A groggy Rick Santorum, donning suit and tie, sans sweater vest, didn't think much of Mitt Romney's 38-to-31 percent win over him in last weekend's CPAC presidential straw poll. 
 
 When CNN's "State of the Union" host Candy Crowley said she was surprised Santorum didn't do better with party conservatives, he shot back: "Well, you know, those straw polls at CPAC... for years Ron Paul has won those because he trucks in a lot of people, pays for their tickets, and they come in and vote and they leave. We didn't do that, we don't do that. i don't try to rig straw polls." 
 
 Did Romney rig CPAC? 
 
 "You have to talk to the Romney campaign and how many tickets they bought, we've heard all sorts of things," Santorum said. 
 
 "We didn't pay them to turn out," he added, speaking of his supporters at CPAC, Missouri and elsewhere. 
 
 He went on to say that he didn't think there was anything wrong with that, except he doesn't want to engage in that kind of politics. 
 
 Romney's campaign rejected Santorum's statement. 
 
 “Rick Santorum has a history of making statements that aren’t grounded in the truth," said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul. 
 
 "Yesterday Mitt Romney won the CPAC straw poll and won a separate nationwide survey of conservatives conducted by CPAC organizers. Also, Mitt Romney won the Maine caucuses. Conservative voters recognize that in order to change Washington, we need someone who isn't a creature of Washington.” 
 
 Read more about: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum ||||| Friday is the second day of the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference - an annual gathering in Washington, D.C. where members of the GOP meet to cement their ideology and try out potential presidential nominees for the coming years. Today Republican party leaders and celebrities will speak at the conference, including Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. Read background about the event here. 
 
 Refresh this page for live updates and behind-the-scenes looks throughout the day. 
 
 All times are in Eastern Standard Time. 
 
 5:04 p.m. The Songs of CPAC 
 
 Looking to recreate the CPAC 2013 experience in your own home? We've got your essential listening in this Spotify playlist with songs heard at the conference. So far it includes 
 
 Fun! - Some Nights 
 
 - Some Nights Little Texas - God Blessed Texas 
 
 - God Blessed Texas Coldplay - Viva La Vida 
 
 - Viva La Vida Kid Rock - Born Free 
 
 - Born Free Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man 
 
 - Little Lion Man One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful 
 
 We'll be adding more as we hear more at CPAC, so be sure to subscribe. Did you hear a song we missed? Tweet it to @ABCPolitics. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 4:33 p.m. What Romney Missed 
 
 Mitt Romney's appearance at CPAC left some questions unanswered. ABC's Shushannah Walshe points out that the former Republican candidate didn't weigh in on any of the big issues facing his party like immigration, gun control or same sex marriage. He also didn't apologize or explain why he lost last November. 
 
 Party favorite Marco Rubio also left immigration untouched in his speech at CPAC yesterday. 
 
 Instead Rubio talked about climate change and science. But he also touched on two hotter issues - abortion and gay marriage - saying his view on them don't make him " a bigot." 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 3:33 p.m. Romney's Mistakes 
 
 ABC's Shushannah Walshe reports: 
 
 In his first public speech since losing the presidential election, a humbled Mitt Romney addressed a crowd of conservatives who supported his 2012 campaign and told them his loss "prepared" them for "larger victories" ahead. 
 
 Just over four months since his defeat, he said it was up to the group at the conservative confab to "make sure that we learn from my mistakes… and from our mistakes, so that we can win the victories this people and this nation depend upon." Romney told the supportive crowd at CPAC that he "left the race disappointed." 
 
 The former GOP nominee has kept a low profile since his loss in November and said he is "sorry that I will not be your president," but he assured the group of conservatives he will be their "co-worker and I will work shoulder to shoulder with you." 
 
 "Each of us in our own way will have to step up and meet our responsibility," Romney, dressed in a blue tie, said. "In the end, we will win just as we have won before, and for the same reason: because our cause is right…and just." 
 
 Read more on Romney's speech from Walshe here. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 3:19 p.m. Should Republicans Back Immigration? 
 
