February 29, 2012 05:19 PM UTC

Mitt Once Again An "American Badass"

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• by: Colorado Pols

CNN:

A relieved Mitt Romney headed back to the campaign trail Wednesday after sweeping crucial primaries in Arizona and his childhood home of Michigan to revitalize his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

Romney needed to win both states, but especially Michigan — where he grew up when his father was governor — to assert his ability to overcome the conservative challenge from former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum…

Romney attributed Santorum’s late rise in the polls to his recent “incendiary comments” about Obama, such as questioning the president’s theology and accusing him of snobbery for advocating higher education.

“We have seen throughout the campaign that if you are willing to say really outrageous things that are accusative and attacking of President Obama, that you are going to jump up in the polls,” Romney said. “You know, I am not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am.”

Without question good news for Mitt Romney, who has certainly had “outrageous things” to say when it suited him like Rick Santorum, but took the opportunity to appear magnanimous at Santorum’s expense from his victory podium last night. The results in Michigan and Arizona are also a major blow to the prospects of also-rans Ron Paul and especially Newt Gingrich–we expect calls for Gingrich to exit the race, allowing Santorum to consolidate conservative “Anybody But Romney” support, to grow ahead of Super Tuesday coming up next week.

Paul and Gingrich are essentially spoilers for Santorum at this point, and the best friends Romney has: add either of their totals to Santorum’s in Michigan to instantly see why.