The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday, April 4, 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 and Michael Falcone: " Mitt Romney Sweeps, Pegs President Obama as Out of Touch" After sweeping wins in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C.'s primaries, Mitt Romney took to the stage today to deliver a pounding critique of President Obama, fully ignoring his GOP rivals and instead painting the president as "out of touch." LINK

Politico's Reid J. Epstein: " Mitt Romney to Rick Santorum: Game over" Mitt Romney wants you to believe the contest against his persistent Republican presidential challengers is over. The former Massachusetts governor convincingly won all three primary contests on Tuesday with 98 delegates at stake - Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C. LINK

Bloomberg's John McCormick and Lisa Lerer: " Romney Sweeps Three Primaries to Keep Lead Over Santorum" Mitt Romney swept to victory in a trio of primaries, wins that accelerate his path to the Republican presidential nomination and intensify questions about the candidacy of chief rival Rick Santorum. While Santorum vowed to remain in the race, Romney and his backers have been treating the primary battle as effectively over, and his showings in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia yesterday bolster his case. LINK

USA Today's William M. Welch and Judy Keen: " Romney sweeps D.C., Maryland and Wisconsin" Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney swept three Republican presidential primaries Tuesday, winning contests in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia and tightening his grip on the nomination. "Thank you to Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C. We won them all!" he told supporters in Milwaukee. LINK

The New York Times' Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny: " Romney Adds 3 Victories and Clashes With Obama" Mitt Romney tightened his grip on the Republican nomination on Tuesday with a sweep of the primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia, and found himself in his first direct engagement with President Obama, an unmistakable signal that the general election would not wait for internal Republican politics. LINK

The Washington Post's Dan Balz and Philip Rucker: " Mitt Romney wins Wisconsin, Maryland, D.C. primaries" Mitt Romney captured presidential primaries in Maryland, the District and battleground Wisconsin, the biggest prize of the day, to complete a momentum-building, three-contest sweep Tuesday that cemented his status as the almost certain Republican nominee and put new pressure on rival Rick Santorum to reassess his candidacy. LINK

The Hill's Josh Lederman: " Romney wins Wisconsin primary, increases lead in delegates" Mitt Romney won Wisconsin's primary Tuesday night, increasing the pressure on his rivals to exit the GOP presidential race. The television news networks projected Romney as the winner at 9:30 p.m. ET, about 90 minutes after the polls closed.  LINK

RICK SANTORUM: Boston Globe's Glen Johnson: " Santorum Begins to concede 2012 race with warning" Faced with increasingly long odds of catching Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination, and the near certainty of his rival securing it before any possible brokered convention in Florida this summer, Rick Santorum has begun to concede the 2012 race in his own way. LINK

The Wall Street Journal's Colleen McCain Nelson and Danny Yadron: " Santorum Prepares for Last Stand" With its hope of denying Mitt Romney the Republican nomination dimming, Rick Santorum's campaign has settled on an all-in strategy focused on Pennsylvania, a state that could provide a win-or-go-home moment for the struggling candidate later this month. The former Pennsylvania senator has long pointed to his home state as a pivotal proving ground in this primary season. LINK

GOP FUNDRAISING / OTHER: The Washington Times' Sean Lengell: " GOP making gains on fundraising front" The 2010 midterm elections were a dream come true for the Republican Party at the ballot box but a nightmare for its bank accounts. Its commanding takeover of the House, significant gains in the Senate and gubernatorial victories across the nation drained the coffers. LINK

ABC NEWS VIDEOS: " Romney Adds 3 More Primaries to Winning Streak" LINK " Santorum: 'The Clock Starts Tonight'" LINK

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