Free Republic

Former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney is locked in a statistical dead heat with Sarah Palin for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, despite the Alaska governor’s abrupt resignation last week, according to a new poll of Republican voters. Romney leads all Republican presidential contenders, garnering 25 percent of the vote, edging out Palin (24 percent), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (22) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (14 percent) in the Rasmussen poll released yesterday.

Dallas billionaire H. Ross Perot has weighed into the GOP presidential contest with a stinging rebuke of John McCain and an endorsement of Mitt Romney. Mr. Perot told Newsweek magazine that Mr. McCain "is the classic opportunist" who is always reaching for "attention and glory." "Other POWs won't even sit at the same table with him," the article quoted Mr. Perot as saying. Mr. McCain could not be reached for comment Thursday, and his campaign didn't return telephone calls. But the Arizona senator for years has denied the claims Mr. Perot made in the Newsweek story. Mr. Perot and Mr....