Rick Santorum’s Youngest Daughter Bella Hospitalized … Cancels All Florida Events … Say a Prayer

File this one under having the correct priorities in life.

There was a news story out on Friday that Republican Presidential primary hopeful Rick Santorum had left Florida and gone home to Pennsylvania. Many speculated that maybe Santorum was getting out of the race. However, the story is much more important than any political election. It is now being reported that Rick Santorum’s youngest daughter Bella was hospitalized. Santorum had canceled all of his political events to be with his family and his daughter.

Rick Santorum’s 3-year old daughter has been hospitalized in Philadelphia, his campaign said Saturday.

“Rick and his wife Karen are admitting their daughter Bella to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia this evening,” Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

Isabella Santorum, one of the presidential candidate’s seven children, has a genetic disorder known as Trisomy 18 that causes people to be born with an extra copy of the 18th chromosome. The disorder causes developmental abnormalities, and half of infants born with the condition do not survive for more than a week after birth, according to the National Institutes of Health.

It was not initially stated why she was hospitalized; however, as reported at ABC News, Bella was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, PA with pneumonia.

The reason Bella Santorum was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Saturday night is because she has pneumonia in both of her lungs, a campaign aide told ABC News.

The 3-year-old, who has the serious genetic disorder Trisomy 18, is not on a ventilator, though, which is a very good sign.
Please all say a prayer for the Santorum’s and their precious three year old daughter Bella.

Please say a prayer for the Santorum family and little Bella. Let me also say, KUDOS to Rick Santorum for having the proper priorities. No political office is more important than the health of a child. None. Get well soon Bella!!!

BTW Newt, forget Santorum dropping out, maybe you should! Stop worrying about others and worry about yourself. You are getting trounced in Florida and it has nothing to do but anyone but yourself.

Republican Florida Primary: Consensus Polls Show Mitt Romney Up Big in Florida Over Newt Gingrich

It appears that the Republican Florida primary may be called when the polls close …

The Florida primary is a two man race and according to most all polls, Mitt Romney has a lead over Newt Gingrich. Check out the numerous polls HERE that have Romney well ahead in the Sunshine state. At RCP average polling, Romney is up by double digits over Gingrich by 11.3%. Looks like it may be over thin FLA.

Mitt Romney up big in latest Marist/NBC poll. With just days to go before the all important Florida primary that may determine who shall win the GOP Presidential nomination, Romney up by 15% over Gingrich.

PPP has Romney up as well and the trend is strong movement away from Newt Gingrich and toward Mitt Romney.

According to a Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald/Tampa Bay Times poll released late Saturday night, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leads former GOP Speaker Newt Gingrich by 11 points. However, even more noticeable is that the poll shows that Romney is also leads President Barack Obama in a hypothetical match up 48% to 44%.

Gingrich is badly trailing Romney by 11 percentage points, garnering just 31 percent of likely Republican voters heading into Tuesday’s presidential primary, according to a Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald/Tampa Bay Times poll released late Saturday night.
President Barack Obama should be wary as well. Romney beats Obama by a 48-44 percent spread — a lead inside the error-margin, however — in a theoretical general-election matchup, the poll shows.

In the Republican primary, Romney’s lead looks insurmountable. It cuts across geographic, ethnic and gender lines. And the poll indicates Romney’s attack on Gingrich as a Freddie Mac insider is a hit with GOP voters.

As stated by Hugh Hewitt, Gingrich got some help from Sarah Palin and Herman Cain, but it has come too late because Newt built his candidacy on a promise built on a premise, both of which have been shattered this past week. Gingrich is supposed to be able to hammer Obama in a debate; however, Newt hardly accomplished that this past week against Romney. That is one thing that Newt will not be afforded if he ever did win the GOP nomination. There is no way a stumbling Obama with no teleprompter would ever agree to more than 2 or 3 debates.

The promise was that he could thrash President Obama in the debates and the premise is that there would be many debates just like the one in which he successfully jammed John King.

