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By James Hohmann (
mailto:jhohmann@politico.com
jhohmann@politico.com ; Twitter: @jameshohmann)

MEET MITT - "AN UNOFFICIAL SOUTHERNER":Romney gave a shout out in Pascagoula last night to aide Garrett Jackson, a 2009 Ole Miss grad. "He's now turning me into an, I don't know, an unofficial Southerner," Romney said. "I'm learning to say 'y'all.' I like grits. Things are, strange things, are happening to me."

TWEET DU JOUR from CNN's Peter Hamby:"Going to the south and proclaiming love for grits is like going to CPAC and calling yourself 'severely conservative.'"

MISSISSIPPI GOV. PHIL BRYANT ENDORSED ROMNEYat the rally. "I like to see a man when he's holding a baby, and he looks like he's held a baby before," he told reporters afterward, explaining his rationale. "He has a Reaganesque type ability to connect with the local person." Darren Samuelsohn's dispatch from the gaggle:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab6588995a7227aab3d9b85582945f9b08739cfe3110b602e4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab6588995a7227aab3d9b85582945f9b08739cfe3110b602e4 .

WHEN NEWT ATTACKS-HE'SINTENSIFYING HITS AGAINST SANTORUM: The former Speaker is going all-in ahead of next Tuesday's Southern primaries in trying to knock down Rick Santorum as the main conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. Gingrich's campaign, which has not been known to host many conference calls this year, has invited reporters to phone in at 10 a.m. to listen to Newt's Pennsylvania state chair Charlie Gerow, Alabama Senate Majority Leader Jabo Waggoner and former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith (NH) discuss "why voters are rejecting the big-spending, big-labor, big-government Senator Rick Santorum." The campaign also posted a three-minute web video last night that makes hay of Santorum's comment
in the last debate that he sometimes sacrificed his principles for the sake of the team. There's also classic stock footage from old Santorum interviews, campaign commercials and his 2008 endorsement of Mitt Romney:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab82a5d20e6460c64ff392dd46a7ed51ba411dfb88ca38b4be
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab82a5d20e6460c64ff392dd46a7ed51ba411dfb88ca38b4be .

CASE STUDIES IN EXPECTATIONS MANAGEMENT -

SHOT - "ROMNEY HEADS TO 'AWAY GAME' IN DEEP SOUTH":"As Mitt Romney headed to the Deep South to campaign on Thursday, after Super Tuesday losses in Georgia and Tennessee, he said that the region is 'a bit of an away game' for him, but refused to concede it entirely," CBS' Sarah Boxer reports. "Speaking to radio station WAPI in Birmingham, Ala. ... he said he was expecting some support in the state, possibly even a majority of its 50 delegates. 'I'm confident we're going to get some delegates...But getting the majority of the delegates, that would be icing on the cake.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab19367d966da5cc8fcb3f05d06211355814ca032b18bcd27e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab19367d966da5cc8fcb3f05d06211355814ca032b18bcd27e

CHASER - "FOR GINGRICH, IT'S WIN NOW OR HEAD HOME":That'sthe headline of the story in today's Wall Street Journal. The subheadline is "Campaign Acknowledges That Victories in Next Week's Alabama and Mississippi Primaries Are Needed to Stay Relevant."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab666e78decd4bbc680bc79d5107fabd299009f8b4c8c76980
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab666e78decd4bbc680bc79d5107fabd299009f8b4c8c76980

MEANWHILE - GARY BAUER TRIES TO PUSH GINGRICH OUT:'Having run myself, I know how difficult it can be when you are in the arena and asked to step aside," the conservative activist and 2000 Republican candidate told the Washington Examiner yesterday. "The Super Tuesday results made it clear that there is a strong conservative majority in the GOP primaries, but that vote is divided. Tuesday's results also made it clear that Senator Santorum has the advantage." Examiner:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab62b456ff6226799fcdc139bcc32eb813aec5b286a3c46f43
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab62b456ff6226799fcdc139bcc32eb813aec5b286a3c46f43 . Chargers quarterback PHILIP RIVERS, an Alabama native, endorses Santorum:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abc28b7ed0044347a6fb8e9bd89f4f615087646c147f129af7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abc28b7ed0044347a6fb8e9bd89f4f615087646c147f129af7 .

