now. >>> it is a big night. the illinois primary. will mitt romney finally get it done? if he wins big, what's next for rick santorum and newt gingrich? >>> and republican budget man paul ryan youth fron"outfront." he says he's open to a trillion ondollars of new revenue. >>> let's go "outfront." >>> good evening. i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight -- pressure is on. polls in illinois close in less than an hour. we are in countdown mode after a couple of bruising weeks on the campaign trail and two major losses to rick santorum, of course in alabama and mississippi. mitt romney has to prove he can seal the deal tonight. 69 delegates in the state. it is the second-largest delegate grab to date. to get to the magic number of 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination, mitt romney needs every win he can get. we'll go through the delegate map in a minute. it is a little more come plifktplifk pli krichlt. >>> can romney made in-roads with traditional evangelicals and tea party supporters? we'll get all that information font from our exit poll. >>> two, will santorum surprise? the latest po

us for the next hour. we have results from illinois. tonight is the illinois republican primary. polls just closed an hour ago. nbc news is declaring that mitt romney has won the state of illinois. mitt romney is projected winner in that state. latest results are 19% in mitt romney with 54% of the vote. rick santorum 28% of the vote. only 19% in right now. this is enough to project mr. romney as the winner. we'll be watching the percentages and the rankings of the other candidates as the percent of the vote increases. this is exciting. this is election night. republicans of the great state of illinois making big decision about whether to punch their ballot for newt gingrich or rick santorum or mitt romney. that's not the way it's worked at all. have you seen the ballot? have you seen what the ballot looks like that republicans were using today in illinois? it's different in every county but this is representative. let's put up the macon county ballot. if you're going vote in illinois, if you want mitt romney to be president, you can i understand indicate that mitt romney is your

night. thanks, ed. thanks to you at home for staying with us in the next hour. tonight is the illinois republican primary. as ed just told you, polls closed about an hour ago. mitt romney has won the state of illinois, mitt romney the projected winner in that state. the latest results we have right now are 19% in, mitt romney 54% of the vote, rick santorum, 28% of the vote, ron paul 9% of the vote, newt gingrich, 7% of the vote. we'll be watching those percentages in the rankings of the other candidates as the percentages of the vote increases. this is exciting. this is election night. republicans in the great state of illinois making big consequential decisions whether to punch their ballot for mitt romney, rick santorum, ron paul or newt gingrich. actually, that's not the way it has worked at all. have you seen what the ballot looks like that republicans were using tonight in illinois? it's different in every county, but this is representative. let's put up the macon county ballot. if you're going to vote in illinois and you're voting in macon county, which is right in the middle of

illinois, in this cnn exit poll, said they had just voted for mitt romney. 35% for rick santorum. 12% for newt gingrich. 8% for ron paul. remember. this is still the early exit polls. very soon we're going to be getting more numbers. we're not yet able to make a projection based on these first round, second round of these exit polls. we're getting more. let me walk over to john king and explain what's going on. no projection yet. but it seems at least according to the early exit polls information, the new numbers in the exit polls are still coming in. looks like it's going to be a good night for mitt romney. >> every reason to believe that governor romney will win the state of illinois. if you've been with us through past primary nights, the people who just finished voting talking to the exit polls now. santorum does better in that lastaway. and often senator santorum has overperformed his last poll numbers. >> we're being cautious. >> we'd rather get it right than wrong. we can tell things if we look at the electorate today. we've seen this in some other states. nearly 4 in 10 voter

illinois based on exit polls and early votes. romney is the winner by double digits. much more of that in a moment. but look at the numbers. romney in the lead at 54%. santorum at 28%. ron paul and gingrich a distant third and fourth. we're waiting on mitt romney to speak now and second place rick santorum will also be speaking. we'll look ahead to the next stop on the primary sale. louisiana on saturday. and maryland, wisconsin, and d.c. on april 3rd. cnn's top team, wolf blitzer and john king. and gloria borger and david gergen. promoted to new york tonight. >> happy to be here. >> let's start with wolf. looks like a big win for mitt romney. how significant is illinois to his general campaign? >> if he stays above 50% in this vote in illinois, it'll be very significant. illinois being a very important state because of its population, the diversity. it's a big state. a lot of delegates at stake. he's going to do really well in illinois. clearly come out with the most delegates. rick santorum, he did the best he could. i think it was a blunder on his part to go off to puerto rico for two da