 ABC's Shushannah Walshe went behind the scenes at CPAC asking those in the know five important questions. The first was on an issue that has advocates on both sides of the aisle fired up: should the GOP weigh in on immigration reform legislation? 
 
 Overwhelmingly, conservatives said they should. 
 
 Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said "Absolutely." 
 
 " And they should do it because of conservative principles. I don't agree with those who say we should embrace immigration, support immigration reform because we have to move to the center or water down our message. I think we have to reclaim this issue because we're conservative, and if we're for the free market, if we're for the family we should be for immigration reform," Aguilar told Walshe. 
 
 Republican donor and philanthropist Foster Friess said there's a part of immigration reform he could jump on board with. 
 
 "I think the number one thing Republicans can get behind is one thing- guest worker permits," Friess told Walshe Thursday. "Forget about all the other issues, what you do with the people here and when you send them back. Everyone pretty well agrees if you catch someone at 6 a.m. in the morning, you send them back at 9 a.m. Then the question becomes, what if you catch them a year later or two years later? 
 
 "I think if you minimize those issues and talk on one single issue - like Clinton said 'it's the economy, stupid.' If we get guest worker permits as the number one key issue that will drive the inclination of people to embrace our point of view, where the Democrats will oppose that very, very viciously." 
 
 For Steve Bannon, Executive Chairman of the Breitbart New Network, the answer was a conditional yes. 
 
 "As long as it's sensible," Bannon said. "Look, conservatives and Republicans we have to sort out the immigration issue in our country. It's about how we sort it out." 
 
 Read what others said on the immigration question and more issues from Walshe here. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 2:39 p.m. Pro-Hillary Clinton Group Calls Mitch McConnell Remarks 'Sexist' And 'Despicable' 
 
 ABC News' Michael Falcone reports: 
 
 A pro-Hillary Clinton group, Ready for Hillary, formed to encourage the former Secretary of State and first lady to run for president in 2016, lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for his comments at CPAC earlier today. 
 
 "Don't tell me Democrats are the party of the future, when their presidential ticket for 2016 is shaping up to look like a rerun of the Golden Girls," McConnell said, referring to Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden. 
 
 Ready for Hillary Communications Director Seth Bringman called the line "blatant sexism." 
 
 "Senator McConnell's comments mark the kickoff of a despicable, sexist attack on Hillary that we have expected for a long time," Bringman said in a statement. "McConnell and many of his fellow Republicans are the ones who want to take women's rights back to decades before the Golden Girls first aired. They know that Hillary is the most qualified candidate - of any age or gender - and that she would be the most effective president. They can't have a debate about the issues or the qualifications of their own candidates, so they resort to blatant sexism. It needs to stop here and now." 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 2:34 p.m. Transcript: Mitt Romney's Speech 
 
 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke at CPAC this afternoon. Click the photo to see his prepared remarks. 
 
 (Image credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 2:28 p.m. Trump Takes on Apple 
 
 Earlier this morning American businessman Donald Trump took on another American icon at CPAC in his insistence that America needs to increase its manufacturing industry. 
 
 "We have to take back our jobs from China," Trump said. "When Apple talks about Apple building all of this stuff and we're all so proud of Apple, they build virtually a hundred percent of their product in China. So China should be more proud of Apple than we are, to be totally honest with you." 
 
 Trump also confessed to buying his own electronics from overseas manufacturers. 
 
 "I buy all my televisions from South Korea, I'm sorry to say. I just ordered 3,000 units, 3,000 televisions," Trump said. "We don't make them in our country anymore. I get criticized, 'Oh, why didn't you buy them here?' You can't buy them here. We don't make televisions in this country." 
 
 The reach of Trump's speech might have been limited by its spot in the early morning hours of the conference schedule for Friday. New York Magazine published photos showing Trump's audience mostly made up of empty chairs. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 1:50 p.m. Young Conservatives Divided Over Gay Marriage 
 
 Most conservatives oppose same-sex marriage, but in the past few months some have come out in favor of lifting the ban that limits marriage to a man and a woman, most recently with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, voicing his support today. In light of Portman's announcement, ABC's Shushannah Walshe asked college students attending CPAC this year what their feelings were on same-sex marriage. Their answers reflected some of the division within the party. 
 
