This time line if from yesterday morning until 1:00 am this morning. I could not possibly cover all the stories, so I did a time line with links to all articles.
1:08 AM – Today
Santorum Making Several Media Appearances Following Big Night  | @ RickSantorum : My morning media schedule: CNN - 6:30am CST; @FoxandFriends - 7am CST; @MorningJoe - 7:10am CST #Decision2012 |
1:07 AM – Today
Santorum Swept The Floor With Mitt  | @ cschweitz : To call tonight an embarrassment for @MittRomney is literally an understatement. @RickSantorum just swept the floor with Mitt as the broom. |
1:01 AM – Today
Rick Santorum Projected Winner In Colorado
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum was projected the winner of the Colorado caucus by the state's GOP chair on CNN.
0:37 AM – Today
Santorum's Team Celebrating  | @ Philip_Elliott : Santorum aide to bartender: "Do you have champagne?" The answer? Nope. He instead takes wine up to the senator's suite. #2012 |
0:31 AM – Today
Writing On The Wall Foreshadows Santorum in Colorado  | @ Redistrict : Writing on the Red Rocks wall in CO...Santorum sweeps all 3 contests tonight. |
11:42 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Backtracks On Claim That Romney Would Lose To Obama
In a Fox News interview shortly after his Missouri and Minnesota caucus wins, Rick Santorum backed off an earlier claim he'd made that the Republican Party would lose the presidential campaign if it nominates Mitt Romney.
"I probably got a little wound up there on the stump," said the former senator from Pennsylvania. "I just think we have a much higher probability of losing, so I will backtrack on that ..."
-- Sam Stein
"I probably got a little wound up there on the stump," said the former senator from Pennsylvania. "I just think we have a much higher probability of losing, so I will backtrack on that ..."
-- Sam Stein
11:27 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Super PAC Backer Gets Cozy With Candidate 
Standing right behind Rick Santorum (over his right shoulder) as he gave his victory speech in Missouri Tuesday night was Foster Freiss, the main financial backer of his super PAC.
Friess is a wealthy businessman and a bankroller of many conservative causes. His donations to the Red White And Blue super PAC have, more or less, given it the money needed to run the few ads it's aired. Among those ads include spots attacking Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in Minnesota, another state Santorum won on Tuesday.
The campaign and the super PAC cannot legally coordinate. And it stands to reason that, legally speaking, having Friess next to Santorum on stage doesn't violate that rule. Santorum, after all, wasn't talking to Friess directly, nor was he speaking explicitly about campaign strategy.
But the proximity of the donor to the candidate on Tuesday night is a wonderful illustration of the dangers of the new campaign finance system: where big checks don't just get you a seat at the table, they get you a spot on the stage.
-- Sam Stein
11:04 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Mocks Newt  | @ jonward11 : Santorum just mocked Gingrich's "my life, fortune and honor" line |
10:56 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum: 'We Doubled Them Up'
Rick Santorum spoke with voters after it was projected he won both the Missouri primary and the Minnesota caucus.
"Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota," Santorum said, speaking from Missouri. "We doubled them up here and in Minnesota."
Santorum took a shot at Romney, saying his wins in the two early states were likely heard in Massachusetts. But he didn't stay focused on his GOP rival -- instead, he used his speech to hit President Obama, who he said never listened to the people of America.
"Another person listening to your cheers tonight's at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," Santorum said. "He thinks he knows better. He thinks he's smarter than you. He thinks he's someone who's a privileged person who should be able to rule over all of you."
"I don't stand here to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney," Santorum said. "I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Obama."
Santorum did sneak in one subtle hit at Romney when he claimed he cares about "the very rich and the very poor," spinning Romneys statement that he doesn't "care about poor people."
"I care about 100 percent of America," Santorum said.
During the speech, Santorum also thanked his supporters and claimed his wins tonight were victories for "the voices of our party, conservatives and tea party people." He even had a shout out for his daughter Bella, who was hospitalized just before the Florida primary.
"Thank you so much for getting healthy," Santorum said.
-- Paige Lavender
10:29 PM – 02/07/2012
'We Picked Rick! We Picked... No?'
10:25 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Doing Well Early On In Colorado
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"Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota," Santorum said, speaking from Missouri. "We doubled them up here and in Minnesota."