welcome to "the ed show" tonight from new york, mitt romney has won the illinois republican primary this evening. he spoke to reporters in a chicago suburb and went after president obama as a person who doesn't share the same values. >> our future's brighter than these troubled times. we still believe in america, and we deserve a president who believes in us, and i believe in the american people. >> romney shifted into the general election mode with his big win in illinois. he turned his attention to the president's past experience as a law professor. >> yesterday, i was giving a speech at the university of chicago, not very far from here, not very far from where professor barack obama taught law. it was a speech on economic freedom. for 25 years i lived and breathed business and the economy and jobs. i had successes and failures, but each step of the way, i learned a bit more about what it is that makes our american system so powerful. you can't learn that teaching constitutional law at university of chicago, all right? >> romney really went after the president. he brought up the p

night. >> romney wins big in puerto rico and heads to illinois. it's time for gingrich and santorum to step aside. >> we have believe the the convention will nominate a conservative. >> we all know who he means. what a fraud. the jobs act heads to the senate but don't be fooled by the catchy acronym. it's just another ploy to deregulate wall street again because it worked out so well the first time. >> the latest front on the war in women. a bill that could force women who under go an abortion. >>> new york city councilmember congressman rodriguez on occupy and nypd's brutal response. >> good evening this, is monday march 19th. 233 days until the 2012 presidential election. i'm eliot spitzer sitting in for keith olbermann. mitt romney winning in puerto rico and looking for more in illinois' primary. our fifth story in the "countdown." mitt romney pulling ahead in the g.o.p. presidential race hoping for more delegates and campaigning in springfield illinois. this is what he said. >> i need only one thing from you, no, two. number one i need some of these pancakes, and number two i ne

. santorum's going to puerto rico. then we have a big primary in illinois. back to the midwest where if you look at the demographics, should be a romney state. >> puerto rico is this coming sunday. >> huge. >> and then illinois is a week from now on tuesday. >> i think i need to go to cover it. >> in fairness to mitt romney, he's still away head in the delegate count. he's got more than all of the other candidates combined so far. >> and this isn't the way they wanted it to be right now. if they do go across the finish line, they're going to crawl across the finish line. let me read you something peter hamby wrote -- political reporter peter hamby. from a senior adviser to newt gingrich floated this. get this. newt gingrich and rick santorum would be a powerful team against barack obama. now, do i believe for a minute that's going to happen? no. but interesting. >> if senator santorum wins he's going to pick the guy who said he's not ready for primetime and nobody in congress? uh-huh. >> right. but this comes from a gingrich version because they're looking for alliances right now. th

primary in illinois right here. we'll be back at 10:00 with a live update on that, as well and current.com/theyoungturks. >> oops. >> i don't care what the unemployment rate's going to be. doesn't matter to me. >> or? >> of course i care about the unemployment rate. i want it to go down, but my candidacy doesn't hinge on whether it goes up or down. >> as the primary vote comes in, romney agrees with santorum on the freedom thing. >> i'm wondering where you suggest that the millions of women who receive their health services such as mammograms, the h.p.v. vaccines go? >> they can go wherever they'd like to go. this is a free society. >> here is the dumbest idea from newt gingrich. we ought to debate on pay per view and charge $10 and it should go to a charity of choice. >> yeah, maybe lincoln will coffer the primary in his land. and the republicans hell bent to phase out medicare and fed cade in their new budget for mini america. >> the penalty's budget is putting us on a path of a debt crisis, of decline, and these are the deficits that are in store for america if we stay with

