memeorandum: Romney takes campaign detour to Daytona (Chris Jenkins/Associated Press)

11:00 AM ET, February 27, 2012

Top Items:

Susan Page / USA Today:

Swing states poll: Health care law hurts Obama in 2012 — WASHINGTON - The health care overhaul that President Obama intended to be the signature achievement of his first term instead has become a significant problem in his bid for a second one, uniting Republicans in opposition and eroding his standing among independents.

Discussion: American Prospect, Politico, Michelle Malkin, GOP 12, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Hill, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, Wake up America, Questions and Observations, CNN, Hot Air, Ballot Box, Scared Monkeys, The Lonely Conservative, Pirate's Cove, ABCNEWS and The Page

Rick Santorum / Wall Street Journal:

My Economic Freedom Agenda — We need bold tax reform, but Mitt Romney wants to tinker at the margins. — America's budget process is broken. Our economy and American families are struggling, and the country needs bold reforms and major restructuring, not tinkering at the margins.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Hill, Washington Post, USA Today, The Spectacle Blog, msnbc.com, Shakesville, Campaign 2012, JunkScience.com and Politico

James Hohmann / Politico:

Battleground Poll: GOP president's race takes toll, Obama inches up — A new POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll reveals the prolonged nominating battle is taking a toll on the GOP candidates and finds the president's standing significantly improved from late last year.

Discussion: CNN, CBS News, The Moderate Voice, Los Angeles Times, Washington Wire and Associated Press

Quinnipiac University:

Men, Conservatives Push Santorm To 7-Pt. Ohio Lead, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 45% Of GOP Voters Might Change Their Mind — With strong support from men and conservatives, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum leads the Ohio GOP presidential field with 36 percent of likely Republican primary voters …

Discussion: GOP 12, CNN, Metro, 2012 Decoded, Politico, ABCNEWS, The Hill, The Charlotte Observer, Taegan Goddard's …, msnbc.com, Washington Post and Mediaite

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Romney headed for an Arizona rout — Mitt Romney is headed for an overwhelming victory in Arizona's primary on Tuesday. He's at 43% to 26% for Rick Santorum, 18% for Newt Gingrich, and 11% for Ron Paul. — You can make a fair argument that Romney's already won the Arizona primary.

Discussion: Firedoglake, American Prospect, Outside the Beltway, Taegan Goddard's … and msnbc.com

CNN:

GOP voters split over Romney, Santorum, new poll shows — (CNN) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has erased a 10-point deficit against rival Rick Santorum among registered Republicans in the race for the GOP nomination, according to a new Gallup poll released Monday on the eve of the Michigan and Arizona primaries.

Discussion: Politico and The Agonist

Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Americans Divided on Repeal of 2010 Healthcare Law

Discussion: The Hill, Campaign 2012 and Weasel Zippers

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
Romney takes small Michigan lead

Discussion: Politico, weaskamerica.com, CNN, Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Bloomberg, Hot Air, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, The New Republic, Los Angeles Times and New York Magazine

msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: High stakes

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, Politico and The Political Carnival

Gerald Herbert / ABCNEWS:
‘World News’ Political Insights: What Mitt Romney Has Already Lost

Discussion: The Hill, Politico and New York Times

Nia-Malika Henderson / Washington Post:
Rick Santorum presses culture wars attack

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, USA Today, ABCNEWS and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Sarah B. Boxer / CBS News:

Romney: Not a NASCAR fan, but friends are owners — Mitt Romney went to the races today, and instead of putting his pedal to the metal, seems to have put his foot in his mouth. — Asked by a reporter from the Associated Press about whether or not he follows NASCAR, Romney reportedly responded …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Obama Diary, Balloon Juice, Toronto Star and Dependable Renegade

Chris Jenkins / Associated Press:
Romney takes campaign detour to Daytona

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Guardian, The Raw Story, Crooks and Liars, Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, Tucson Citizen, Rod Dreher, Associated Press, Politico and CNN

New York Times:

Violent Uproar in Afghanistan Casts Shadow on U.S. Pullout — WASHINGTON — American officials sought to reassure both Afghanistan's government and a domestic audience on Sunday that the United States remained committed to the war after the weekend killing of two American military officers inside …

Discussion: Via Meadia and Outside the Beltway

Greg Jaffe / Washington Post:
Violence in wake of Koran incident fuels U.S. doubts about Afghan partners

Discussion: Althouse and Prairie Weather

Terence P. Jeffrey / CNSNews:
Karzai's Response to Obama's Apology: Put U.S. Troops on Trial and Punish Them

Discussion: Don Surber, The Right Scoop, Weasel Zippers and Randy's Roundtable

John Horton / Metro:

4 students hurt in shooting at Chardon High School; suspect in custody — CHARDON, Ohio — Four students have been injured in a shooting this morning at Chardon High School. — According to the Geauga County Sheriff's Office and the FBI, a suspect has been arrested.

Discussion: This Just In, msnbc.com, Mediaite, UrbanGrounds, Hot Air and The Wire

Brent Kendall / Wall Street Journal:

EPA Air Rules Head to Court — Range of Industries Challenges Mandates as Too Expensive; U.S. Agency Cites Strong Evidence to Support Moves — Republicans on the campaign trail have long bashed President Barack Obama's environmental regulations. This week the battle moves to the courtroom …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, InsideClimate News and Law Blog

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:
Will Bush v. Gore make an election-year return?

Discussion: Betsy's Page

Sandra Tsing Loh / The Atlantic Online:

Daddy Issues — Why caring for my aging father has me wishing he would die — To my surprise, in a motion as automatic as the reflex of a mussel being poked, my body bent double and I heard myself screaming: — “I WAAAAAAAANT MY FATHERRRRRR TO DIEEEEE!!!”

Adam Winkler / The Daily Beast:

Clarence Thomas Is a Long Shot for President, But His Candidacy Makes a Lot of Sense — Call it a longshot if you like, but in this anything-can-happen political year, the Supreme Court justice has qualities to recommend him to a broad spectrum of voters. — With the Republican presidential …

Discussion: Instapundit, Outside the Beltway, The Volokh Conspiracy and Brad DeLong

Dan Hinkel / Chicago Tribune:

Louis Farrakhan warns of racial hatred that could lead to attempts to kill President Obama — Nation of Islam leader in Chicago to speak at annual event — In a fiery lecture to thousands of followers of the Nation of Islam on Sunday in Chicago, Minister Louis Farrakhan warned that racial hatred …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Weasel Zippers and Jammie Wearing Fools

Bill McGuire / Guardian:

Climate change will shake the Earth — A changing climate isn't just about floods, droughts and heatwaves. It brings erupting volcanoes and catastrophic earthquakes too — The idea that a changing climate can persuade the ground to shake, volcanoes to rumble and tsunamis to crash …

Discussion: Pirate's Cove and Watts Up With That?

Digby / Hullabaloo:

Sick Man: Santorum makes it explicit — Sick man — So John F Kennedy's seminal speech on the separation of church and state made Rick Santorum sick: … So is the idea that the first Catholic president was sickening a big seller among Catholics these days? Who knew?

Discussion: pandagon.net