Of course Newt’s two bad debates this week (with Thursday’s being especially lousy) blew up the foundation for Newt’s campaign, and while the Speaker and his die-hard supporters want to blame various factors –the crowd, Romney’s claims etc– the average Florida voter got two previews of coming attractions and are judging the Speaker according to what they saw not by what he says they should have seen.

All the complaining in the world regarding the MSM because when running against President Obama, the One will have the liberal state run media in his back pocket looking to put their guy in office for 4 more years.

Reversal of Fortune … Newt Gingrich Takes Lead in Florida Primary Polls

Newt Gingrich on a roll …

What a difference a South Carolina primary makes … Prior to the primary, the RCP average of polling was Romney 40.5%, Gingrich 22.0%, Santorum 15.0& and Paul 9.0%, or a +18.5% lead by Romney.

Flash-forward to present day and the RCP average polling is Gingrich 37.7%, Romney 30.3%, Santorum 11.7 % and Paul 10.3%. The Newtster now finds himself at +7.4% or a near 26% turnaround. No wonder Romney and his surrogates are in full attack against Gingrich and felt the need for Romney to finally release his tax returns.

According to PPP’s first poll following the SC Primary, Newt is up by 5%.

PPP’s first post-South Carolina poll in Florida finds Newt Gingrich with a small lead.  He’s at 38% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 13% for Rick Santorum, and 10% for Ron Paul.

Gingrich has gained 12 points since a PPP poll conducted in Florida a week ago. Romney has dropped 8 points. Paul and Santorum have pretty much remained in place. Their favorability numbers show similar trendlines. Gingrich’s has increased 8 points from +15 (51/36) to +23 (57/34). Meanwhile Romney’s has declined 13 points from +44 (68/24) to +31 (61/30).

At Rasmussen, Gingrich leads by Romney by 9 points, 41% to 32%.  WOW, just two weeks ago Mitt Romney had a 22% lead. Just a few days ago pundits were saying, if Romney wins SC, does that mean its all over and he has wrapped up the GOP nomination. Now, we learn that Santorum really won Iowa, Newt wins handily in SC and Gingrich prior to the first debate in the Sunshine state is up big in Florida. One now has to ask the question, if Newt Gingrich wins big in FLA, is the race over?

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Florida Republican Primary Voters, taken Sunday evening, finds Gingrich earning 41% of the vote with Romney in second at 32%. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum runs third with 11%, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul attracts support from eight percent (8%). Nine percent (9%) remain undecided.(To see survey question wording, click here).

Daily Commentary – Monday, January 23, 2012 – It’s Time for the Republicans to Make a Decision

• They need to focus on which candidate can beat Obama

Daily Commentary – Monday, January 23, 2012 Download

FOX News Calls South Carolina Primary for Newt Gingrich

The polls have closed in South Carolina and Fox News has called the primary for Newt Gingrich. The late Newt Gingrich surge takes the Palmetto state of South Carolina. So now each candidate has won one primary/caucus. Onward to Florida.

The South Carolina by county vote can be seen here.

ABC News also calling it for Gingrich as well. CBS counting the votes.

Newt Gingrich will defeat Mitt Romney to win today’s South Carolina primary, according to ABC News projections based on exit poll data.

Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were battling for third place.

According to exit polls, two-thirds of South Carolinian’s said that the debates matter and that the Newt affair or “open marriage” accusation from Gingrich’s ex-wife did not.  However, what should matter to GOP primary voters is why Newt Gingrich left office amid his ethics scandal. Mark my words, this will come out in the general election if Newt wins the GOP nomination and we best know up front why he left rather than face an October surprise.

Fox News calling Santorum will be third and Ron Paul a distant fourth.

As the GOP candidates head into Florida the RCP average polls are as follows: Romney 40.5%, Gingrich 22.0%, Santorum 15.0& and Paul 9.0%.

UPDATE I: Final South Carolina primary results:

Gingrich: 40.4% 243,153
Romney: 27.8% 167,279
Santorum: 17.0% 102,055
Paul: 13.0% 77,993
Cain: 1.1% 6,324
Perry: 0.4% 2,494
Huntsman: 0.2% 1,161
Bachmann: 0.1% 494