, this is the Mitt Romney hour." (Fausta, "Back To Mitt," Heading Right Blog, http://headingright.com/, Accessed 1/24/08)

Townhall's Matt Lewis: "If one had to assign a winner tonight, Mitt Romney would probably get the nod." (Matt Lewis, "GOP Debate Analysis: Florida Now A Two-Man Race," Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com, Posted 1/24/08)

- Lewis: "The debate focused more on the economy than it did on any other topic, and I think he is more adept at talking about this topic than is his primary opponent, John McCain." (Matt Lewis, "GOP Debate Analysis: Florida Now A Two-Man Race," Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com, Posted 1/24/08)

- Lewis: "He also did a good job of going after the Clintons -- something that McCain should have actually done more of." (Matt Lewis, "GOP Debate Analysis: Florida Now A Two-Man Race," Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com, Posted 1/24/08)

- Lewis: "Romney was ahead in the last Florida poll I saw, and since nothing that happened tonight is likely to radically upset the apple cart, he wins tonight merely by maintaining the status quo." (Matt Lewis, "GOP Debate Analysis: Florida Now A Two-Man Race," Townhall Blog, www.townhall.com, Posted 1/24/08)

What They're Really Saying About Governor Mitt Romney At The Boca Raton, FL GOP Debate

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: "I think conservatives probably related to Mitt Romney, talking about tax cuts, talking about being a governor, talking about what he did in the private sector for all those years. On the economic part of this debate, I don't think there is any doubt that this was Mitt Romney's best performance." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/08)

- Scarborough: "The first 30 minutes - it was about the economy. I thought Mitt Romney absolutely dominated that segment of it." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/08)

Time's Mark Halperin: "Romney A-" (Mark Halperin, "Who Wants To Be The Nominee?" Time's The Page, http://thepage.time.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: "I thought this was Mitt Romney's best debate performance." (MSNBC's "Live," 1/24/08)

National Review's Rich Lowry: "Romney has seemed authoritative – confident and on his game..." (Rich Lowry, "The Debate So Far," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Lowry: "'We're the Party of Change' ... Home-run answer from Romney. It was drawn from his standard lines on the stump, but a terrific message, convincingly delivered." (Rich Lowry, "'We're The Party Of Change'," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Lowry: "Good night for Romney." (Rich Lowry, "Good Night For Romney," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Lowry: "Romney is dominating the last half-an-hour." (Rich Lowry, "In Terms Of Sheer Time..." National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

Townhall's Mary Katharine Ham: "Romney just stole that issue from both Rudy and McCain. His answer was intelligent and far-reaching. I liked the idea of high-risk areas getting together to pool risk. Rudy's been trying to pander with this idea and I think both Romney and McCain made the pandering look silly by taking a broader approach." (Mary Katharine Ham, "The Cat Fund," Townhall Blog, http://www.townhall.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

National Review's Kate O'Beirne: "Romney's insights about his state's National Guard was helpful. He seems particularly aggressive and sure-footed tonight." (Kate O'Beirne, "On Offense," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

Michelle Malkin: "Excellent Romney answer on Iraq. Strong, tough, focused on the surrendercrats. He takes on Dems for their withdrawalmania?cites debate in SC when Hillary refused to say she wanted to win and recycled Code Pink line." (Michelle Malkin, "GOP Florida Debate," http://michellemalkin.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

- Malkin: "Romney excoriates Dems and says 'how dare they' take credit for surge." (Michelle Malkin, "GOP Florida Debate," http://michellemalkin.com/, Posted 1/24/08) - Malkin: "Romney just out-McCained McCain on the war." (Michelle Malkin, "GOP Florida Debate," http://michellemalkin.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "Romney was swell on the economy..." (Marc Ambinder, "Romney Made A Strong First Impression... No One Tried To Jab At Him," Twitter Blog, http://twitter.com/marcambinder, Posted 1/24/08)

Hot Air's Bryan Preston: "Mitt Romney is asked whether the war in Iraq was worth the sacrifice and effort. He delivers the best answer of the bunch and punches the hippies in the Democrat party to boot." (Bryan Preston, "Debate Highlights: Huckabee On The Economic Stimulus; Romney On Iraq," Hot Air, http://hotair.com/, Posted 1/24/08)

Here's a great rundown of Romney's conservative accomplishments while Governor:

---In the four balanced budgets he signed into law, Governor Romney used the line-item veto or program reduction power to cut spending by nearly $1 Billion. Over the course of four budgets, Governor Romney made over 300 line-item reductions, 350 line-item eliminations and struck language 150 times.
--- When Gov Romney took office in Massachusetts, he inherited a $2 billion deficit. While in office, he turned the $2 billion into a surplus----WITHOUT raising taxes.
---Gov Romney solved the health care crisis in Massachusetts----and his plans are still used today. He did this by using the free market and competition---and without raising taxes.
--- Gov. Romney was instrumental in passing a bill abolishing a retroactive capital gains tax in the state that would have forced nearly 50,000 taxpayers to pay an additional $200 million in state taxes and fees
--- 4 years ago --- before the illegals marched in our streets --- Romney opposed a bill that would have allowed illegal aliens to get driver’s licenses. "Those who are here illegally should not receive tacit support from our government that gives an indication of legitimacy," the governor said. (Scott S. Greenberger, "Romney Stand Dims Chances Of License For Undocumented," The Boston Globe, 10/28/03)
--- Romney vetoed a bill in 2004 that would have permitted illegal aliens to pay the same in-state tuition rate paid by citizens at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts.
--- Romney vetoed the bill providing state funding for human embryonic stem cell research
--- Romney vetoed a bill that provided for the "morning after pill" without a prescription because it is an abortifacient and would have been available to minors without parental notification and consent
--- He vetoed legislation which would have redefined Massachusetts longstanding definition of the beginning of human life from fertilization to implantation

I would add that it was a 3 billion dollar defecit, not 2, and that he has been the country's most ardent and vocal defender of traditional marriage.