momentum as they go into illinois. pat brady is the chairman of the republican party. joining us now. a good night for santorum, pat. not such a good night for mitt romney. you are a romney supporter. what does he need to do next tuesday for illinois? what does he need to do to make sure he wins in illinois? >> i think he will do well and i don't necessarily agree. he picked up a third of the delegates and has more combined than the rest of them combined. it wasn't a bad night. he doll well in illinois and follow the mark kirk model and run as a fiscal conservative and win big here, i think. >> the most recent poll had mitt romney at 35% and santorum at 31%. is that too close for comfort? >> this is a delegate hunt right now. senator santorum is not on the ballot for the congressional district. he is eligible for 44 of the 54 delegates to be voted on. we give out 69. 15 of those are super delegates. governor romney is in good shape and the war start and he has a ground game started. he has to campaign hard and he won't win everything, but we will walk out with a lot of delegates. >> wha

news on the illinois primary. let's go to bret baier. standing by in chicago. i understand the exit polling shows mitt romney out in front in illinois. correct? >> bret: that's right, bill. the polls are all closed in illinois. mitt romney has a solid lead over rick santorum. the decision desk is saying the race is too close to call. far behind newt gingrich and ron paul they are battling it out for third place. obviously a win tonight would be a major victory for romney in this delegate rich state. 54 did he goes here. they are decided by congressional districts. if there is 18 congressional districts here. the real question is how it will break down. looks at this point, bill, according to exit polls that mitt romney is going to have a good night it is 18 individual races. and when you get to the downstate, that's where you see some strength for rick santorum. so, the 54 delegates on the line will be able to break down at the end but even right now on the top line number, the percentage we can't make a call because it's too close to call according to the raw vote and exit poll dat

this year. our continuing coverage of the illinois primary continues right now. >>> tonight, last word on illinois. >> tonight, a last word of illinois? and the first word in the rest of the race. the winner? >> god bless the united states of america. >> the losers. >> we're feeling very, very good about winning louisiana on saturday, i might add. >> i am a much better debater than iert romney or santorum. >> each day, we move closer not just to victory, but to a better america. join us. join us. together, we're going to ensure that america's greatest days are still ahead. >> the battle of the gop. this is piers morgan tonight. >> good evening. it's a big night for mitt romney. let's take a look at tonight's results romney way ahead in the lead. listen to a tough talking mitt romney. >> so tonight was a primary. but november is the general election. and we're going to face a defining decision as a people. our choice will not be about party or even personality. this election will be about principle. our economic freedom will be on the ballot. i'm running for president because i hav

>> hopes for silent prayer. thanks for being with us. polls in illinois are about to close. we'll get the first results of the night on the "the ed show" starting right now. >>> good evening americans. welcome "the ed show" from new york. polls just closed in illinois. the race is characterized as too early to call with mitt romney leading. this is "the ed show" let's get to work. >> each of these people running for president have given their ideas. >> it's election night in illinois and paul ryan says the candidates like his radical plan. >> you believe they will accept your budget? >> absolutely. >> republicans strategist steve smith and eugene robinson on the ryan budget's impact on the election. >>> plus, full election night coverage with stephanie cutter of the obama campaign. karen finney and richard wolf. >>> in the trayvon martin case, the fbi and a grand jury are now involved. now we know trayvon martin was on the phone with his girlfriend while he was being stalked. >> he said the man is watching him. he put his hoodie on. >> the reverend al sharpton and charles blow on

ttvgeip tk d >> the first exits broken down by area, rural voters in illinois cnn exit polls santorum 44 romney 39. suburban romney 45 santorum 34. unless you have no idea of what's more or less, you can tell the suburban and urban voters are going to give mitt romney a probable victory in illinois, even though it is officially too early to call. >> when paul ryan released his budget proposal last year, it became the national economic platform for republicans. any republican who did not offer full support was as true astro sized. a new budget offers tax cuts to the rich. capitol hill was seemingly holding its collective breath for the release of ryan's latest budget proposal after his dramatic trailer. before ryan could make it onstage to receive is oscar, he was beat to the podium questioning the need for the proposal. >> those who say we do not have a budget have either failed to pay attention to what they voted on or deliberately trying to mislead the public. >> rather here to offer americans a chance to choose which future me want for themselves the president's path of de

