Illinois primary is set for frenzied finish - Chicago Tribune

The leading contenders in the Republican presidential race spent Sunday laying the groundwork for a furious if not acrimonious final push for votes heading into tomorrow's Illinois primary.

Mitt Romney caravaned from the Quad Cities to Rockford to north suburban Vernon Hills.Romney's campaign worked to raise doubts about Rick Santorum's conservative credentials, while Romney continued to question his rival's ability to help fix the nation's economy..

"Sen. Santorum, I think, has the same characteristic as the president in terms of his background," Romney told a crowd of more than 200 people at an American Legion hall pancake breakfast in Moline. "He spent his life in government. Nothing wrong with that. But right now we need somebody who understands the economy fundamentally."

Santorum, who campaigned in Louisiana on Sunday before returning to Illinois with a full schedule Monday, impugned Romney's oft-touted management skills. The former Pennsylvania senator seemed to indicate that his ability to stay in the race despite being outspent and out-organized is an indictment of Romney's leadership.

"The real question you should ask … is Gov. Romney, why, with tens and hundreds of millions of dollars, hasn't he been able to do anything to get this nomination even close to cemented away?" Santorum said onCNN's"State of the Union." "That shows a real weakness in his ability to be able to govern."

The Illinois contest once again finds Romney campaigning heavily in a state that had once been thought of as simply another cog toward his inevitable march to the GOP nomination.

Instead, concerns over lackluster voter turnout and intensity of support for the former Massachusetts governor in the suburbs has made Illinois a question mark as Santorum has worked to energize tea party and religious conservatives throughout the state, especially outside the Chicago area.

In his appearances Sunday, Romney reset his focus on the economy by seeking to stoke voter anger toward rising gasoline prices. He blamed President Barack Obama, saying the president has opposed drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and blocked the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada.

He called three Obama-appointed Cabinet-level members — Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson — "the gas hike trio."

The candidate drew an overflow crowd to a Vernon Hills gym, where he talked up his victory in Puerto Rico's primary and jabbed at Obama's time in the Illinois Senate and state government's continued money problems.

"You see, if you're in business, you have no choice but to be a fiscal conservative. If you spend more money than you take in, you go broke. (Obama) was a legislator in Illinois, where I understand if you don't spend more money than you take in, you don't get re-elected."

As Romney traveled, his campaign highlighted Santorum's backing of then-Sen. Arlen Specterof Pennsylvania for president in 1996. With Santorum on stage, Specter announced his bid by saying the GOP had strayed too far right, particularly in opposing abortion rights.

Asked about the endorsement onABC's"This Week,"Santorum responded, "Look, you know, you work together as a team for the state of Pennsylvania, and I felt that Sen. Specter stood up and supported me when I was running in 1994, and I did likewise. I certainly knew Arlen Specter was going nowhere. I certainly disagreed with a lot of things that he said, and it was something I look back on and wish I hadn't done."

Santorum also responded to Romney's accusation that the former senator is an "economic lightweight."

"If Mitt Romney's an economic heavyweight, we're in trouble," Santorum said, citing Romney's tenure as governor of Massachusetts.

"This is a man who doesn't understand conservative principles. Conservatives don't go out there and say, 'I'm going to create jobs and I'm going to change the economy, I'm going to manage the economy.' Just the opposite. What we believe in is getting government out of the way, creating opportunity and let the private sector do these things," Santorum said.

"This is Mitt Romney again, you know, the CEO trying to go in and manage something," he said. "We don't need a manager."

On Monday, the two will campaign full time in Illinois. Romney holds a near 2-to-1 advantage nationally in convention nominating delegates, and 54 delegates are up for direct election in Illinois on Tuesday. Santorum, however, failed to file slates in four congressional districts, so the maximum he could gain is 44.

Romney has events in Springfield and Peoria sandwiched around a noon-time economic address at the University of Chicago, the school where the home-state Obama once served as a senior lecturer in the law department.

Santorum will traverse Rockford and Moline, two of the spots Romney hit Sunday. He also heads to Dixon, the boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan, before winding up the campaign day in East Peoria.

Monique Garcia reported from Moline, Rockford and Vernon Hills, and Tribune reporter Rick Pearson reported from Chicago.

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mcgarcia@tribune.com

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Obama raised $45 million in February - Chicago Tribune

A shot from an Obama campaign Web video announcing February fundraising totals. (YouTube.com)

President Obama's reelection effort added $45 million to its coffers in February, a boost in fundraising as the campaign builds up its national infrastructure.