Santorum took a shot at Romney, saying his wins in the two early states were likely heard in Massachusetts. But he didn't stay focused on his GOP rival -- instead, he used his speech to hit President Obama, who he said never listened to the people of America.
"Another person listening to your cheers tonight's at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," Santorum said. "He thinks he knows better. He thinks he's smarter than you. He thinks he's someone who's a privileged person who should be able to rule over all of you."
"I don't stand here to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney," Santorum said. "I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Obama."
Santorum did sneak in one subtle hit at Romney when he claimed he cares about "the very rich and the very poor," spinning Romneys statement that he doesn't "care about poor people."
"I care about 100 percent of America," Santorum said.
During the speech, Santorum also thanked his supporters and claimed his wins tonight were victories for "the voices of our party, conservatives and tea party people." He even had a shout out for his daughter Bella, who was hospitalized just before the Florida primary.
"Thank you so much for getting healthy," Santorum said.
-- Paige Lavender
10:29 PM – 02/07/2012
'We Picked Rick! We Picked... No?'
 | @ AKaczynski1 : The announcer at the Santorum event just started chanting "We picked Rick," repeatedly and no one chanted along. |
10:25 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Doing Well Early On In Colorado
 | @ danielpetty : Santorum doing well in early Colo. returns. RT @Johnschroyer: One woman said about Santorum, "He feels like us to me." #copolitics #cocaucus |
10:25 PM – 02/07/2012
One More Left  | @ shushwalshe : ABC News projects Rick Santorum as the winner of the Minnesota caucuses. He has now won both Missouri + Minn. Just CO left. |
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10:17 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Projected Winner Of Minnesota
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is the projected winner of the Minnesota caucus according to NBC News.
10:00 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Win More Symbolic Than Strategic  | @ howardfineman : Santorum wins are more symbolic than strategic but the symbolism is bad for Romney: ie, he remains the weakest frontrunner in decades. |
9:56 PM – 02/07/2012
Meanwhile, In Minnesota...  | @ mpoindc : Meanwhile in Minnesota, 13% of caucus results are in. So far it's Santorum 43, Paul 27, Romney 17, Gingrich 12. Still early. |
9:53 PM – 02/07/2012
No Delegates For Santorum  | @ daveweigel : Weird. CNN running with BREAKING NEWS that Santorum won MO, but not adding to delegate count. Oh: That's because he didn't win delegates. |
9:52 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum 'Blown Away'  | @ michaelpfalcone : Return on investment RT @shushwalshe: A beaming @FosterFriess is here at Santorum's party, said he's "blown away" |
9:44 PM – 02/07/2012
ABC News Projects Romney 2nd, Paul 3rd | @ michaelpfalcone : ABC News projects Rick Santorum will win Missouri. Romney will be 2nd, Ron Paul 3rd. |
9:38 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Projected Winner In Missouri
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is the projected winner of the Missouri primary according to NBC News.
9:31 PM – 02/07/2012
The Real Impact For Santorum Tonight  | @ murphymike : No delegates, but wins tonight will give Santo a bounce to get money and attention, heading to AZ on 2/28 which could be a real battle. |
9:21 PM – 02/07/2012
As It Stands Right Now...  | @ TolbertReport : Might not last long but right now Santorum in leading in MO, MN, and CO |
9:03 PM – 02/07/2012
Howard Fineman On Last Word | @ howardfineman : That is -- Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC at 10 pm re Minn-Mo-Colo results. A Santorum semi-surge? |
7:48 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum: 9th Circuit Is 'Rogue'  | @ ethanklapper : In a statement, Santorum calls the 9th Circuit a "rogue circuit." |
7:07 PM – 02/07/2012
Contraception Issue Heats Up As Santorum Makes Headway
CBS News' Sarah Huisenga reports:
As GOP front-runner Mitt Romney stepped up his attacks on the Obama administration over the thorny issue of contraceptives and the Catholic Church, Newt Gingrich took on the former Massachusetts governor for enforcing a similar policy during his time in office.Click here to read more.
6:33 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Ties Romney to ‘Contraception Services’
ABC News' Shushannah Walshe reports:
Rick Santorum went after Mitt Romney at an election day rally here, accusing the GOP front-runner of forcing the Catholic church in Massachusetts to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.Click here to read more.