a shot in illinois? >> i think he might say something with his congregations and parishioners in the huge archdiocese of illinois this weekend to help santorum. i hope he hears me. i happy he doesn't do it, but i think he's thinking about it because he is hard right on these issues, santorum is hard right. this could be the final test for the ability of the more sectarian people to voice themselves. it's going to be fascinating in chicago to watch the politics next tuesday. >> a lot of catholics in illinois, no doubt. let's get back to alabama. reverend, you have just spent time in alabama. these were the key voting groups for rick santorum. 49% of working women, 42% of under 40-year-olds. 41% who consider themselves ver conservative. 40% with income under $30,000. what do you make of mitt romney not being able to connect with any of these voters down there? i mean, does this really exclude him in many republican circles? >> i think it does. i think that he was very, very badly wounded tonight, mitt romney. i think that newt gingrich was devastated. i think that what rick santorum di

>> bret: a budget battle in washington and a primary showdown here in illinois. live from chicago, this is "special report." >> good evening, i'm bret baier. we are live in the heart of the windy city. we will have all the news from the illinois primary in just a moment. but we begin in washington, where the republicans' point man on money matters today unveiled his latest plan to try to make the federal books a little less unbalanced. jim angle shows us what's in it. >> reporter: paul ryan sponsored a sweeping return for the republican budget plan. he began with a guilt o.p. favorite. >> first, we propose that we repeal the president's disastrous health care law. it stops spending from threatening our fiscal house. >> reporter: he emphasized reigniting economic growth is the key goal, to reduce tax, which he dolled by collapsing 6 tax brackets into two, leaving a 10 and 25% rate and reducing the corporate rate to 25% as well, which he said is the international average. he argues that can be done without adding to the deficit by iewg the same techniques at the bowles-simpson admin

i'm jennifer grandholm this is the "war room." elections, budgets, i love it! illinois voters have spoken and mitt romney is their choice. we will analyze the results. we'll also preview the next phase of the gop dog fight, and then on to the budget. i know a lot of you may think it's boring but truly the budget is where it's at. paul ryan defines the republican agenda with this budget bomb shell today. the rich are going to get richer health care and snowstorm programs will get gutted, except for one thing. it ain't going to happen. and we'll tell you why. this is the "war room." come on inside. ♪ >> so the polls predicted a mitt romney win, and they were right. we're looking at our map of what is going on. 28% in but everybody has called it for mitt romney. not really a surprise at all. in chicago if you take a look just at cook county -- cook county has 43% of the population, which is almost half of the state. if you combine cook county and lake county you are pretty much there. so the bottom line is mitt romney taking that suburban ring 57% to santorum's 26. santorum is going

city. >>> about 90 minutes from now, illinois voters start heading to the polls in a republican primary where 69 delegates are up for grabs. polls show mitt romney with a lead as the voting begins, some as w a big lead. he's hoping a convincing win in illinois will further make his case that math is on his side. rick santorum will be watching the returns tonight in gettysbu gettysburg, pennsylvania. yesterday he was on the defensive over these comments he made during a final campaign stop in illinois. >> we need a candidate who will be a fighter for freedom. who's going to get up and make that the central theme in this race because it is the central theme thin this race. i don't care what the unemployment rate is going to be. it doesn't matter to me. my campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates or growth rates. there's something more foundational going on here. >> mitt romney didn't waste time trying to capitalize on santorum's remarks. >> i'm kerneled abo concerned a people out of work. one of the people running for the no, ma'am it nation also says he doesn't care about the

department civil rights division and fbi are now on the case. we begin with today's illinois primary. chuck todd's nbc political director and ed tore for new york magazine and the nbc political analyst as well. i want to start with chuck, our expert in-house. we'll go to our other expert out-house. tell me the story here. is this going to be the end of it, money against true believer, if you will? i'm sure we can match it up a number of ways. the guy with all the money without the authenticity or the guy with all the authenticity without the money? >> if it were that black and white, then there would be more of a definitive opportunity for santorum. but we can debate that in a minute. the bottom line tonight is that nothing is going to change after tonight. romney needs an exclamation point somewhere. he didn't get it. tonight could have been big for him had he won mississippi. had he won mississippi last week, tonight would have bee the exclamation point and then you would see people come out and say it's time to basically bring this airplane in for the landing, bring in the romney nominat