** As Dewhurst brackets Obama, Kerrey clears the field and Snowe backs Scott Brown, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

OHIO PREDICTION CONTEST WINNER - KEVIN O'NEILL:Kevin O'Neill, the deputy chairman of Patton Boggs' Public Policy Department, wins the Morning Score Super Tuesday prediction contest. He correctly predicted that Romney would win the Buckeye State with 38 percent (Mitt got 37.9). He had Santorum at 36 (actual: 37.1), Gingrich at 15 (14.6) and Paul at 8 (9.2). Kevin's had a remarkably consistent track record of being near the top of the pack for every prediction contest this cycle. Jerry Skurnik of New York predicted a 38-38 finish, which would have given him first place, but he thought Santorum would edge out Romney. Second place goes to Michael Novogradac, the managing partner in the San
Francisco office of Novogradac & Company LLP. Third place goes to Jeremy Adler, a student at the University of Richmond. Kevin's bio:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab25044f68f406934cc4d71c50396e48dcbeb641f193ea8fc5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab25044f68f406934cc4d71c50396e48dcbeb641f193ea8fc5 . Michael's bio:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab4ad23e8ca257246ea5862eac0a9f9334ce49351cf23dc02f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab4ad23e8ca257246ea5862eac0a9f9334ce49351cf23dc02f . Jeremy's Twitter page:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab7cea55fe1f02ec10858760111aed9f48ce2848328271d1af
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab7cea55fe1f02ec10858760111aed9f48ce2848328271d1af .Here are the RANKINGS of the 46 Score readers who correctly guessed the top four finishers:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abf9fbaad234a4727e8c4b603119e7eed27268a9c01a12145d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abf9fbaad234a4727e8c4b603119e7eed27268a9c01a12145d .

NEW DNC WEB VIDEO - HITTING ROMNEY FOR SUPPORTING MANDATE:A new web video from the Democratic National Committee accuses Mitt Romney of lying about his past support for a federal individual mandate. They note that he supported a proposal by Sen. John Chafee during his 1994 Senate race that included an individual mandate. When he ran for president four years ago, Romney said at one debate, "I like mandates." The new video highlights footage from a 2009 Meet the Press appearance in which Romney endorsed the Wyden-Bennett health care proposal. Then the video shows former Utah Sen. Bob Bennett saying that this proposal includes a federal mandate. Democrats stress that they're not hitting him
for supporting a mandate, as Santorum is, but for being dishonest about it. "Mitt Romney will say anything to get elected," DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz says in a statement. Watch the 75-second video:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abfbd8985f4c2f20edb41766d11ab8db99dbbea86035ca63be
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abfbd8985f4c2f20edb41766d11ab8db99dbbea86035ca63be .

RNC FUNDRAISING - $11.3 MILLION RAISED IN FEBRUARY:After February, the Republican National Committee says it has $26.5 million cash on hand.97% of their 2012 donors have given less than $200, but they've also raised $5.83 million in major donor money year-to-date. That's more major donor money than the RNC raised during the equivalent period in George Bush's 2004 reelection campaign.

ROMNEY had $7.3 million cash on hand at the end of February,Boston announced yesterday.

AIR WAR -

ROMNEY SUPER PAC ON TV IN ILL., LA, MS, AL:"Restore Our Future reported new spending of $901,438 in Illinois, $425,165 in Louisiana $680, 385 in Alabama, and $581,183 in Mississippi," per ABC. The super PAC is playing the ad about Romney helping find the daughter of a colleague in all four states:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abb1a8fc86efbf6da29919342f35d5c1864855454fb5aaacea
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abb1a8fc86efbf6da29919342f35d5c1864855454fb5aaacea . They're running this attack ad on Santorum in Oklahoma and Tennessee (it earlier ran in Ohio):
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abcce736c1abc0a1a0f7452d4149df94274c5b634515e35273
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abcce736c1abc0a1a0f7452d4149df94274c5b634515e35273 . The attack ad against Gingrich over his "baggage" called "Risk," which was very successful in Florida, is airing in Alabama and Mississippi:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab212563a7e67075dd195307746314bb1836ec4f3c9cd766a7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab212563a7e67075dd195307746314bb1836ec4f3c9cd766a7 . The contrast spot between Romney as job creator and Santorum as DC insider (which ran in Oklahoma and Tennessee) is now up in Mississippi and Alabama:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab343f64c40c1f7927a2578ec444d778d9d5365018a51b9ea4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab343f64c40c1f7927a2578ec444d778d9d5365018a51b9ea4 .

