In Nevada, Gingrich fumbles but moves forward

AP - 2/4/2012 3:57 PM

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Newt Gingrich is struggling to regain his footing following a campaign in Nevada beset by glitches as the race for the Republican presidential nomination moves to the next phase....

Conservatives dominate in Nevada GOP caucuses

AP - 2/4/2012 3:51 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Conservatives accounted for around 4 in 5 voters Saturday as Nevada Republicans chose their presidential candidates, a poll of people entering the caucuses showed, tying Iowa as the most conservative group of GOP voters so far this year....

Lawsuit: Gingrich security stomped on man's foot

AP - 2/4/2012 3:23 PM

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A central Florida man is suing Newt Gingrich, claiming a security officer for the Republican presidential candidate stomped on his foot "like he was stomping out a cigarette."...

Romney eyes win in quiet Nevada caucuses

AP - 2/4/2012 2:36 PM

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Republican presidential front runner Mitt Romney reached for his second straight campaign victory Saturday in Nevada caucuses so quiet that they produced little television advertising, no candidate debates and only a modest investment of time by the candidates....

Santorum, Paul look past Nevada caucuses

AP - 2/4/2012 2:27 PM

MONTROSE, Colo. (AP) -- Rick Santorum said Saturday he wants to "endanger" rival Newt Gingrich while presidential rival Ron Paul claimed "the American people are waking up" as both Republican hopefuls peered past Nevada as that state began its GOP caucuses....

In Nev., Solid Showing Expected For Romney

NPR - 2/4/2012 12:00 PM - Politics

Nevada holds its Republican caucuses today it is the first Western state to weigh in on the nominating contest. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports that Mitt Romney is widely favored to win and has the latest from Nevada.

Stylistic extremes at top of GOP presidential race

AP - 2/4/2012 8:27 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mitt Romney listens. Newt Gingrich lectures....

What The People Want Out West

NPR - 2/4/2012 5:00 AM - Election 2012

As the primary season pushes westward, voters in big Western states share what they like and want, plus why they feel they're a different kind of electorate.

As Population Shifts, So Do Political Tactics

NPR - 2/4/2012 5:00 AM - Election 2012

In the last decade, population growth in Western swing states outpaced the national average, according to David Damore, a professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With the Nevada Republican caucus underway, guest host David Greene talks with Damore about the electoral shift and the issues potential voters in the region view as priorities.

Job Market Could Help Obama's Election Stock

NPR - 2/4/2012 3:13 AM - Economy

All kinds of companies were hiring last month. U.S. employers added 243,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent. Experts are cautiously optimistic, but the boost in hiring may give the president extra momentum going into November.

Out West, GOP Candidates Mine For Caucus Votes

NPR - 2/4/2012 3:10 AM - Presidential Race

Saturday is Republican presidential caucus day in Nevada. Mitt Romney is counting on another win to keep him on the path to the nomination. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have also been campaigning in the state, while Rick Santorum is looking ahead to later contests.

'Buffett Rule' Becomes A Bill, And Congress Bickers

NPR - 2/4/2012 3:08 AM - Politics

President Obama wants Congress to end certain tax breaks for the very wealthy. In response, Senate Democrats introduced legislation that would require those earning $1 million annually to pay no less than 30 percent in taxes. The bill faces Republican opposition, and is likely to be an election year issue.

Romney using Nev. as springboard for Feb. contests

AP - 2/4/2012 1:25 AM

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Mitt Romney expects Nevada's caucuses to kick off a month of primary and caucus contests to keep momentum on his side in the race for the GOP presidential nomination....

Nev. caucuses offer state a rare say in nomination

AP - 2/4/2012 12:40 AM

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- With its 24-hour casino gambling, legalized prostitution and drive-through wedding chapels, Nevada seems anything but conventional. When it comes to voting in presidential elections, it's as mainstream as it gets....

Nevada A Safe Bet For Romney And Start Of Likely Bad Month For Rivals

NPR - 2/3/2012 4:42 PM - It's All Politics

Nevada is, in part, such friendly territory for Romney because of its place in the Mormon Corridor, a group of states fanning out from Utah which, besides Nevada, include Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho and southern California with significant populations of Romney's fellow Mormons.

Santorum pushes discredited stroke claim

AP - 2/3/2012 4:10 PM

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Friday backed prominent conservative James Dobson's claim that President Barack Obama's administration would block medical treatment for stroke patients over age 70. Professional medical groups have called such statements bogus....

A political tip sheet for the rest of us

AP - 2/3/2012 4:03 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A political tip sheet for the rest of us outside the Washington Beltway, Friday, Feb. 3, 2012:...

Voting Heads West: A Nevada Republican Presidential Caucus Primer

NPR - 2/3/2012 2:16 PM - It's All Politics

While hotels along the Vegas Strip are full of Super Bowl fans and convention attendees this weekend, another event will be playing out Saturday at more than 100 locations across the state. Nevada's Republican presidential caucuses will be taking place, and mostly in low-key places.

Can Komen Recover From Controversy?

NPR - 2/3/2012 12:23 PM - Health

The breast cancer organization has suffered one of the worst public relations disasters in recent memory. Komen relies heavily on positive associations with its cause, but restoring its luster will be quite a task.

Week In Politics: Unemployment Rate, Primaries

NPR - 2/3/2012 12:00 PM - Commentary

Audie Cornish talks to our regular political commentators ? E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times ? about the new unemployment figures and the presidential primary race.

Republican Contenders Take Pitches To Nevada

NPR - 2/3/2012 12:00 PM - Election 2012

Republican candidates are campaigning across the state ahead of Saturday's caucuses. The state looks much different than it did four years ago ? today it leads the country in home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and unemployment.

If Romney Misspoke About 'Poor' Why Did He Later Repeat Statement?

NPR - 2/3/2012 10:24 AM - It's All Politics

Romney's explanation would make more sense, however, if, after his earlier comments caused a firestorm, Romney hadn't told the traveling press corps on his charter jet nearly the exact same thing he said to CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

Good January Jobs News, Yes, But Still Much Time Before Election Day

NPR - 2/3/2012 8:58 AM - It's All Politics

As encouraging as the jobs report was for January 2012, it still is only the start of this general-election year. That means the jobless rate now will likely have less to do with what happens in the congressional and presidential races than where it stands in October.

It's All Politics, Feb. 2, 2012

NPR - 2/3/2012 8:48 AM - 'It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup

Newt's momentum is halted in Florida, and now Mitt has what looks to be a good month ahead of him, starting with Nevada on Saturday. Plus: women's health turns (more) political, Gov. Bev Perdue becomes the latest North Carolina Democrat to bow out, and we say goodbye to Boston's Kevin White.

Candidates Lock Their Sights On GOP Convention

NPR - 2/2/2012 11:29 PM - Election 2012

In the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a number of contests are awarding delegates on a proportional basis. That fact, combined with a back-loaded calendar, may stretch out the nominating process until the party's convention in August.