candidates stepped up the battle for illinois. we have the very latest on tomorrow's primary from chicago. plus your right to free speech is coming under attack. and we'll tell you about new legislation aimed at restricting public protests in georgia. former assistant secretary of state jamie reubin, will join us about the problem of ending the war in afghanistan. it's a political problem, a real problem. this is the "war room." come on inside! ♪ >>> so if you believe the latest polls, mitt romney is going to easily win tomorrow's illinois gop primary. look at this. rasmussen, rommy at 41 santorum at 32. there's a lot of polls out. public policy polling. 15-point spread. romney 45 santorum 30. and arg has cut romney at 44 santorum at 30. gingrich and paul just really trailing. here is what it looks like in illinois. first of all the facts are that the unemployment rate is much higher than the national average, a full point. 54 delegates are up for grabs. santorum goofed up again in terms of getting on congressional districts. he did not get on four constructional districts. mcca

margin. rick santorum can stop explaining. illinois polls put romney in the lead. dog owners nationally having second thoughts about the former massachusetts governor. illinois having second thoughts about their paper ballots. many reported their ballots will have to be trimmed down or counted by hand, meaning results should be delayed. romney hoping to add to his lead in delegates. gingrich and paul showing he should do that with ease. a public policy polling tally gingrich and powell far back. rick santorum telling an audience that his campaign is bigger than the issues that define the election. >> i don't care what the employment rate is going to be. my campaign doesn't hinge on it. it's something for foundational that's going on here. >> gas king romney springing on santorum's error like a dog on a car roof. >> people running also for the republican nomination today said he doesn't care about the unemployment rate, that doesn't bother him. it does bother me. i want to get people back to work. >> after saying he wished he had a do-over he did it over. >> of course i care a

travis. so, shannon, you're in illinois for that state's primary, set for tuesday. we'll talk about this in a minute. first, let's start with santorum's campaign and his comments on the english language requirement in puerto rico, so, shannon, this is one of those hot button issues in conservative circles, but latinos also feel very strongly about it. has santorum alienated himself as it pertains to the latino electorate in general? >> yeah, i mean, santorum is standing by his comments. let me just say off the top also, we're actually at a mitt romney event waiting for him to come in. but to your point about rick santorum and those comments about english only, it is something that enflames passions on both sides. in terms of conservative circles, fred, conservatives feel like english should be the language of the land. it is just one of the enduring conservative ideals, right? and when he said that in puerto rico, he was then asked about it a little later and he stood by it, didn't really back down from it too much, but a lot of people in puerto rico and beyond, latinos back here in the

of the latest developments. >> voters are casting their ballots in illinois right now. it's a critical context for the main republican rivals, but rick santorum didn't help his cause with an election-eve gaffe that's being called his mitt romney moment. plus, 75 years after she disappeared investigators may have a new clue to help them learn what exactly wanted to the pioneering female aviator a mellia earhart? i'm wolf blirts. i'm wolf blirts. you're in "the situation room." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> this is cnn breaking news. >>> lettay get right to breaking news from mexico. a powerful earthquake from acapulco to mexico city. let's go to our meteorologist chad myers. what are you seeing? what's going on? >> it has been reduced to a 7.4 earthquake, wolf, but that is still a very major shake. about 200 miles to mexico city, but there are cities or towns at least, much closer to the epicenter. let me take you to a few because there are 4,000 to up to 17,000 people in some of these cities and we know that they were right on top of the epicenter. there you see the