SANTORUM SUPER PAC UP IN AL, MS:"Stuart Roy, adviser to the Red White and Blue Fund, cast the move as part of a push to drive Newt Gingrich out of the 2012 race and give Santorum a clear shot at Mitt Romney: 'On the heels of our call for Newt Gingrich to unite conservatives by exiting the race, now we are investing heavily in the next two primary states to ensure that happens with a Santorum victory,' he said," Alex Burns reports. "So far, the group has bought about $353,000 in airtime -- $172,000 in Alabama and $181,000 in Mississippi. The RWB Fund says that when all the buying is in, the flights will total over half a million dollars."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab64aced325c4de007756cb84395c010d2e6d77b7fcae28f01
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab64aced325c4de007756cb84395c010d2e6d77b7fcae28f01

TOP TALKER - IN WINNING, ROMNEY PROJECTS THE AURA OF A LOSER:"Many Republican political professionals are worried that Mitt Romney's public image is now defined by a word never associated with winning presidential campaigns-weakness-and are urging him to take dramatic steps to recast his reputation between now and the fall," John Harris and Jonathan Martin write this morning. "The advice, echoed in interviews with numerous influential GOP figures, comes as Romney finds himself tormented by a contradiction: With each passing day of the primary season, he is coming closer and closer to being presidential nominee-and seemingly further and further away from being president. Romney has the math
of a winner... Increasingly, however, he is in a variety of ways tangible (polls) and intangible (public hand-wringing among top Republicans) projecting the aura of a loser-someone who over months of campaigning is seen as less commanding in his leadership style, and less plausible as a future occupant of the White House, than he was when he started." The story includes some suggestions for how Romney can shift the solidifying narrative that he's weak and a loser:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab21ee3c43ef8e79ba5ff8d8714e0bf6ac24225a5899c311bf
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab21ee3c43ef8e79ba5ff8d8714e0bf6ac24225a5899c311bf .

WHAT THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES ARE UP TO:

Romney starts the day in Mississippi, with an 8:25 a.m. rally in Jackson. Then he heads to Alabama for a 2:30 p.m. stop at Thompson Tractor in Birmingham.

Santorum has a 9 a.m. event at the Battleship USS Alabama pavilion in Mobile. Then he flies to Kansas for a 1:30 rally in Topeka and a 4 p.m. rally in Wichita.

Gingrich hosts a rally at Mississippi State in Meridian at 9:30, at Jones County Junior College at noon and Gulfport High School at 3:30. Then he finishes his day where Santorum starts it, with a 7 p.m. rally in Mobile at the USS Alabama pavilion.

Paul hosts town halls at 12:30 in Topeka and 7:30 in Lawrence (it's the University of Kansas so expect a big crowd). He's also giving a speech at a tea party convention in Wichita ahead of tomorrow's caucuses. Details:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab89c42479925894358206ddeeb07d8d9fb0a13195d620af4c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab89c42479925894358206ddeeb07d8d9fb0a13195d620af4c

SAM BROWNBACK WILL APPEAR AT PAUL TOWN HALL:The governor of Kanas and former presidential candidate has agreed to appear at a Ron Paul town hall in Topeka this afternoon. He earlier backed Rick Perry and told us at the NGA he's going to stay neutral through the primary. Paul's press release:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab666abf5e21235e439c959d056ab93b7c5cbc1be36a0f5c5d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab666abf5e21235e439c959d056ab93b7c5cbc1be36a0f5c5d .