 Caitlin Baalke, 21 from Seattle Pacific University, said she was "pro gay marriage." 
 
 " I do have a lot of friends that just happen to be of different sexual orientations, and I find that government being involved in that sort of thing isn't really something that's really necessary," Baalke told Walshe. "I find there's bigger issues that the government should be dealing with, and when it comes down to your sexual preference or gender and that sort of thing it's really your own personal choice." 
 
 Kaylin Bugos, 20 of the University of Maryland, said she too had gay friends, but attributed her views on same-sex marriage to her conservative belief in small government. 
 
 " I think the government needs less involvement in people's lives and so they shouldn't really be involved in marriage. So it doesn't matter if I personally support or am against it. Government-wise I think it's fine," Bugos said. " I've had that opinion before I met anyone gay. Grew up in South Carolina and I had the same opinion there. That's how I feel." 
 
 But Patrick O'Neil, 20 of Northeastern University, believes legalizing same-sex marriage would overstep the federal government's bounds. 
 
 "Personally I believe that marriage is something that's between a man and a woman, and I don't believe that the government really has the right to change that, because marriage isn't really…a governmental institution," O'Neil told Walshe at CPAC Friday. "I don't think they have the right to really change what marriage is. I don't think that they have that power, because then that implies that they have the right to reach into other nongovernmental things and really change what they are and then it really loses definition, when you can call something whatever you want. But I do believe that civil unions, if states would elect to do them, would be fine, because that would be giving legal benefits to same-sex couples, treating them equally under the law." 
 
 Chris Schneeweiss, 21 and of Northeastern also voiced support for civil unions, taking issue with the word "marriage." 
 
 "I think that same-sex couples should have all the benefits and everything of marriage that heterosexual couples have, but I don't think you should call it marriage, because it takes on sort of a religious connotation," Schneeweiss said. "That you know challenges a lot of peoples' views of religion." 
 
 Emil Bruch thought the federal government should preserve its current stance but leave the door open for states to legalize same-sex marriage. 
 
 "I want to give states more power, therefore if the state decides to legalize same-sex marriage, they can do that," Bruch said. "But on the federal level, I agree that marriage is between a man and a woman." 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 1:41 p.m. Costumes Make a Political Point 
 
 (Image Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA) 
 
 ABC's Chris Good reports: 
 
 One of the weirder things about the nation's largest political conference is that a not insignificant number of people attend costumed. 
 
 They can be found milling about the crowd, posing for pictures, promoting various groups, and generally standing out amid the thousands of who've packed the halls of the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., for this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual confab held in the D.C. area. Red ties are in abundance, as most attendees are dressed up in suits, blazers, loafers, dresses and heels. 
 
 But not everyone. 
 
 Read more about the creative costumes at CPAC from Good here. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 1:31 p.m. Nikki Haley Vows No Medicaid Expansion in South Carolina 
 
 In her introduction of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley vowed to oppose President Obama's recommendations to expand Medicaid in her state. 
 
 "They're trying to grow and tell us that we have to bust our budgets and expand Medicaid," Haley told the audience at 2013 CPAC. "Not in South Carolina. As long as I am the governor of South Carolina, we will not expand Medicaid on President Obama's watch. We will not expand Medicaid ever, we are going to make sure that we take care of the people that we know best to take care, and we don't need Washington's help to do it." 
 
 Eight Republican governors, including Chris Christie of New Jersey, have broken with their party to support Medicaid expansion in their states. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 12:14 p.m. NRA President Tells Biden, 'Keep Your Advice, We'll Keep Our Guns' 
 
 ABC News' Arlette Saenz reports: 
 
 In his speech at CPAC, the National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre mocked the vice president for his advice that women should fire a shotgun two times in the air if they are faced by an attacker and accused the vice president and the White House of having "lost their minds." 
 
