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The Left Column

And The GOP Infighting Continues

Pro-Choice GOP Warns Party That Contraception Fight Will Be A Disaster

TPM: Pro-choice Republicans are begging their party to drop this fight over contraception before it's too late. Turning to a discussion about access to birth control will be nothing short of a disaster, they say. The new and unexpected war over contraception may not end up as only a battle between the White House and the Republican party. It could end up as a fight between the GOP and itself. As we saw during the 2011's push to defund Planned Parenthood — when some Republican Senators rebuked their colleagues in the House for attacking the organization — Republicans on Capitol Hill do not speak with one voice on matters of women's health. Now, as Speaker John Boehner seemingly prepares to turn the House GOP's attention to contraception, pro-choice Republicans are warning that the GOP may become the next Komen For The Cure.

24 | Pro-Choice GOP Warns Party That Contraception Fight Will Be A Disaster

Clown Car Update

Mr. "Inevitable" Pummeled Again

Frank Rich: We are just where we have been. The Republican party does not have a candidate for president. The deck keeps being reshuffled, and different jokers keep popping up to the top. But the 75 percent of the party that does not want Mitt can't and won't coalesce over any of the alternatives. Nor will it warm up to the guy it keeps being told is the "inevitable" front-runner. The lack of GOP enthusiasm for its own field can be seen in its turnout — down again last night, as it was in Romney's Florida victory.

0 | Frank Rich on the National Circus: Mr. ‘Inevitable’ Pummeled Again

More GOP Insanity

New Hampshire Republicans Propose Bill To Eliminate Workers' Lunch Breaks

Think Progress: New Hampshire's GOP legislature has come up with all manner of absurd bills recently, including a proposal making public school curriculum optional, another to prevent police from protecting domestic abuse victims, and even a measure mandating that new laws be based on the Magna Carta. Some of the Granite State's GOP lawmakers have even proposed doing away with the law that requires employers to give their workers time off for lunch, under the rationale that all employers will simply grant lunch breaks out of the goodness of their hearts.

9 | New Hampshire Republicans Propose Bill To Eliminate Workers' Lunch Breaks

Hypocrisy Watch

White House: Romney 'An Odd Messenger' On Birth Control Rule

TPM: The White House went after Mitt Romney on Wednesday, saying the former Massachusetts governor is an "odd messenger" to criticize the president on a rule that would require insurance plans to cover contraceptives. The Obama Administration's policy, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, is "virtually identical" to a policy in Massachusetts when Romney was governor.

"... the services that this rule would provide for women around the country are the same that are provided in Massachusetts and were provided when (Romney) was governor," Carney said. "Including contraception."

10 | WH Goes After Romney: 'An Odd Messenger' On Birth Control Rule (Rule SAME As Romney's MA Policy)

Mitt's World

Romney To Appear In Maine On Friday...With Yachts

TPM: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, fresh off some stinging defeats at the hands of former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses, is heading to Maine to campaign ahead of the final Republican caucuses in the state this Saturday. One of his stops in the Pine Tree State? Portland Yacht Services.

23 | Romney To Appear In Maine On Friday...With Yachts

Clown Car Update

G.O.P. Race Has Hallmarks of Prolonged Battle

Nate Silver: Whatever your perspective on how likely Mitt Romney was to lose the Republican nomination race prior to Tuesday evening, it should be acknowledged that he had about the worst results conceivable. In Minnesota, a state which Mr. Romney carried easily in 2008, he has so far failed to win a single county — and got just 17 percent of the vote. That put him 27 points behind Rick Santorum, and 10 points behind Ron Paul, who finished in second.

Missouri is a less important result since its beauty contest primary did not count for delegate selection and since turnout was understandably low there. But Mr. Romney lost all 114 counties in Missouri — and the state as a whole by 30 points, far more than polls projected.

Then there was Colorado, a state that has reasonably similar demographics to Nevada, which Mr. Romney carried easily on Saturday. Colorado has somewhat fewer Mormon voters than Nevada, which hurts Mr. Romney — but it has somewhat more wealthy ones, which favors him. The betting market Intrade gave Mr. Romney about a 97 percent chance of winning Colorado entering the evening. But he lost the state by 5 points to Mr. Santorum.

22 | G.O.P. Race Has Hallmarks of Prolonged Battle (Nate Silver)

Clown Car Update

Romney can't close the deal

Greg Sargent: They don't like him. They really don't like him. Mitt Romney's surprising trio of losses to Rick Santorum in Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado shows once again that he simply can't get core GOP constituencies to come to terms with him as the party's nominee. Even if Romney is still likely to win the nomination, expect a fresh round of panic among Republicans over whether his showing yesterday signals a likely lack of GOP enthusiasm for him this fall that will make it marginally tougher to win in the most closely contested swing states.

21 | ...Romney can't close the deal

Election 2012

Obama Gets Lucky

Dana Milbank: At the last possible moment to save his reelection, the economy is beginning to hum, as evidenced by Friday's jobs report. And Obama's Republican opponents are shaping up to be as formidable as, well, marshmallows. While Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are making each other unelectable, the president is singing Al Green, congratulating Super Bowl winners, playing with science projects, raising obscene amounts of campaign cash and watching his poll numbers soar.

15 | "...Republican opponents are shaping up to be as formidable as, well, marshmallows."

A Taste Of Santorum

Santorum's wins shake up 2012 GOP presidential race

Miami Herald: Rick Santorum seized an important opportunity Tuesday to become the chief conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, as he won Republican presidential contests in Missouri and Minnesota and appeared headed for a strong showing in Colorado. The strong showing by Santorum made it clear that Romney isn't yet his party's consensus nominee. It signaled that the GOP nomination campaign may remain a bitter struggle for months, possibly leading to a divided August convention and a weakened candidate against President Barack Obama in the fall.

62 | Santorum's wins shake up 2012 GOP presidential race

Mitt's World

On gay marriage Romney veers hard to the right

Greg Sargent: Mitt Romney, in a statement just now blasting the court’s ruling of Proposition 8 as unconstitutional:

“Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage. This decision does not end this fight, and I expect it to go to the Supreme Court. That prospect underscores the vital importance of this election and the movement to preserve our values. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and, as president, I will protect traditional marriage and appoint judges who interpret the Constitution as it is written and not according to their own politics and prejudices.”

That note about judges who interpret the Constitution according to their own “prejudices” — is that a reference to the fact that the judge on the case was gay, which was cited by Prop 8 supporters as proof of his bias? Naah, probably not. A major party presidential candidate would never go there.

29 | On gay marriage Romney veers hard to the right-Blasts Court's Ruling Of Prop 8 As "Unconstitutional"