MORE KANSAS - PAUL GETS BACKING FROM KEY ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST:"The president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue has endorsed Texas Congressman Ron Paul for the Republican presidential nomination," per the AP. "Troy Newman's endorsement was released Thursday by Paul's campaign, two days ahead of voting in the Kansas GOP presidential caucuses. Operation Rescue has its headquarters in Wichita. Many abortion opponents, including leaders of the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life, are supporting former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the presidential race. But in a recorded message distributed by the Paul campaign, Newman said Paul will fight to ban abortion and is the
only candidate truly committed to defending the U.S. Constitution."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abad3f78b39272ab4166918b8dbc2d4800010cd0166c906229
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abad3f78b39272ab4166918b8dbc2d4800010cd0166c906229

SANTORUM HITS JFK AGAIN - WHERE'S THE MESSAGE DISCIPLINE?He did tone it down, and this certainly plays better in Alabama then Michigan. BUT here's the Los Angeles Times story from Mobile last night: "Santorum renewed his criticism of John F. Kennedy on Thursday night for saying during his 1960 campaign for the presidency that he believed 'in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.' ... In his dinner remarks, Santorum backed away from his comment that Kennedy's 1960 speech on church and state made him want to 'throw up.' 'Obviously, the language that I used was at a minimum inarticulate,' the former Pennsylvania senator told several hundred people at the Alabama
Policy Institute banquet on the Gulf Coast. But he said his passion stemmed from years of frustration... He paraphrased Kennedy as saying, 'I will take no advice, directly or indirectly, from anybody of faith. I will not permit that to be discussed.' By saying that, Santorum argued, 'he went too far.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab4e0dc7d6f35bfd118e648a004ed4114fdd3afd5ec37b4aea
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab4e0dc7d6f35bfd118e648a004ed4114fdd3afd5ec37b4aea

READS LIKE OPPO - WASHINGTON EXAMINER SAYS SANTO HAS A NICE HOUSE:"Santorum bought his $2 million, five-acre home in the tony Washington suburb of Great Falls, Va., in August 2007 through a trust in a deal aided by a high-profile tax lawyer who serves as an officer for one of the largest homebuilders in the country.Tax assessments show a nearly 25 percent drop in the house's value since its peak in early 2008 just after Santorum purchased it. Yet, while most underwater homeowners can't get refinancing needed to save their homes, Santorum got several new loans at reasonable rates over the years. And while millions already lost their homes or risk that daunting prospect, Santorum
faces no such threat. There was nothing illegal about how Santorum bought his house, but, as Benjamin Leigh, a top real estate lawyer in Northern Virginia, put it: 'It's not what Main Street does.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abff5208bf9d207721b021b302aa8c06666c0d697076b7915d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abff5208bf9d207721b021b302aa8c06666c0d697076b7915d

WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS UP TO:"Later in the morning, the President will travel to Prince George, Virginia...In Prince George, the President will tour and deliver remarks on the economy at Rolls-Royce Crosspointe...In the afternoon, the President will depart ... en route Houston, Texas...In the evening, the President will deliver remarks at two campaign events. The President's remarks at the first campaign event are pooled for television and open to pre-credentialed correspondents. The second event is print pool coverage for remarks only. At night, the President will return to Washington, DC."

DEWHURST BRACKETS OBAMA - WILL HIT ON KEYSTONE IN HOUSTON:Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the frontrunner in the Republican primary for Senate, hits Obama with a polished, minute-long web video this morning. It highlights Obama's record on the national debt, joblessness, and gas prices. The campaign will put out a statement later this morning on Obama stalling the Keystone pipeline (a big issue in Houston). "We're at a tipping point. President Obama is taking America directly to a cliff," Dewhurst says at the end of the video. Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abad7fc9a765bd1cb4aec2a35a241f4ac4f03ff7535525613c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abad7fc9a765bd1cb4aec2a35a241f4ac4f03ff7535525613c .

