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• Candidates Set to Square Off in Pivotal Arizona Debate
  

  Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- With the Republican presidential nomination still up for grabs after nearly two months of voting, the four remaining candidates will gather for another debate Wednesday night, this time in Arizona.
  
  Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum come into the debate in Mesa with the most at stake. The two rivals have been close in polls in the next two states to vote Tuesday -- Arizona and Michigan -- although Romney has beefed up his lead in the former. For Romney, some say it's a make-or-break week: Losses in either state -- but especially his native state of Michigan -- could send shockwaves through the party and position Santorum as the new front-runner heading into Super Tuesday in early March.
  
  The last time Romney entered a debate needing to deliver a strong performance, he did just that. In Florida late last month, Romney outdueled both Santorum and Newt Gingrich en route to a victory in the Sunshine State’s Jan. 31 primary. The next week Romney triumphed in the Nevada caucuses, his third win in the first five states to vote, but since then what once appeared an inevitable march to the nomination for Romney hit some major roadblocks.
  
  In 2008, Romney won Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri, the three states that voted after Nevada, but this year Santorum swept all three, snatching the momentum from Romney and raising more questions about the former Massachusetts governor’s ability to excite his party’s already skeptical base.
  
  For Santorum, he will bring that momentum into the debate, as well as the confidence that comes from recent polls showing him locked in a tight race with Romney in Arizona and Michigan. The former Pennsylvania senator, though, is likely to face questions at the CNN debate about a speech he gave in 2008 at Ave Maria University in Florida when he said Satan is targeting the United States.
  
  Asked about the comments Tuesday evening after an event in Phoenix, Santorum said, “these are questions that are not relevant to what is being discussed in America today.”
  
  In a state where around 18 percent of eligible voters are Latino, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, the candidates are also likely to face questions about immigration at the Arizona debate. In 2010, the state’s Republican Gov. Jan Brewer enacted a strict new law that gave police the power to inquire about a person's immigration status if they're detained or arrested. In the ensuing governor’s race, seen as a referendum on the law, 71 percent of Latinos backed Brewer’s Democratic opponent Terry Goddard, but Brewer still emerged victorious.
  
  Romney has outlined an immigration policy that relies on “self-deportation,” a policy predicated on the notion that illegal immigrants, without the ability to find employment, will voluntarily leave the country. Romney has also stated that as president he would veto the DREAM Act, the Democrats’ bill to provide a path to citizenship for some children of undocumented immigrants who attend college or serve in the military. Romney's stance has alienated some Latinos.
  
  The latest polls out of Arizona show Romney establishing a comfortable lead there: a new NBC/Marist poll had Romney up 43 percent to 27 percent over Santorum. But Michigan was closer, with the poll revealing a slim 37 percent to 35 percent lead for Romney. Neither Gingrich nor Ron Paul is making a push to win in Arizona or Michigan. A new Quinnipiac poll, however, put Santorum ahead of Romney nationally: 35 percent to 26 percent. But one of the reasons cited by some pundits as an explanation for the “bubble primary” -- candidates surging and plunging in rapid succession -- is the huge number of debates and the effect each one has on voters.
  
  That makes Wednesday night’s duel in Mesa that much more important, especially with so much at stake next week. In addition, Wednesday night’s match-up is the final debate before a flurry of state votes on Super Tuesday. CNN cancelled a March 1 debate in Georgia after Romney and Paul both announced they would not attend it.
  
  The next debate is set for March 19 in Portland, Ore.
  
  Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

  
  
  
• Santorum, Romney Even in Popularity; Gingrich Fades to a New Low
  

  Scott Olson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) – Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney have battled essentially to parity in basic popularity, far outpacing Newt Gingrich, who’s faded to a new low in the 2012 election cycle, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. But Santorum’s arc flattened this week, underscoring a potentially difficult battle ahead.
  
  Within their party, 65 percent of Republicans express a favorable opinion of Romney overall, and about as many, 61 percent, hold a positive view of Santorum, levels that suggest many party regulars ultimately would accept either candidate as their nominee.
  
  Gingrich dropped to 45 percent favorability within the GOP in this ABC News/Washington Post poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates. That’s down by 10 points in the past month and by 15 points from Gingrich’s best, in November and December.
  
  Still Santorum, after advancing earlier this month, saw his ratings flatten overall this week, with a 10-point increase in unfavorable views among Americans who describe themselves as “very” conservative. It’s still among his best groups, though, and one in which he continues to lead Romney.
  
  The Republican contenders meet Wednesday night for their 20th debate, their first since Jan. 26, a face-off that preceded Santorum’s surge and Gingrich’s fade. It was their last debate before the Arizona and Michigan primaries next Tuesday.

  [ READ THE FULL REPORT HERE ]

  METHODOLOGY – This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cell phone Feb. 15-19, 2012, among a random national sample of 1,012 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by SSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa.
  
  Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

  
  
  
• Santorum Gets Some Help in the Battle for Michigan
  

  Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call(PHOENIX) -- Rick Santorum is getting some help from his friends in his battle for Michigan.
  
