The Note's Must-Reads for Tuesday, April 3, 2012
The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com
Compiled by ABC News' Jayce Henderson, Amanda VanAllen, Carrie Halperin, and Erin McLaughlin
MITT ROMNEY: ABC News' Emily Friedman: " Romney Goes on Offensive on Immigration in Wisconsin" Mitt Romney today flatly accused President Obama of reneging on his campaign promise to enact sweeping immigration reform, despite enjoying a Democrat-controlled Congress for his first two years in office. "This has always been a priority for the president he chooses to do nothing about," Romney said. LINK
The Wall Street Journal's Neil King Jr and Brody Mullins: " GOP, Romney to Raise Funds Jointly" In a move that shows Republicans are coalescing around the party's front-runner, Mitt Romney plans to begin raising money jointly with the Republican National Committee this week as both the candidate and the GOP brace for an expensive general-election fight against President Barack Obama. The arrangement will allow top donors to write checks as large as $75,000 per person, by giving to party organizations in addition to the campaign. LINK
The Washington Post's Philip Rucker: " Romney's subtle shift to general election mode" To watch Mitt Romney campaign across Wisconsin the past few days has been to wonder whether the Republican primary is still going on. Romney shifted subtly into general election mode. He overhauled his rhetoric about President Obama and offered a new slogan: "Obama's Government-Centered Society." LINK
The Washington Times' Seth McLaughlin: " Romney seeks sweep to knock out Santorum" Mitt Romney on Monday delivered his closing argument to Wisconsin voters a day out from the state's Republican primary, as the former Massachusetts governor looked to land a knockout blow against Rick Santorum's presidential dreams by sweeping the three nomination contests Tuesday. LINK
Boston Globe's Glen Johnson: " Mitt Romney emerges as solitary figure" As Mitt Romney delivered a speech Friday afternoon to kick off his closing Wisconsin campaign push, he stood alone at the podium, surrounded by darkness, a solitary figure at center stage. It was emblematic of where Romney has come in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, and the status he could solidify after Tuesday's Wisconsin primary. LINK
Bloomberg's John McCormick and Lisa Lerer: " Romney Sees Wisconsin Win to Knock Santorum Out of Race" On the eve of Wisconsin's Republican presidential primary, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum campaigned in the state with two different missions: Romney worked to pivot to President Barack Obama and the November general election, while Santorum fought to keep his candidacy viable. LINK
USA Today's Susan Page: " Poll: Romney, Santorum fare similarly in Obama matchups" Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, scrambling for traction against front-runner Mitt Romney in the Wisconsin primary Tuesday, got a little good news in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of swing states. The former Pennsylvania senator fares almost as well against President Obama as Romney does in the nation's 12 top battleground states, which include Wisconsin. LINK
RICK SANTORUM: ABC News' Arlette Saenz: " Santorum Visits Birthplace of Republican Party" Rick Santorum paid a visit to the town described as the birthplace of the Republican Party as he made his final stop in Wisconsin before the primary Tuesday. "We came to where the Republican Party first met," Santorum told reporters in Ripon. "From the beginning to the end of the beginning if you will." LINK
The New York Times' Jim Rutenberg and Trip Gabriel: " Weighing When Slim Hopes Become a G.O.P. Problem" With big-name Republicans and even many Democrats coming to agree that Mitt Romney is destined to be the Republican nominee, there is just one hitch: Someone forgot to tell Rick Santorum. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Michael Finnegan: " Rick Santorum courts Wisconsin conservatives on eve of primary" If Rick Santorum was weighing whether to abandon his quest for the presidency on Monday, the eve of the Wisconsin primary that could effectively crush his campaign, he worked hard not to show it. LINK
Politico's Juana Summers: " Rick Santorum counts on rural voters" Rick Santorum is counting on a small-town strategy to pull off an upset victory in Tuesday's Wisconsin primary in which Mitt Romney is leading. But on the eve of the GOP contest, only a handful of people have showed up at Santorum's campaign events, sprinkled throughout rural areas of the state. LINK
ABC NEWS VIDEOS: " Romney Asked About Mormonism at Tense Town Hall" LINK
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