 "The vice president of the United States also told women facing an attack to just empty their shotguns in the air," LaPierre, the executive vice president of the NRA, said. "Honestly, have they lost their minds over at the White House? No doubt the violent predators would love to face a woman with a shotgun that's empty." 
 
 "You keep your advice, we'll keep our guns," LaPierre said to applause. 
 
 Biden doled out his shotgun advice last month in an online forum with "Parents" magazine when he encouraged people to "Buy a shotgun" to protect themselves, but LaPierre gave a recommendation of his own Friday about how a woman should fend off a potential rapist. 
 
 "The one thing a violent rapist deserves to face is a woman with a gun," LaPierre said. 
 
 Read more about LaPierre from Saenz here. 
 
 Back to the Top 
 
 11:09 a.m. - The Portman Effect 
 
 Someone you won't see at CPAC: Rob Portman. 
 
 The Ohio Republican announced Thursday night that he would be supporting gay marriage, something not likely to go over extremely well among the social conservatives at CPAC. On Thursday, Marco Rubio mentioned the issue and his opposition to gay marriage. 
 
 "Just because I believe that states should have the rights to define marriage in a traditional way does not make me a bigot," said Rubio in a call for mutual respect. 
 
 Here are 13 More Republicans You Won't See at CPAC . 
 
 Friday, 10:44 a.m. - Mitt Meets CPAC 
 
 ABC News' Michael Falcone reports: 
 
 Mitt Romney is poised to deliver his first major speech since losing the 2012 election today at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland. 
 
 He offered a preview of his post-election thoughts during a recent interview on Fox News Sunday, but his remarks to the gathering (scheduled for 1 p.m. EST on Friday) will be his chance to set a tone for his future role within the Republican Party. 
 
 "As the guy who lost the election, I'm not in a position to tell everyone else how to win," Romney said on Fox, but added: "I'm not going to disappear." 
 
 It was at the same conference in 2008 that Romney dropped out of that year's Republican presidential primary. And last year it was at CPAC where he declared himself "a severely conservative Republican governor." 
 
 Thursday, 10:05 p.m. - Gay Republicans Find a Venue at CPAC 
 
 ABC's Chris Good reports: 
 
 Despite not being invited, a gay Republican group found its way into conservatives' biggest annual conference, anyway. 
 
 Much has been made of the Conservative Political Action Conference's (CPAC) decision not to invite GOProud, a prominent gay Republican group. 
 
 Along with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, GOProud is one of the conference's two most notable absences caused by ideological differences with conference organizers. 
 
 Read more about who wasn't invited to CPAC this year here. 
 
 GOProud found a venue there, nonetheless. 
 
 At a panel hosted by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, entitled, "A Rainbow on the Right: Growing the Coalition, Bringing Tolerance Out of the Closet," GOProud's leadership and supporters voiced their discontent with the conservative movement - before a packed, standing-room-only conference room at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., with a bar wheeled in to serve attendees after the gay politics talk was over. 
 
 "There are a few in our movement who just don't like gay people," said GOProud Executive Director Jimmy LaSalvia. "And in 2013, that's just not OK." 
 
 Read more about last night's panel discussion from Chris Good here. 
 
 Awesome panel! Thank you to everyone who attended. The gays won #CPAC2013 tonight! — JimmyLaSalvia (@JimmyLaSalvia) March 15, 2013 
 
 Curated by ABC's Sarah Parnass and Z. Byron Wolf ||||| Our campaign team live-blogged the CNN Republican debate Tuesday. Scroll for updates, fact-checked rhetoric from the candidates, tweets, video and photos. 
 
 Santorum put on defensive over earmarks, contraception at debate 
 
 The candidates in just one word 
 
 Romney defends ‘severely conservative’ 
 
 10 p.m. |Closing misconceptions 
 
 All the candidates were asked to clear up a misconception about themselves for undecided voters. Only Ron Paul really answered that question. (As Romney said, “You get to ask the questions you want, I get to give the answers I want.”) 
 