packed show. since the campaign's in illinois we'll hear from the president's top political strategist david axelrod later. mitt romney shopping that decisive win in illinois will quiet talk the republican nomination fight could end in the first contested republican convention since 1976. rick santorum needs a victory somewhere that proves he can win a, an away game." illinois is one and has a serious shot at the nomination. on the trail in illinois, the candidates are making closing arguments. >> this is not something i learned about in a subcommittee of congress. i'm not about economic lightweight. president obama is. we're not going to be successful in replacing an economic lightweight with another economic lightweight. >> why do you vote differently from what you know is best? those going to washington, oh, they compromise, don't stand up. don't have convictions. well, how about you? >> those 11th hour appeals were overshadowed by this sound bite. a challenge to the argument that republicans should pick a nominee with the credentials to fix the economy. >> the candidate who's going

alert. fox news is projecting mitt romney to be the winner of the illinois republican primary. the polls closed exactly one hour ago. for the latest on the mitt romney victory, we go to chicago where bret baier is standing by tonight. bret? apparently, we might have lost him. but mitt romney did have a big victory. we'll check in with bret and update you with all the latest on mitt romney and his speech and rick santorum's speeches. the republican national committee is turning up the pressure on the president over the bill maher donation from the super pac. the powerful rnc ad is touching on some controversial elements from a book by author, ron suskin. take a look at this. >> bill maher, host of "real time with bill maher" announcing he has donated $1 million to about the obama's super pac. >> bill maher, of course, had used the "c" word to refer to sarah palin. >> what is the evidence that i am a misogeeanist. >> every single thing you say about women. >> the blonde twink asking the question, i don't know who that is on fox, but she's not bright. >> if someone called me a cr "c"

romney wins in illinois. it was big. but was it big enough? and what do tonight's results mean for rick santorum? >>> and the u.s. military conducts a simulation, what would an israeli attack on iran mean for america? let's go out. >>> good evening, i'm erin burr nut. "out front" we have breaking news. a big win for romney in illinois. he needed to win it after a few bruising weeks on the trail. and let the room -- at the romney campaign headquarter, new jabs at president obama. >> we once built an interstate highway system and the hoover dam. now we can't even build a pipeline. i mean, we once lit the world in manufacturing and exports and now we lead in lawsuits. when we replace the president, that's going to end. >> and rick santorum looking less cheerful, but trying to stay on message. >> we must do out and fight this fight. that's why we must go out in and nominate someone. and understands not just because some pollster tells them, they know in their gut like you do, all across this country, you know big things are adrift and at stake in this election. so i ask each and every one o

. he's been fiery on the issues -- >> do you think he thinks santorum has a shot in illinois? >> i think he may something with his congregation and parishioners in the huge archdiocese of illinois this weekend to help santorum. i hope he hears me. i hope he doesn't do it, but i think he's thinking about it because he is hard right on these issues. santorum is hard right. this could be the final test for the ability of the more sectarian people to voice themselves. this is going it be fascinating in chicago to watch the politics next tuesday. >> lot after catholics in illinois, no doubt. let's get back to alabama. reverend, you know, have just spent time in alabama. these were the key voting groups for rick santorum. 49% of working women, 42% of under 40-year-olds. 41% who consider themselves very conservative. 40% with income under $30,000. what do you make of mitt romney not being able to connect with any of these voters down there? i mean, does this really exclude him in many republican circles? >> i think it does. i think that he was very, very badly wounded tonight. mitt romney

illinois primary after his campaign and his superpac outspent rick santorum by a 7-1 margin. that includes santorum's superpac spending. mitt romney will not win all 54 delegates. they will be split among the 18 congressional districts. and among the winners, the majority of voters also said the economy was the most important issue in this race. and tonight, mitt romney used his victory speech to attack president obama's policies. >> many of us believe we were in danger of losing something even more than the value of our homes and our 401(k)s after years of too many apologies and not enough jobs. historic drops in income and historic highs in gas prices, a president who doesn't hesitate to use all the means necessary to force through obama care and the american public but leads from behind in the world. it's time to say these words. this word, enough. for 25 years, i lived and breathed business and the economy and jobs. i had successes and failures. but each step of the way i learned more about what it is that makes our american system so powerful. you can't learn that teaching co

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