6:25 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Speaks Out On Prop 8 Ruling | @ RickSantorum : 7M Californians had their rights stripped away today by activist 9th Circuit judges. As president I will work to protect marriage. |
6:02 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Seeks Second Wind
MSNBC's Michael O'Brien reports:
Rick Santorum could end up revitalizing his campaign Tuesday evening if he's able to upset Mitt Romney in a trio of nominating contests. Republicans in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri will each gather to express their choice in a presidential candidate. The results aren't binding on the ultimate allotment of delegates awarded to each candidate, but that hasn't stopped the four remaining Republican hopefuls from campaigning in the states.Click here to read more.
5:59 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Taking Missouri Primary Very Seriously
KPLR11's Dan Gray reports:
One of the republican presidential candidates will be in the St. Louis area Tuesday as results from Tuesday's Missouri primary are counted. Republican Rick Santorum is taking the Missouri primary seriously although this vote amounts to a glorified opinion poll.Click here to read more.
5:50 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Hits Obama For "Phony Job Numbers"
Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich both argued on Tuesday that the current unemployment rate of 8.3 percent, and the downward trend in the rate, is a misleading snapshot of the state of the economy.
Santorum, speaking at a rally in Blaine, Minn., went so far as to call the unemployment statistics released last Friday "phony job numbers," echoing the language used last week by Jim Pethokoukis, a prominent conservative economic blogger at the American Enterprise Institute.
"I realize, just from basic math, that you can actually lower percentages by reducing the denominator -- the fewer workers that are out there working -- instead of just increasing the numerator. That's pretty much what the Obama administration is doing," Santorum said. "They've had such a bad economy that we're at a 30-year low of people participating in the marketplace as workers."
"This unemployment number of 8.3 percent is a hollow number," Santorum said. "And the bottom line is a lot of people are hurting and even more than you can see from the statistics that the president would like to talk about."
Gingrich, at a speech in Dayton, Ohio, also said that President Obama is getting credit for a recovery that is not happening.
"The president has been taking credit for the drop in unemployment. And I don't think anybody on his staff has quite explained it to him. You see, you see, the difference, the unemployment rate is a function of the number of people looking for work. So if you actually ask how many people are out of work, it's somewhere between 15 and 20 percent, but if you ask the number left who are still looking for work, it's only 8.3 percent," Gingrich said.
"And the difference is that Barack Obama has led to the largest decline in work force participation in American history," Gingrich said.
Gingrich then went on a semi-comedic riff that illustrates why his rhetorical skills have energized the grassroots, something Santorum has struggled to do in the same way.
"At this rate, if [Obama] could convince everybody still looking to quit looking, we'd have zero unemployment because we'd have lots of unemployed but it wouldn't count as unemployment," Gingrich said. "Therefore he'd be really doing well because everybody would be sitting at home getting their food stamps being passive instead of being out looking for work. Think how terrific that would be."
- Jon Ward
Santorum, speaking at a rally in Blaine, Minn., went so far as to call the unemployment statistics released last Friday "phony job numbers," echoing the language used last week by Jim Pethokoukis, a prominent conservative economic blogger at the American Enterprise Institute.
"I realize, just from basic math, that you can actually lower percentages by reducing the denominator -- the fewer workers that are out there working -- instead of just increasing the numerator. That's pretty much what the Obama administration is doing," Santorum said. "They've had such a bad economy that we're at a 30-year low of people participating in the marketplace as workers."
"This unemployment number of 8.3 percent is a hollow number," Santorum said. "And the bottom line is a lot of people are hurting and even more than you can see from the statistics that the president would like to talk about."
Gingrich, at a speech in Dayton, Ohio, also said that President Obama is getting credit for a recovery that is not happening.
"The president has been taking credit for the drop in unemployment. And I don't think anybody on his staff has quite explained it to him. You see, you see, the difference, the unemployment rate is a function of the number of people looking for work. So if you actually ask how many people are out of work, it's somewhere between 15 and 20 percent, but if you ask the number left who are still looking for work, it's only 8.3 percent," Gingrich said.
"And the difference is that Barack Obama has led to the largest decline in work force participation in American history," Gingrich said.