The $45-million haul was raised jointly by the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America and two joint fundraising committees -- the Obama Victory Fund and the Swing State Victory Fund.

According to the campaign, 105,000 of the more than 1.5 million donors last month were giving for the first time. The average donation was $59.04, and 97.7% of donations were in increments of $250 or less.

Obama had raised $29.1 million in January, and $68 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The campaign announced the news Monday morning on Twitter, also sending out a video that shows state campaign directors from six states and the national youth vote coordinator discussing how those dollars were being immediately put to use. Examples included new field offices, voter registration efforts and student summits.

"So next time you're thinking about donating to support this organization, know that you're helping to build our campaign," the staffers said.

The average donation figure for February was more than double what it was in late 2011, representing the increasing number of high-dollars fundraising events the president has held of late.

In February alone, he held 15 fundraising events, including six in California mid-month. He has another on his schedule today in Washington.

The Republican National Committee pointed out that the $45-million joint fundraising tally from February 2012 was down from the $57 million Obama raised for his 2008 campaign, which the RNC said it saw as a sign he "is having a hard time convincing voters he deserves another term."

Then, Obama was still locked in a fierce battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, while today he runs unopposed. February 2008 included "Super Tuesday," with more than two dozen nominating contests.

The Obama campaign has, however, used its own scare tactics to reinvigorate its fundraising. One email appeal to supporters in March from campaign manager Jim Messina included this dire warning: "All you really need to know: According to a new poll, if the general election were held today, we would lose to Mitt Romney."

Romney raised more than $11 million in February, leading the GOP field.

Obama raised $45 million in February

View the original article here

Obama raised $45 million in February - Chicago Tribune

President Obama's reelection effort added $45 million to its coffers in February, a boost in fundraising as the campaign builds up its national infrastructure.

The $45-million haul was raised jointly by the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America and two joint fundraising committees -- the Obama Victory Fund and the Swing State Victory Fund.

According to the campaign, 105,000 of the more than 1.5 million donors last month were giving for the first time. The average donation was $59.04, and 97.7% of donations were in increments of $250 or less.

Obama had raised $29.1 million in January, and $68 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The campaign announced the news Monday morning on Twitter, also sending out a video that shows state campaign directors from six states and the national youth vote coordinator discussing how those dollars were being immediately put to use. Examples included new field offices, voter registration efforts and student summits.

"So next time you're thinking about donating to support this organization, know that you're helping to build our campaign," the staffers said.

The average donation figure for February was more than double what it was in late 2011, representing the increasing number of high-dollars fundraising events the president has held of late.

In February alone, he held 15 fundraising events, including six in California mid-month. He has another on his schedule today in Washington.

The Republican National Committee pointed out that the $45-million joint fundraising tally from February 2012 was down from the $57 million Obama raised for his 2008 campaign, which the RNC said it saw as a sign he "is having a hard time convincing voters he deserves another term."

Then, Obama was still locked in a fierce battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, while today he runs unopposed. February 2008 included "Super Tuesday," with more than two dozen nominating contests.

The Obama campaign has, however, used its own scare tactics to reinvigorate its fundraising. One email appeal to supporters in March from campaign manager Jim Messina included this dire warning: "All you really need to know: According to a new poll, if the general election were held today, we would lose to Mitt Romney."

Romney raised more than $11 million in February, leading the GOP field.

Obama raised $45 million in February

View the original article here

Obama raised $45 million in February - Chicago Tribune

President Obama's reelection effort added $45 million to its coffers in February, a boost in fundraising as the campaign builds up its national infrastructure.

The $45-million haul was raised jointly by the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America and two joint fundraising committees -- the Obama Victory Fund and the Swing State Victory Fund.

According to the campaign, 105,000 of the more than 1.5 million donors last month were giving for the first time. The average donation was $59.04, and 97.7% of donations were in increments of $250 or less.

Obama had raised $29.1 million in January, and $68 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The campaign announced the news Monday morning on Twitter, also sending out a video that shows state campaign directors from six states and the national youth vote coordinator discussing how those dollars were being immediately put to use. Examples included new field offices, voter registration efforts and student summits.

"So next time you're thinking about donating to support this organization, know that you're helping to build our campaign," the staffers said.

The average donation figure for February was more than double what it was in late 2011, representing the increasing number of high-dollars fundraising events the president has held of late.

In February alone, he held 15 fundraising events, including six in California mid-month. He has another on his schedule today in Washington.