  His superPAC is pouring $600,000 into Mitt Romney’s home state and,  unlike its previous television ad there, this one is negative. The spot, titled “Vital Decisions,” compares Romney to President Obama
  
  “How can Mitt Romney beat Barack Obama when on the vital decisions they’re not much different?” the announcer says over photographs of Romney and Obama. “Like Obama, Romney drastically increased spending. Increased state taxes and fees. Even worse, RomneyCare is the blueprint for ObamaCare.” The ad then shows photos of Santorum campaigning and with his family and touts Santorum as a “principled leader” with a “bold” jobs plan.

  This is the second ad buy for the “Red, White, and Blue Fund” making the total the group has spent in the state $1.3 million.
  
  Wednesday, an NBC/Marist Michigan poll showed Romney with 37 percent and Santorum 35 percent support. A new Quinnipiac poll also out Wednesday showed Santorum over Romney nationally 35 percent to 26 percent.
  
  The pro-Romney superPAC “Restore Our Future” has spent about $6 million in both Arizona and Michigan, almost all on negative ads attacking Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
  
  On Thursday the conservative group, the Susan B. Anthony List will launch a six-day bus tour in Michigan supporting Santorum, with representatives of several other conservative groups and local leaders campaigning for him throughout the state.
  
  The former Pennsylvania senator is campaigning in Arizona Wednesday and will face off against his opponents later in the CNN debate in Mesa. He’s expected to head back to Michigan by the end of the week. Both states vote on Feb. 28.
  
  Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

  
  
  
• Romney Promises 20% Tax Cut, Says Obama's Plan Will Kill Jobs
  

  Bill Pugliano/Getty Images(CHANDLER, Ariz.) – Just hours before he meets his main rival for the 20th -- and likely final -- debate of the primary season, Mitt Romney didn’t even mention former Sen. Rick Santorum during a speech Wednesday morning. Instead, Romney doubled down on his economic background, offering new details on his tax plan while attacking President Obama’s policies.
  
  “I’m going to lower rates across the board for all Americans by 20 percent,” Romney said.
  
  “With regards to our tax policy, our growth, with regards to our tax policy, there are a couple things I’d like to announce to you today,” said Romney, speaking in a gymnasium at the Tri-City Christian Academy. “And in order to limit any impact on the deficit -- ‘cause I don’t want to add to the deficit -- and also in order to make sure that we continue to have progressivity as we’ve had in the past in our code, I’m going to limit the deductions and exemptions, particularly for high-income folks.”
  
  Romney said his plan to limit mortgage interest and charitable contributions deductions would not impact middle-income families who critics say will suffer if President Obama gets tax increases he's seeking. Instead, Gov. Romney noted he wants to, “make sure the top 1 percent keeps paying the current share they’re paying or more.”
  
  Romney tonight will debate fellow republican candidates, including Santorum, who over the past week has defined himself as Romney’s chief competitor. But during Wednesday morning’s rally, Santorum’s name wasn’t mentioned once, nor were the jabs at “Washington insiders” that have been a part of Romney’s stump speech all week.
  
  Instead, it was Romney’s tax plan -- and its contrast to Obama’s plan -- that filled the 15-minute speech.
  
  “The President would take us in one direction, I’ll take us in a different one,” said Romney. “His plan in regards to jobs is very simple. He wants to raise taxes. That will kill jobs in this country.”
  
  “He’s proposing today a corporate tax plan which I understand sounds like he’s lowering taxes but he’s raising taxes -- raises taxes on businesses by hundreds of billions of dollars,” said Romney. “He’s raising taxes on these companies that flow through -- that pay taxes on individual rates. Raising taxes will kill jobs. My plan will create jobs. That’s the difference between the two of us.”
  
  Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

  
  
  
• Obama’s 2012 Campaign ‘Ambassadors’
  

  JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Obama’s re-election campaign on Wednesday designated 35 state, local and community leaders as national co-chairs, or “ambassadors” for the president, who will play a high-profile role in defending his record and mobilizing voters for November.
  
  The list includes current and former Democratic members of Congress, governors, and mayors, as well as business and labor leaders, members of clergy and a few local campaign organizers, a nod to the value Obama places on his grassroots volunteers.
  
  Former White House chiefs of staff Bill Daley and Rahm Emanuel will play key roles.  Actor Kalpen Modi is expected to lead outreach to younger voters, while actress Eva Longoria will spearhead efforts to reach women and Hispanics.
  
  All are “proud of the president’s record and leadership,” the campaign said in a statement.
  
  Also notable are the names not on the list as Obama ambassadors.
  
  Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., played a key role for Obama in 2008 but faces a fierce re-election battle in a red state.
  
  Neither former President Bill Clinton nor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are listed. Secretary Clinton cannot participate in political activity because of her role as the nation’s chief diplomat.
  
  And there are no big Hollywood stars, like George Clooney or Jay-Z, whom the campaign had reportedly sought to enlist.
  
  Bruce Springsteen, who stumped for Obama in 2008, said last week he won’t be hitting the campaign trail for Obama this time, but still supports his re-election.

  [CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LIST OF OBAMA'S 2012 NATIONAL CO-CHAIRS]

  Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio