Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Florida Polls close at 8:00 PM ET - the winner of the Republican presidential primary will likely be determined early as Mitt Romney has opened up a 20 point lead over Newt Gingrich in the latest poll conducted.

The Republican National Committee penalized Florida for holding their primary on January 31 by reducing their number of delegates in half. The winner-take-all primary will now be for 50 delegates instead of 99.

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Will Santorum Continue After Florida? - rumors have increased Rick Santorum will drop out of the race for the Republican Party presidential nomination. His youngest daughter, who has a rare genetic disorder, is presently battling pneumonia and Santorum is currently polling tied or behind Texas Representative Ron Paul. The Washington Post has more here.

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Republicans Plan To Add Keystone XL Pipeline to Infrastructure Funding - ensuring a battle with the White House. Interestingly, Republicans will propose 260 billion for infrastructure funding, something, President Obama wants - the hitch will be various riders to the bill attached by Republicans, including the Canada to Texas Keystone XL Pipeline. Reuters.com has more here.

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Putin Losing Ground in Bid To Win Reelection - Vladimir Putin, the former President of Russia, is struggling in his quest to return to power. His latest efforts have been aimed at vilifying the United States, in hopes this strategy will gain him Russian voter support. Politico.com has more here.

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Diplomatic Pressure Increases For Assad To Step Down - time is running out on Syrian President Assad, even as his troops battle rebels on the outskirts of the capitol. The United Nations, through a Security Council resolution, will attempt to force Assad to step down and provides steps for a transition for democracy in Syria. The NY Times has more here.

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