NEBRASKA SENATE - KERREY'S DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT DROPS OUT:"Chuck Hassebrook stepped aside Thursday, endorsing Bob Kerrey's Senate candidacy and clearing his path to the Democratic nomination," The Lincoln Journal-Star reports. "After a realistic look at his prospects, Hassebrook said he 'came to the realization I would not succeed' in building a credible campaign that could successfully challenge Kerrey, a former two-term senator, in the Democratic primary contest...Hassebrook announced his decision at a joint appearance with Kerrey at the Omaha Press Club that wasmore formal and respectful than warm and fuzzy."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab22c189d6e2927f452a0577f33f4c2763d2b817d91110c280
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab22c189d6e2927f452a0577f33f4c2763d2b817d91110c280

MAINE SENATE - DEMS SAY NICE THINGS, STAY NON-COMMITAL ON KING:"Angus King's candidacy in the Maine Senate race is putting Democratic leaders in an awkward spot: They'd like to embrace him but they can't," Manu Raju reports. "King, the independent candidate in the Maine Senate race and former two-term governor, is the odds-on favorite to win. If that happens, his decision over which party to caucus with could tip the balance of power in a narrowly divided Senate. That's put Democrats in a pickle: Publicly embrace King and infuriate their eventual nominee as well as some elements of their base. Or rally behind their party's nominee and risk splitting the vote between Democrats and
independents, potentially giving Republicans a crucial victory in the blue state. For now, Democrats have settled on this strategy: Say nice things but stay noncommittal... Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, was similarly vague about King and whether he would caucus with Democrats."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab621cc3c474e998fc8c227314ece86957ca0c31d586c5921c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab621cc3c474e998fc8c227314ece86957ca0c31d586c5921c

NRSC WEB VIDEO:In a web video that will be distributed later this morning, The National Republican Senatorial Committee accuses Democrats of trying to make a backroom deal with King to preserve their own power. We love the especially sinister tone of the narrator as he ends the spot: "Maine deserves better than smoke-filled-backroom deals." Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abbefaf83e9083d91121cb755d2eeaa5c5cef0ce4616c19321
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abbefaf83e9083d91121cb755d2eeaa5c5cef0ce4616c19321 .

MASSACHUSETTS SENATE - SNOWE ENDORSES BROWN:"Senator Olympia Snowe, the Maine moderate who complained about excessive partisanship as she announced her retirement last week, today endorsed Senator Scott Brown for reelection and branded him an important independent voice for the US Senate," the Boston Globe reports. "'In an institution characterized by gridlock and partisanship, Scott Brown is a much-needed breath of fresh air,' Snowe said of her fellow Republican in a statement."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab881b48b9924b3f9c0d625ae54d9b43e1f9dab1dae6f43506
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab881b48b9924b3f9c0d625ae54d9b43e1f9dab1dae6f43506

ILLINOIS HOUSE - GOETTEN TO RUN BIO SPOT AHEAD OF 3/20 PRIMARY:Matt Goetten, the Democrats' preferred candidate to take on Tim Johnson in Illinois' new 13th district, will begin running a TV ad in central Illinois today. It starts with him driving a car and talking about how much he cares about the district, a la Romney in his Michigan bio spot. It touts his support from Dick Durbin. Goetten's ad will run through primary on March 20th. Johnson, famous for trying to call everyone in his district, is especially vulnerable after a Democratic-controlled redistricting process. Watch the 30-second spot:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7aba528951e047b09ab1abbcbe47002efb112e4019690f12cdc
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7aba528951e047b09ab1abbcbe47002efb112e4019690f12cdc .

SOUTH CAROLINA - GRAND JURY WILL DECIDE LT. GOV'S FATE:"It's unclear how much longer Lt. Gov. Ken Ard will be able to remain on the job," the Charleston Post-and-Courier reports. "The Florence Republican and businessman, now into his second year in the part-time position, soon may learn if a state grand jury will indict him...Just weeks after taking the oath of office, Ard came under scrutiny for his campaign spending, particularly $24,832 he spent after the 2010 election. The State Ethics Commission then accused Ard of 92 violations, including using campaign money for personal purposes. He paid the second-highest ethics fine in the state's history. The state grand jury's
decision could be the next shoe to drop, and state senators have been talking among themselves about what would happen next." Will Folks, the controversial but widely-read blogger, reported on his blog yesterday that Ard will resign Friday. This is unconfirmed, but the conservative blogger cites multiple sources:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abfddc6b371fddf07b4fdd5414fa31707b29f4b820773ad848
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abfddc6b371fddf07b4fdd5414fa31707b29f4b820773ad848 . Here's the Post-and-Courier story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab283f6c39fb529d04165620b8c4079ef9c3ae54e4fa469313
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab283f6c39fb529d04165620b8c4079ef9c3ae54e4fa469313 .