Gingrich then went on a semi-comedic riff that illustrates why his rhetorical skills have energized the grassroots, something Santorum has struggled to do in the same way.
"At this rate, if [Obama] could convince everybody still looking to quit looking, we'd have zero unemployment because we'd have lots of unemployed but it wouldn't count as unemployment," Gingrich said. "Therefore he'd be really doing well because everybody would be sitting at home getting their food stamps being passive instead of being out looking for work. Think how terrific that would be."
- Jon Ward
5:44 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Confident About Minnesota
Politico's Juana Summers reports:
Making his final appearance in Minnesota – a state he appears poised to win – Santorum gave a confident speech to Republicans in Blaine. "I feel great that Minnesota is going to change the direction of this race tonight," he told supporters here.Click here to read more.
5:39 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum: 'Don't Settle'  | @ Stowydad : "Don't settle for second best," is message Santorum left voters in Blaine, MN |
4:58 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Hits Rivals On Global Warming | @ AKaczynski1 : Rick Santorum hitting Newt/Romney: "both of them have the supported the prevision and politicalization of science called global warming." |
| @ jonward11 : Santorum: "Romney's been able to bully his way through this primary, outspending his opponents by about 5 to 1 … but he's not inspiring." |
4:55 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Blasts Romney's 'Disaster' | @ AKaczynski1 : Rick Santorum in Minnesota calls RomneyCare a "disaster for Massachusetts." |
4:12 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Hits At 'Romney Attack Machine' In a Tuesday email to supporters, Rick Santorum claimed Romney's "attack machine" had fired at the former Pennsylvania senator: You’ve probably seen all over Fox News and on the web today that Rick Santorum is surging in key primary and caucus states. According to two polls just out, Rick has now moved ahead of Mitt Romney in Minnesota and Missouri. And the Romney argument that he is the strongest Republican to defeat Obama was shattered over the weekend with the release of a new Rasmussen survey that revealed that only one Republican Presidential candidate would beat Obama if the election were today…Rick Santorum.
Clearly this news has Romney very worried because today he aimed his well -funded attack machine squarely at Rick Santorum, firing relentless amounts of mud and inaccuracies. Romney even joined the attacks personally.
Why would Romney attack so aggressively? For two reasons. First, he sees Rick rising in the polls. And second, Romney knows he can’t run on his own record of supporting big government healthcare mandates, supporting radical environmental positions like Cap and Trade, and supporting the biggest earmark in American history…the Wall Street bailouts.
What Romney doesn’t know is that we have a secret weapon to fight against his attack machine. It’s thousands of people just like yourself who understand that we need a Presidential nominee who doesn’t just talk a good conservative game, but lives it every day.
4:00 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum: I've Never Believed In The 'Hoax Of Global Warming'
HuffPost reports:
10:19 AM – 02/07/2012
Is This Santorum's Day?
GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum targeted primary rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich on Tuesday for allegedly buying into the "bogus" science of man-made climate change, while proudly declaring that he himself had never believed in the "hoax of global warming.Click here to read more.
1:17 PM – 02/07/2012
Will Rick Santorum Find New Life In Minnesota?
Patch.com's Mike Schoemer reports:
According to the latest Public Policy Polling conducted here, tonight's Minnesota Caucus could be one of three states to tip the way of former Sen. Rick Santorum in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. According to the latest PPP numbers, Santorum holds a "small advantage with 33 perecent to 24 percent for Romney, 22 percent for Newt Gingrich, and 20 percent for Ron Paul."Click here to read more.
12:24 PM – 02/07/2012
Santorum: I Never Believed 'Hoax'
Politico's Juana Summers reports:
"Speaker Gingrich has supported cap and trade for more than a dozen years. Now, he wants business incentives to go along with cap and trade, but he supported cap and trade, and sat on the couch with Nancy Pelosi and said that global warming had to be addressed by Congress," Santorum said. "Who is he or who's Governor Romney to be able to go after President Obama? I've never supported even the hoax of global warming."Click here to read more.
10:41 AM – 02/07/2012
Santorum: 'You Know, Mr. President, We’re Not That Stupid'
ABC News reports:
Rick Santorum laid down the gauntlet here, pledging to campaign every day on the controversial regulation by the Department of Health and Human Services requiring Catholic hospitals and universities to provide contraception and the morning after pill if the Obama administration does not change its stance. He said the administration has been “hostile to people of faith, particularly Christians and specifically Catholics.”Click here to read more.