 Paul argued against the “misconception that I cannot win,” saying a recent poll showed him performing best against President Obama in Iowa. 
 
 Gingrich said that Americans are looking for someone with the boldest ideas, “somebody who can actually get it done.” 
 
 Romney said that he has “the passion, the commitment and the skill to turn America around.” 
 
 Santorum said Americans are “looking for someone who can do a lot with a little,” rather than winning by outspending his rivals — someone who can “be outspent and yet cut through, because you have a vision, you have principles and conviction.” 
 
 And that’s a wrap! Thanks for sticking with us. We’ll have some analysis of what it all means very soon. 
 
 — Rachel Weiner 
 
 9:50 p.m. | Santorum on NCLB: “I took one for the team” 
 
 “I took one for the team leader,” Santorum said in explaining his vote for No Child Left Behind in 2001.”Politics is a team sport, folks.” 
 
 He added that he now opposes President Bush’s education reform. “I voted for that. It was against the principles I believed in.” 
 
 He said he had made a mistake, and “I will not make that mistake again.” 
 
 Ron Paul responded that politicians should be loyal to the country, not to their party: “That’s the problem we have in D.C.” 
 
 — Rachel Weiner 
 
 9:40 p.m. | Santorum dodges on Syria 
 
 Asked whether he would intervene in the conflict in Syria, Santorum dodged by attacking President Obama. 
 
 “Syria and Iran is an Axis,” he said, and “President Obama has a very big problem standing up to the Iranians in any form.” He noted that the U.S. Embassy in Syria stayed open until it had to be closed for security reasons. 
 
 More dubiously, he claimed that Obama had never pushed for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Obama has repeatedly demanded that Assad step down. 
 
 Gingrich suggested that we should “clearly have our allies overtly” working to take down the Assad regime. 
 
 — Rachel Weiner 
 
 9:36 p.m. | Fact Checker Flashback: Iran 
 
 Did Iran’s Ahmadinejad actually say he wanted to wipe Israel off the map, as Newt Gingrich said? No, not really. Check out our detailed look at this oft-made claim. 
 
 — Glenn Kessler 
 
 9:36 p.m. | Santorum hedges on women in combat 
 
 Asked about his concerns about women serving in combat, Santorum backed away from his comment a bit. 
 
 “There are different roles of women in combat, they are on the front line,” he said. “The concern that I expressed was about certain roles particularly in infantry... but I would defer to the recommendations of those involved,” adding that “we have civilian control of the military, the decision should not be entirely up to the generals.” 
 
 He got a boost from Gingrich who pointed out that women are already in danger overseas because “you live in a world of total warfare,” while suggesting that “you ought to ask the combat leaders what they think is an appropriate step instead of the social engineers of the Obama administration.” (A military advisory panel endorsed letting women fight in combat units.) 
 
 9:28 p.m. | Rick Perry is in the audience 
 
 Gov. Rick Perry (R-Tex.), who dropped his presidential bid last month and endorsed Newt Gingrich, is in the debate audience tonight. Cue the sarcastic responses: 
 
 Would Rick Perry forget his one word if still in the race? — Adam Green (@AdamGreen) February 23, 2012 
 
 9:20 p.m. | The candidates, in just one word 
 
 A question by a commenter on CNNPolitics.com was posed to the candidates. How would you describe yourself in one word? 
 
 Paul said “Consistent.” 
 
 Santorum: “Courageous.” 
 
 Romney: “Resolute.” 
 
 Gingrich: "Cheerful.” 
 
 9:18 p.m. | Romney goes after Santorum’s Specter endorsement 
 
 Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. 
 
 Rick Santorum’s endorsement of moderate GOP Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2004 Pennsylvania Senate race continues to haunt him. 
 
 Romney made an issue of the endorsement Wednesday, noting Specter faced a primary with the more conservative Pat Toomey at the time. Romney went so far as pointing out that President Obama’s health care bill wouldn’t have passed without Specter’s support. 
 