The Republican National Committee pointed out that the $45-million joint fundraising tally from February 2012 was down from the $57 million Obama raised for his 2008 campaign, which the RNC said it saw as a sign he "is having a hard time convincing voters he deserves another term."

Then, Obama was still locked in a fierce battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, while today he runs unopposed. February 2008 included "Super Tuesday," with more than two dozen nominating contests.

The Obama campaign has, however, used its own scare tactics to reinvigorate its fundraising. One email appeal to supporters in March from campaign manager Jim Messina included this dire warning: "All you really need to know: According to a new poll, if the general election were held today, we would lose to Mitt Romney."

Romney raised more than $11 million in February, leading the GOP field.

Obama raised $45 million in February

View the original article here

Obama raised $45 million in February - Chicago Tribune

A shot from an Obama campaign Web video announcing February fundraising totals. (YouTube.com)

President Obama's reelection effort added $45 million to its coffers in February, a boost in fundraising as the campaign builds up its national infrastructure.

The $45-million haul was raised jointly by the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America and two joint fundraising committees -- the Obama Victory Fund and the Swing State Victory Fund.

According to the campaign, 105,000 of the more than 1.5 million donors last month were giving for the first time. The average donation was $59.04, and 97.7% of donations were in increments of $250 or less.

Obama had raised $29.1 million in January, and $68 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The campaign announced the news Monday morning on Twitter, also sending out a video that shows state campaign directors from six states and the national youth vote coordinator discussing how those dollars were being immediately put to use. Examples included new field offices, voter registration efforts and student summits.

"So next time you're thinking about donating to support this organization, know that you're helping to build our campaign," the staffers said.

The average donation figure for February was more than double what it was in late 2011, representing the increasing number of high-dollars fundraising events the president has held of late.

In February alone, he held 15 fundraising events, including six in California mid-month. He has another on his schedule today in Washington.

The Republican National Committee pointed out that the $45-million joint fundraising tally from February 2012 was down from the $57 million Obama raised for his 2008 campaign, which the RNC said it saw as a sign he "is having a hard time convincing voters he deserves another term."

Then, Obama was still locked in a fierce battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, while today he runs unopposed. February 2008 included "Super Tuesday," with more than two dozen nominating contests.

The Obama campaign has, however, used its own scare tactics to reinvigorate its fundraising. One email appeal to supporters in March from campaign manager Jim Messina included this dire warning: "All you really need to know: According to a new poll, if the general election were held today, we would lose to Mitt Romney."

Romney raised more than $11 million in February, leading the GOP field.

Obama raised $45 million in February

View the original article here

Obama raised $45 million in February - Chicago Tribune

A shot from an Obama campaign Web video announcing February fundraising totals. (YouTube.com)

President Obama's reelection effort added $45 million to its coffers in February, a boost in fundraising as the campaign builds up its national infrastructure.

The $45-million haul was raised jointly by the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America and two joint fundraising committees -- the Obama Victory Fund and the Swing State Victory Fund.

According to the campaign, 105,000 of the more than 1.5 million donors last month were giving for the first time. The average donation was $59.04, and 97.7% of donations were in increments of $250 or less.

Obama had raised $29.1 million in January, and $68 million in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The campaign announced the news Monday morning on Twitter, also sending out a video that shows state campaign directors from six states and the national youth vote coordinator discussing how those dollars were being immediately put to use. Examples included new field offices, voter registration efforts and student summits.

"So next time you're thinking about donating to support this organization, know that you're helping to build our campaign," the staffers said.

The average donation figure for February was more than double what it was in late 2011, representing the increasing number of high-dollars fundraising events the president has held of late.

In February alone, he held 15 fundraising events, including six in California mid-month. He has another on his schedule today in Washington.

The Republican National Committee pointed out that the $45-million joint fundraising tally from February 2012 was down from the $57 million Obama raised for his 2008 campaign, which the RNC said it saw as a sign he "is having a hard time convincing voters he deserves another term."

Then, Obama was still locked in a fierce battle with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, while today he runs unopposed. February 2008 included "Super Tuesday," with more than two dozen nominating contests.

The Obama campaign has, however, used its own scare tactics to reinvigorate its fundraising. One email appeal to supporters in March from campaign manager Jim Messina included this dire warning: "All you really need to know: According to a new poll, if the general election were held today, we would lose to Mitt Romney."

Romney raised more than $11 million in February, leading the GOP field.

Obama raised $45 million in February

View the original article here