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney issued the following statement on former Senator Fred Thompson withdrawing his candidacy for President of the United States:

"Throughout this campaign, Fred Thompson brought a laudable focus to the challenges confronting our country and the solutions necessary to meet them. He stood for strong conservative ideas and believed strongly in the need to keep our conservative coalition together. Ann and I would like to extend our best wishes to Fred, Jeri and their family and congratulate them on their efforts during this campaign."

Welcome FredHeads. Here in Arizona we like conservatives. Just look at Saturday's Maricopa County GOP Straw Poll results below.

Maricopa County is the heart of McCain country. It is the most populous county in Arizona by far, and houses Phoenix, the capitol. Maricopa County's GOP held a straw poll Saturday, and here are the results (via Sonoran Alliance):

Overall Votes (662 Votes):
#1 - Mitt Romney - 28.4% (188)
#2 - Fred Thomson - 18.3% (121)
#3 - Ron Paul - 17.4% (115)
#4 - Duncan Hunter - 14.0% (93)
#5 - John McCain - 12.1% (80)
#6 - Rudy Giuliani - 5.0% (33)
#7 - Mike Huckabee - 4.8% (32)

Most Acceptable (1781 Votes):
#1 - Fred Thompson - 20.8% (370)
#2 - Duncan Hunter - 20.1% (358)
#3 - Mitt Romney - 20.0% (356)
#4 - Rudy Giuliani - 13.2% (235)
#5 - Mike Huckabee - 11.6% (207)
#6 - John McCain - 7.6% (135)
#7 - Ron Paul - 6.7% (120)

Most Unacceptable (1949 votes):
#1 - John McCain - 21.9% (427)
#2 - Ron Paul - 20.3% (396)
#3 - Rudy Giuliani - 18.3% (357)
#4 - Mike Huckabee - 17.4% (340)
#5 - Duncan Hunter - 8.0% (156)
#6 - Fred Thompson - 7.8% (152)
#7 - Mitt Romney - 6.2% (121 )

Notice that McCain finishes a distant 5th to Romney in the voting, and places first as the most unacceptable candidate amongst those who know him best.

Also, if you remove Hunter (who's already dropped out) and Thompson (who is expected to drop out this week), Romney wins every category (even without those deletions he wins two and finishes .8% behind first on the third).

Ross Perot will vote for Mitt Romney and slams McCain in this Newsweek interview:

Perot says he intends to vote for Mitt Romney in the Texas Republican primary on March 4, citing Romney's experience in business and his family values. "When I went to the Naval Academy and met my first Mormons I asked why so many were excellent officers," Perot recalls. "I learned it was because of their strong family unit."...

The Perot-McCain relationship goes back to McCain's five and a half years of captivity in Hanoi. When McCain's then-wife Carol was in a serious car accident, McCain's mother called Perot for help. "She asked me to send my people to Philadelphia to take care of the family," Perot says. Afterwards, McCain was grateful. "We loved him [Perot] for it," McCain told me in 2000.

Perot doesn't remember it that way. "After he came home, he walked with a limp, she [Carol McCain] walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona [Cindy McCain, his current wife] and the rest is history."

Someone has done the math at Redstate.com, and apparently Romney is best positioned to win enough delegates to claim the nomination by just consistently taking second place.

Romney wins Wyoming. On to New Hampshire.

P.S.--It will be interesting if the media tries to chalk this up to Wyoming's LDS population. If they'll check their statistics, though, they only make up 11% of the state, with the actual percentage of adult voters being smaller due to the higher percentage of children in LDS families.

From Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic.com:

A Romney volunteer writes:

Today I spent all day at the Romney HQ manning the phones calling voters all over Iowa. We ran into voters who told us they had gotten calls from people stating they represented the Romney campaign and when the voter disclosed they planned to vote for Romney, the caller then asked to take a few minutes to outline Romney's policy positions.
The caller would then provide a litany of misleading statements like how Romney planned to raise taxes and why, etc.

I was just making some phone calls for Mitt to voters in New Hampshire (and they're getting hammered by everybody).

I spoke to one gentleman and explained I was supporting Gov. Romney because of his pro-life, pro-traditional marriage positions.

The man laughed and said he wasn't supporting Romney for the same reason. When asked who he was supporting he responded, "McCain."

Now, I have no problem with someone voting for McCain because they like the fact that he's voted against the federal marriage amendment (twice) and is for embryonic stem cell harvesting.

But I hope no one will vote for McCain under the delusion that he will protect life (in all its forms) and stand up for traditional marriage (which included appointing conservative judges), because McCain won't. Romney will.

Apparently someone in South Carolina decided Mitt was too big a threat to their candidate and decided to send out a hit-piece on the LDS faith via the mail.

For details go to My Man Mitt's piece on it here.

Boston, MA – Today, U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), the top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on foreign policy experience in this era of new global threats:

"Senator McCain is an honorable man but his recent attacks on Governor Romney are a stretch. In challenging times, we need a leader who can guide America and chart a course to overcome the threats our country faces today. Governor Romney is the only presidential candidate who has outlined a comprehensive strategy for leading America forward and defeating the global Jihadist threat. He will build a stronger military, develop a new counter-terrorism force and work with our allies and partners around the world to help nations reject Jihadism. Governor Romney is the leader our country needs."