 “If you had said no to Arlen Specter, we would not have Obamacare,” Romney said. 
 
 Santorum said he endorsed Specter because he was the best person to shepherd through Republican-appointed Supreme Court nominees, of which there were likely to be at least a couple in the ensuing years. 
 
 Specter was “able to give moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats the leeway to support those nominees,” Santorum said, calling the conservatives’ advantage on the Supreme Court the “guardian of liberty.” 
 
 “I did the right thing for our country,” Santorum said. 
 
 Specter became a Democrat in the face of a rematch with Toomey in the 2010 election, but he lost the Democratic nomination to Rep. Joe Sestak, who later was beaten by Toomey in the general election. 
 
 9:10 p.m. | Fact Checker flashback: Two Romney fouls 
 
 Mitt Romney: “That was my view, go through bankruptcy.” 
 
 We looked at the fine line he plays on the car industry bailouts. The problem is that the process he recommended likely would not have been possible in the midet of the economic crisis. 
 
 Verdict for a similar statement in November: Two Pinocchios. 
 
 In another instance tonight, Romney’s strange counting of pages to compare his health care plan to Obamacare--that his bill had 70 pages versus 2,000 for “Obamacare” — we’ve checked this tale before and gave it one Pinocchio. 
 
 — Glenn Kessler 
 
 9:05 p.m. | Paul says Santorum voted for abortion 
 
 
 
 Ron Paul went after Santorum – again – on Planned Parenthood. 
 
 “If you voted for Planned Parenthood like the senator has, you voted for birth control. … and you voted for abortion,” Paul said. 
 
 Santorum responded that he supported Planned Parenthood as a part of a larger bill – a response that drew some groans in the audience. 
 
 “There were things in there I didn’t like and things I did,” Santorum said, noting that as president he would oppose any bill with Planned Parenthood funding. 
 
 “This goes to the problem I’m talking about: There’s always an excuse,” Paul said. 
 
 When Santorum said again that he voted for the funding as part of a larger bill, he again drew groans 
 
 9 p.m. | Santorum defends contraception talk 
 
 Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. 
 
 Predictably, a question about birth control policy was booed, with moderator John King saying defensively, “We’re not going to spend a ton of time on this.” 
 
 Newt Gingrich, also predictably, attacked the media -- adding an allegation that the “elite media” ignored the fact that President Obama “voted in favor of legalizing infanticide” as a state senator. (In fact, here is a 2008 New York Times article on the Born Alive Infants Protection Act Obama opposed.) 
 
 Santorum, asked specifically about his comments on “the dangers of contraception” last fall, had a good response: “Just because I’m talking about it doesn’t mean I want a government program to fix it,” but that “everything is not going to be fine, there are bigger problems at stake in America and someone is going to go out there, I will, and talk about these things.” 
 
 Paul chimed in with a funny comparison of birth control pills to gun rights, saying just as guns don’t kill people, “The pills can’t be blamed for the immorality of our society.” 
 
 — Rachel Weiner 
 
 8:57 p.m. | Fact Checker flashback: Speaker Gingrich’s balanced budget? 
 
 Newt Gingrich: “When I was Speaker we balanced the budget four consecutive years.” 
 
 Our Fact Checker has repeatedly called out Gingrich on this claim in past debates. He doesn’t hand out Pinocchios for debate statements, but this would be worthy of a few off the debate stage. 
 
 8:50 p.m. | The Fix goes on 
 
 Chris Cillizza isn’t live blogging with his Fix colleagues tonight. He’s on book leave this month, but he is still tweeting away about the big moments — and the finer points — of the debate. 
 
