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By Alexander Burns (@aburnspolitico, aburns@politico.com)


BREAKING OVERNIGHT - HATCH PITCHES TEA PARTY - AP: Utah Sen. Orrin "Hatch, who's running for a sixth term in 2012, gave the tea party a bear hug Tuesday night during what's believed to be the populist movement's first televised town hall. He has fought for years for the balanced budget amendment that tea partiers demand, he told them, and just like the tea party, he wants to repeal President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. ... 'We don't need a break,' Hatch said, when someone suggested one during the 90-minute multimedia town hall session. 'We might not look like much, but we're a tough bunch, let me tell you.' The tea party wasn't quite ready to return Hatch's embrace. The several dozen people crammed into the National Press Club's conference room were respectful, if not enthusiastic. They gave their loudest greeting to Rep. Michele Bachmann." http://bit.ly/g0aGLn


MORE - CONFIDENT - FROM CNN: "Amid rumblings that the Utah Republican may face intra-party challenges as he readies for re-election to a seventh term, Hatch said, 'I've always had convention challenges.' ... Reporters asked the senator whether he fears suffering the same fate as Bob Bennett. A senator for three terms, Bennett was denied a fourth partly at the hands of Tea Party activists. 'Well, I'm not Sen. Bennett,' Hatch said. 'You know, he's a great guy and all that. But I'm a tough guy.'" http://bit.ly/e9JkMM ... Read more on the tea party town hall here: http://politi.co/eMIJfH


As Matt Strawn builds his team, Jeb Bush stays out of it and Republican voters conclude that winning matters, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.


THE CALIFORNIA SPECIAL - SCORE EXCLUSIVE: Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn announced a wave of endorsements from top local Democrats yesterday in her bid to claim outgoing Rep. Jane Harman's House seat. Now she can add a big name from outside government to her list of supporters: legendary Los Angeles Lakers player Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who has thrown his support behind Hahn's campaign. Johnson's becoming a familiar face in California politics by now, and last year recorded radio ads supporting Jerry Brown's successful campaign for governor. He also boosted other Democrats during the midterm elections, including Florida Rep. Kendrick Meek and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter. The former basketball star joins L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Assemblyman Warren Furutani and seven members of the L.A. City Council in supporting Hahn's campaign. More on those endorsements: http://bit.ly/fLJZtU and on Johnson's campaign experience: http://politi.co/hBhujl


MORE - WILL HARMAN ENDORSE? The Los Angeles Times reports that the incumbent hasn't ruled out backing a candidate in a race that could also include California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, former Harman primary challenge Marcy Winograd and other Democrats in addition to Hahn. From the paper: "Harman said she was 'pleased to see that some very talented people are interested' in running, but said she is 'very unlikely to endorse' if the candidate field is large. 'If there are two candidates, one clearly sort of in the Harman tradition and one very different, I might endorse before I leave Congress,' Harman said. Speculation that Harman favored Hahn to succeed her surfaced because Harman invited Hahn to the president's State of the Union address last month. Hahn said Tuesday that Harman asked about her future plans, including whether she would ever be interested in the congressional seat. When the councilwoman, who must leave her city post in 2013 because of term limits, said she would be, Harman nodded but said nothing more, Hahn said." http://lat.ms/igP2zw


THE 2012 SCORE - HOW TO GET GRASSLEY: If Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley endorses a candidate in next year's presidential caucuses, he'll be looking for someone who can wage a national campaign for the GOP's nomination. Grassley laid out his conditions to Roll Call's David Drucker: "I'm not going to make up any mind until at least well into the summer, and what I'm looking at isn't just the guy that I think is the most ideal candidate to be president, because I want to know that they've got the resources, if they win Iowa, to go beyond Iowa. Too often you get people in Iowa that are just the ideal candidate, but then they can't go anyplace beyond Iowa. I want somebody that's going to be able to challenge in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada." http://bit.ly/e5vkyf


POLLING TALKER - ELECTABILITY MATTERS: By a healthy margin, more Republican voters are hoping for a presidential nominee who can win rather than one who's ideologically, according to a poll released by CNN. The network reports: "[N]early seven out of ten Republicans say they would prefer a GOP presidential nominee who can top Obama in the next election, with 29 percent saying a nominee who agrees with them on every issue that matters the most is more important. ... The survey indicates that the race for the Republican nomination is still wide open, with Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, and Mitt Romney all clustered at the top of the pack." http://bit.ly/hfoARN


POPPING ON 2012 LIVE - SANTORUM SWATS PALIN ON CPAC - POLITICO's Andy Barr: "Rick Santorum knocked Sarah Palin's decision to skip CPAC, saying on Tuesday that she must have 'business opportunities' that are keeping her from the annual conservative conference that is a showcase for potential presidential contenders. 'I have a feeling that she has some demands on her time, and a lot of them have financial benefit attached to them,' Santorum [said] ... Santorum - the father of seven children - also said that Palin has 'other responsibilities,' such as raising her children, that he doesn't." http://politi.co/f4Q8pS