MISSISSIPPI TALKER - STATE SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS 9 BARBOUR PARDONS:"Bringing a definitive close to the legal controversy that has swarmed since former Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi gave pardons to nearly 200 felons in his last days in office, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the judicial branch did not have the power to void those pardons," Campbell Robertson writes in the New York Times. "The court, in a 6-to-3 decision, found that pardon procedures lay outside its constitutional authority, and that to interfere even in cases where those procedures were flouted would violate separation of powers. While the pardons, which went overwhelmingly to people who had already
finished their prison terms, were met with widespread bewilderment and even anger when they were issued in January, the governor's motives were never legally challenged. But the state attorney general, Jim Hood, began a push to have them thrown out."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab174b0b708a934af4be011c305364c290ee876c5c176194b5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab174b0b708a934af4be011c305364c290ee876c5c176194b5

ISSUE ADVOCACY - NUMBERS USA PRESSURES BOEHNER FOR VOTE ON E-VERIFY:NumbersUSA, the outside group that opposes illegal immigration, is beginning to roll out an E-Verify campaign targeting Speaker Boehner. They're running an ad in targeted districts that warns conservatives might not turnout to vote this November if he doesn't push for mandatory workplace verification. The buy size is not being publicly disclosed, but it will roll on cable and local broadcast over the next several weeks. The 30-second spot:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab575504b2979bfbb259543cf7ae0e24e705afb4e1e6e95114
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab575504b2979bfbb259543cf7ae0e24e705afb4e1e6e95114 .

LIGHTER CLICKS -

STEPHEN COLBERTmocked Herman Cain's anti-stimulus web video by releasing a parody on his show last night:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab0efefc569fc8dc36c09e92e3bb434a3a5aaa320c2070de26
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab0efefc569fc8dc36c09e92e3bb434a3a5aaa320c2070de26 .

JON STEWARToffered a parody video making fun of Sean Hannity for the way Fox promoted his not-really-at-all-scandalous video of Obama hugging a Harvard law school professor the night before:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abfddc6b371fddf07b4fdd5414fa31707b29f4b820773ad848
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abfddc6b371fddf07b4fdd5414fa31707b29f4b820773ad848 .

NEWT AND CALLISTAstayed up until 2 a.m. yesterdaydancing on a hotel dance floor in Jackson, Miss. Photo (and New York Times story hypothesizing it's a form of concession):
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab617a71a58d4e8787ace84ed2ac34cc7afbbd54bcba9876a3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab617a71a58d4e8787ace84ed2ac34cc7afbbd54bcba9876a3 .

NEWT poked fun at Arnold Schwarzenegger and Henry Kissinger's foreign accents yesterday:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab06c47e51f72a886eaad387414197f2919f6cb9c4206f984a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab06c47e51f72a886eaad387414197f2919f6cb9c4206f984a .

THE TRAILERfor the Obama campaign's documentary:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab5e3159603cf3cc4392224fe88d6318eae0c4de6cfe63e25b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab5e3159603cf3cc4392224fe88d6318eae0c4de6cfe63e25b . The filmmaker, Davis Guggenheim, told Piers Morgan last night that "the negative for me was that there were too many accomplishments."

GAME CHANGEhad its D.C. premiere last night:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab1a11eaf0a49e39c9b6da18e42c0db154b18b882a425e0038
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab1a11eaf0a49e39c9b6da18e42c0db154b18b882a425e0038 .

PEGGY NOONANwrites her Saturday column around an interview with Speaker John Boehner:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab513c1e2694619dba0f74be212d3557f5ec2099c5b0001301
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7ab513c1e2694619dba0f74be212d3557f5ec2099c5b0001301 .

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY:"I will be well trained to be a zoo keeper when this is over." - Gingrich press secretary R.C. Hammond
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abc746bb64f63706b680d7c81809687f9886b6091496d8e08f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b06fd10985eec7abc746bb64f63706b680d7c81809687f9886b6091496d8e08f

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