 I LOVE how close the candidates are sitting to on another. Super awkward. Which is good. For me. #cnndebate — The Fix (@TheFix) February 23, 2012 
 
 Ron Paul has SERIOUSLY stepped it up on the tie front tonight. Well done. #cnndebate — The Fix (@TheFix) February 23, 2012 
 
 Classic Newt debate move: Offer obvious applause line. Then keep talking during applause to act as though you aren't playing to crowd. — The Fix (@TheFix) February 23, 2012 
 
 Santorum quotes Biden!"You're entitled to your own opinions, not you own facts". #cnndebate — The Fix (@TheFix) February 23, 2012 
 
 8:45 p.m. | Santorum attacks Romney on bailouts; Paul backs him up 
 
 
 
 
 
 Santorum said he opposes all bailouts on principle and that Romney was inconsistent by supporting the Wall Street bailout, but opposing the auto bailout. 
 
 “That would be damaging to what I believe is the best way to resolve these problems, which is let the market work,” Santorum said. “I held the same consistent position when it comes to the auto bailouts. I can say that, with regards to Gov. Romney, that was not the case.” 
 
 Romney then described his case for a “managed bankruptcy” and got some applause. 
 
 “No way would we allow the auto industry in America to totally implode and disappear,” Romney said, adding that he supported the Wall Street bailout because of the concern over the country’s overall financial system potentially collapsing. 
 
 Paul did Romney a favor by targeting Santorum earlier on his fiscal conservatism, but now he took on Romney. 
 
 After Santorum criticized Romney for supporting the Wall Street bailout but opposing the auto bailout, Paul seemed to take Santorum’s position. 
 
 “If bailouts are bad, they’re bad, and we shouldn’t be doing them,” Paul said. 
 
 — Aaron Blake 
 
 8:37 p.m. | Santorum to Romney: ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about’ 
 
 Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. 
 
 The attacks are going two ways between Romney and Santorum, with Santorum now targeting Romney for criticizing his earmarks despite seeking them himself as governor of Massachusetts and as head of the Salt Lake City Olympics. 
 
 “Gov. Romney asked for the earmark – that’s the point here,” Santorum said. 
 
 Santorum pointed to military programs like the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and noted that opponents of earmarks, like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), used to be earmarkers just like he was. 
 
 “As president, I would oppose earmarks,” Santorum said. 
 
 “I didn’t follow all of that,” Romney said dismissively. “While I was fighting to save the Olympics, you were fighting to save the Bridge to Nowhere.” 
 
 Romney pledged that when he became president there would be a transparent up-or-down vote on all spending. 
 
 Santorum responded that that was how the system already worked: “So I suspect that you would have supported earmarks had you served in the Senate ... You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
 
 The audience responded with boos. 
 
 -- Aaron Blake and Rachel Weiner 
 
 8:35 p.m. | Romney defends ‘severely conservative’ 
 
 Romney defended a line from his speech at CPAC earlier this month, when he called himself “severely conservative.” 
 
 “Severe, strict, I was without question a conservative when I was governor in my state,” Romney said, detailing his policies on taxes, immigration, and abortion in Massachusetts. 
 
 When campaigning for governor in 2002, Romney positioned himself as a moderate. 
 
 — Rachel Weiner 
 
 8:30 p.m. | Fact Checker flashback: Ron Paul’s errant earmark statements 
 
 Ron Paul complained about spending but the Fact Checker once gave him Three Pinocchios for his claims about earmarks. He would push for them--and then vote against the bill anyway. Having his cake and eating it too. 
 
 If you hear flawed or untrue statements during the debate, tweet them using #FactCheckThis so our Fact Checker team can investigate. 
 
 — Glenn Kessler 
 
 8:15 p.m. | Paul: Santorum’s “a fake” 
 
 Ron Paul, questioned about a new ad in which he labels Santorum as “fake,” stood by the commercial when pressed by moderater John King. 
 
 King asked Paul why he used that word. 
 
 “Because he’s a fake,” Paul said matter-of-factly. 
 
 Santorum responded: “Unreal.” 
 
 “I find it fascinating that when people are running for office, they’re fiscal conservatives,” Paul said in a bit of a rambling answer. “Credibility is what our problem is.” 
 
 Santorum said he had a strong, principled voting record and noted that he comes from a nominally blue state. He noted that the American Conservative Union has given him a 90 percent rating. 
 
 “That’s always a cop-out when you compare yourself to other members of Congress,” Paul retorted, pointing to Congress’s record-low approval ratings. 
 