PLUS - 'NO' MEANS 'NO': Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is still counting himself out of the 2012 campaign, despite entreaties from National Review to reconsider the race. Asked if he was keeping the door closed on the presidential race, Bush told POLITICO's Jonathan Martin: "Yes." http://politi.co/gVytIe


THE THUNE COUNTDOWN - 20 DAYS OR LESS: The South Dakota senator has reiterated - in even clearer terms - that he intends to make his plans for 2012 known by the end of February. KELO-TV: "Thune and his wife Kimberley have been talking about a run for president for the past several months, and the Senator says he's close to an announcement. 'If I were serious about doing this you've got to get out at the starting gate because most of the other candidates are starting to make moves, and so sometime before the end of the month we'll probably let folks know what my intentions are,' Thune said." http://bit.ly/h1doWT


IN THE EARLY STATES - MEET TEAM STRAWN: The Iowa Republican Party announced three top hires Tuesday, naming Casey Mills to serve as communications director, Ryan Gough to serve as organization director and putting Patrick Stewart in the position of data director. Chad Olsen was recently installed as the state GOP's executive director. From the release: "Olsen, a Harlan native, most recently served as the director of the 2010 Iowa GOP Voter Program which set records for voter contacts and returned Republican absentee ballots.... Mills served as the Organization Director for Senator Chuck Grassley's successful re-elect. ... Ryan Gough and Patrick Stewart come to the Republican Party of Iowa following roles as field director and data director respectively for the 2010 Iowa GOP Voter Program." Chairman Matt Strawn: "We continue to build upon our successes since the November midterms by assembling a professional, experienced and committed staff in advance of the Ames Straw Poll and First in the Nation Iowa Caucuses."


TODAY - GUESS WHO'S COMING TO LUNCH - From the White House guidance: "In the afternoon, the President and the Vice President will have lunch with Speaker Boehner, Republican Leader Cantor and Republican Whip McCarthy in the Private Dining Room. This lunch is closed press."


THE STEELE LEGACY - WORSE THAN YOU THOUGHT: Republican National Committee staffers assigned to prepare for the Tampa convention ran up an exorbitant, nearly seven-figure credit card bill under former RNC Chairman Michael Steele's watch. The Tampa Tribune: "They rented an exclusive waterfront mansion, wined and dined at five-star restaurants and hired family members and friends, all on the taxpayers' dime ... Steele's 2012 convention team based in the Tampa Bay area raked up nearly $1 million in charges - using a line of credit backed by federal funding - before they were fired by the newly elected party chairman last month ... The report shows the committee were charging up expenses as late as Dec. 30, even as Steele's job was in jeopardy." http://bit.ly/ecWSrq


SENATE POLL OF THE DAY - BANKING ON BINGAMAN: New Mexico's senior senator looks like a safe bet for reelection if he runs, according to a new PPP poll. If Jeff Bingaman retires, Democrats would still be favored to hold the seat, but they'd have a competitive race on their hands against former Gov. Gary Johnson or former Rep. Heather Wilson. Tom Jensen: "If Republicans want to win the state in an open seat situation Johnson might be the way to go though- he leads both Democratic House members in hypothetical contests, 44-43 over Martin Heinrich and 45-40 over Ben Ray Lujan. The more traditional potential candidates of [Rep. Steve Pearce] Pearce and Wilson meanwhile would start out well behind the Democratic duo. Heinrich leads Pearce 53-38 and Wilson 50-39 in head to head match ups and Lujan leads Pearce 49-37 and Wilson 48-40." http://bit.ly/h62HVr


IRELAND STAFFS UP: The filing deadline for West Virginia's special gubernatorial election is this Saturday and former GOP Secretary of State Betty Ireland has already put together a heavyweight consulting team to run her campaign. David Catanese: "Former Republican Governors Association deputy executive director Paul Bennecke has signed on Ireland's general consultant, while Dough McAuliffe will handle media messaging and Public Opinion Strategies' Glen Bolger will conduct her polling. Suzette Raines, whose firm is located in Charleston, has been charged with communications and fundraising and Randy Kammerdiener is tasked with direct mail." http://politi.co/dGUsT9


2012 PUNCH LINE - NO TM: Sarah Palin's request to trademark her name was denied after the former Alaska governor failed to properly complete her application. Sky News has the story: "According to official records the bid, filed by her lawyer, was rejected on the grounds that she failed to personally sign the application. The records also show that two examples she had given supporting her application were 'not acceptable'. Her application specimens were a story from Fox News saying she had been hired as a contributor for the network and postings about herself on Facebook. According to the official record the specimens 'are not acceptable because they do not show use of the applied-for mark in connection with any of the services specified in the application'." But there's still hope: "The Trademark Office has sent a letter setting a deadline of the end of May for Mrs Palin to provide more information before the application is abandoned." http://bit.ly/dPQkO7


CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "For whatever reason, it happened. ... We're just like, 'ok, great.'" - Sue Winchester, a spokeswoman for former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, on CPAC's abrupt decision to reverse course and allow Johnson to speak at the conference http://politi.co/gcuNXx

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