“That’s just a bunch of poppycock,” Santorum said in response to news that the White House said today it is working with religious institutions on the policy. “That’s just ridiculous. You know, Mr. President, we’re not that stupid."
10:39 AM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Attracting Voters Romney Is Losing The L.A. Times' David Horsey reports: Is Mitt Romney the Republicans' man of destiny or will Rick Santorum finally get his moment in the sun? You remember Rick Santorum, the guy who, in last summer’s Republican debates, was placed at the end of the row near the exit sign and never got asked any questions because Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain were so much more weirdly entertaining. Well, Santorum campaign staffers are playing up recent polls that suggest their candidate could beat President Obama.Click here to read more
10:19 AM – 02/07/2012
Is This Santorum's Day?
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Today marks the first multi-state voting in the 2012 election cycle when Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri – all swing states – hold presidential contests. The contests could provide momentum as the campaigns head toward Super Tuesday in early March. Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is favored to win Missouri and Minnesota, indicated by recent polling and by just how he has become the target of attacks over the last 24 hours by Mitt Romney’s camp.Click here to read more.
9:59 AM – 02/07/2012
Mormon Voters Talk Romney
The New York Times' Ashley Parker reports:
Elizabeth Young, a mother and artist in Las Vegas, likes Mitt Romney’s successful record of “turning around companies that have been doing so poorly.” Chad Backus, a physical therapist from Winnemucca, Nev., appreciates his “business experience, his leadership experience.” And Arwen Spor, a mother of three in Spring Creek, Nev., lived in the Salt Lake City area during the 2002 Olympics, and trusts Mr. Romney because of his role in reviving the struggling games.Click here to read more.
9:41 AM – 02/07/2012
Santorum's 'Key State' Won't Matter
HuffPost reports:
Rick Santorum has campaigned hard in Missouri, calling it a "key state" in the Republican nomination fight. With Newt GIngrich not even on the ballot, Santorum is hoping to use the contest to underscore his argument that he is the candidate best equipped to take Mitt Romney on head-to-head. Indeed, recent polls place him well ahead of Mitt Romney in Tuesday's primary. Unfortunately for Santorum, none of this matters in the delegate count.Click here to read more.
8:42 AM – 02/07/2012
Santorum's Last Stand?
HuffPost's Howard Fineman reports:
His aides say otherwise, but this essentially is decision week for Rick Santorum. His hope of staying at all relevant in the GOP presidential race rests on winning one or more of Tuesday's primaries, and on somehow causing a sensation at this weekend's meeting of conservatives in Washington. If he can't manage to do either of those things, it's hard to see how he continues -- even though, his aides insist, he is running a lean campaign with a low "burn rate" and a decent amount of cash on hand.Click here to read more.
So far, the high point of the former senator's campaign has been Iowa, where he spent two years scratching and crawling his way to what turned out to be a 34-vote, recounted victory.
But the dogged (if not delusional) Pennsylvania Republican shows no signs of quitting -- and he is poised to make a brief semi-return to the limelight tonight with credible showings in three states: Minnesota and Colorado (which are holding caucuses) and Missouri, which is holding a non-binding "beauty pageant" primary.
The reality is that he needs to win at least one of them, preferably one with real votes at stake. The best chance for that is Minnesota, where he is leading in at least one poll.
8:39 AM – 02/07/2012
Santorum Surprise? HuffPost's Mark Blumenthal reports: On Tuesday, Republicans will attend precinct caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado and vote in a non-binding primary in Missouri. Polling for these contests has been extremely sparse, and may be just a rough guide to the outcome, but the available data suggests that Rick Santorum may have a strong showing in the two Midwestern states. What a difference a few weeks make. In the week before the Iowa caucuses in early January, public pollsters released ten separate surveys measuring the preferences of likely caucus-goers. Just before the primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida in January, pollsters released 15 to 20 surveys in the last week alone.
But Saturday's Nevada caucuses produced just two public polls, and just one organization so far has released surveys on the upcoming contests this week: The Democratic Party-affiliated firm Public Policy Polling (PPP).
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