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Prominent Republicans are launching a new super PAC they hope will help begin repairing the political damage left by years of anti-illegal-immigrant rhetoric that has dominated GOP primaries and alienated crucial Hispanic voters. The organization, to be called Republicans for Immigration Reform, aims to undermine what organizers call the “extremists” who have pushed party nominees to stake out far-right positions such as opposing a pathway to legalization for millions of illegal workers, students and children. -snip- Spies said the new PAC will most likely favor whatever immigration plans are backed by House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and Sen. Marco...

Mitt Romney, whose second-place finish in South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday handed him his second defeat in three state contests, said the GOP could not take back the White House relying on a candidate who had waged a “frontal assault” on free enterprise – a square shot at primary winner Newt Gingrich. Romney, who was trailing Newt Gingrich on Saturday night, used his concession speech to strike back at Gingrich’s attacks for Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital and reluctance to release his tax returns, questioning whether such criticism disqualified Gingrich for the party nomination. “Our party cannot be led...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Iowa Republican Party will certify this month's presidential caucuses as a split decision between former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, citing missing data from eight precincts, the Des Moines Register reported on Thursday.

A recount of the Jan. 3 Iowa Republican caucus results has Rick Santorum leading Mitt Romney in the race for the GOP presidential nomination by 34 votes, with data from 8 precincts missing and never to be certified, GOP officials told The Des Moines Register on Wednesday. Despite Santorum's advantage, the state Republican party views the results as a wash.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he supports a run for president by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. “I believe she is an extraordinarily powerful and effective voice in our party, that she has generated a great deal of support and attention, that she’d be great in a primary process,” Mr. Romney said. He added that he supports Ms. Palin entering the race, noting that the more candidates, the better.

One of the very few things about being me is that I get calls from pretty smart reporters asking me what I think about this or that. Sitting at the Atlanta airport yesterday afternoon, I got such a call from a reporter for the Daily Beast asking me to compare Sarah Palin's appearances in the run-up to Tuesday's elections with those of Mitt Romney. I said that was the wrong question. The correct question, I said, was to compare Sarah Palin's appearances with those of Barack Obama. MY DEAR Mr. Mullings: How DARE you mention Sarah Palin and Barack Obama...

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