 — Aaron Blake 
 
 8:15 p.m. | Fact Checker flashback: Bowing to dictators? 
 
 Rick Santorum said that he would ensure a president will no longer have to bow to a Saudi king. Did Obama really do that? The Fact Checker found that to be a tough call, and gave Mitt Romney three Pinocchios for an earlier statement to that effect. 
 
 8:15 p.m. | Gingrich promises $2.50 gasoline in opening statement 
 
 Newt Gingrich, going straight for America’s pocketbooks at the start of the debate, said that as president, he will pave the way for $2.50 per-gallon gasoline. 
 
 Gingrich has been saying this for a couple days now. He seems to have taken a page from Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who earlier in the campaign promised $2 per gallon gas. 
 
 — Aaron Blake 
 
 7:55 p.m. | Santorum up with new Michigan ad 
 
 A harsh new Rick Santorum ad airing in Michigan paints Mitt Romney as a flip-flopper -- without making a sound 
 
 Your Browser DoesNot Support IFrames. 
 
 As of last week Santorum has only spent $480,000 in Michigan, while Romney has spent over a million 
 
 7:55 p.m. | Meanwhile, at the White House 
 
 President #Obama has signed the payroll #tax cut extension, WH says. — edatpost (@edatpost) February 23, 2012 
 
 7:35 p.m. | Cindy McCain: ‘This is Mitt’s state’ 
 
 The wife of Arizona Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was on CNN before the debate to defend Mitt Romney’s chances. 
 
 “Obviously, we are a very dynamic state, we have a lot of diverse people, but i think this is Mitt’s state,” Cindy McCain said. “We’re in a situation, our economy’s bad, the people of Arizona are looking for someone who has business experience and an understanding of what it’s going to take to pull us out of this.” 
 
 A poll this morning showed Romney with a sizable Arizona lead, but other surveys suggest Rick Santorum is nipping at his heels. 
 
 — Rachel Weiner 
 
 7:15 p.m. | Arizona, Unfiltered 
 
 Our campaign team has been snapping photos along the campaign trail using the iPhone app Instagram and the hashtage #2012Unfiltered. Arizona has already provided some memorable shots , like this photo of the spat last month between Arizona governor Jan Brewer and President Obama.. 
 
 Are you participating in or covering the primary in your state?We want our readers’ pictures. Here’s how you can participate in #2012Unfiltered. 
 
 — Natalie Jennings 
 
 7 p.m. | Welcome! 
 
 We’re doing things a bit differently than we normally do on The Fix. Instead of a Cover it Live chat, we’ll be giving readers longer updates on what’s happening in real time. We’ll miss all your clever comments, but we hope you like it.
– Fresh off his loss to Mitt Romney at CPAC, Rick Santorum hit the talk shows this morning, and he's downplaying the victory, reports Politico: "You have to talk to the Romney campaign and how many tickets they bought—we've heard all sorts of things," Santorum told CNN. "Ron Paul has won those (straw polls) because he trucks in a lot of people, pays for their ticket, and they come in and vote. I don't try to rig straw polls." Elsewhere on the Sunday dial, as per Politico: Santorum on his chances: "I think we can do well (in Michigan). I think we can do reasonably well in Arizona, and really make this a two-person race." Sarah Palin on Romney: He's "a great candidate," but "his idea of conservatism is evolving, and I base this on a pretty moderate past that he has had, even in some cases a liberal past. Now that’s a problem. He’s still in the 30 percentile mark ... because we are not convinced." Obama chief of staff Jack Lew on the birth control ruckus: The Friday "accommodation" is as far as the White House will go. "There are others who don't have the same objective, they will have to speak for themselves, (but) this is our plan." Ron Paul on 'severe conservative' Romney: "That was the first time I’ve heard that definition, so I guess Mitt will have to tell us exactly what it means. Obviously, he means he’s a serious conservative, and he was trying to defend himself, or portray himself as such, but I don’t know exactly what he was meaning by that."