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Softer side of Mitt. Hatch leads Liljenquist in every poll. Matheson ahead of Love.
Happy Monday. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is trying to show the softer side of Mitt: His sons headed on Conan O'Brien's show last week; cameras were allowed to film the former Massachusetts governor and wife, Ann, strolling along the beach, eating ice cream; and then there was the Father's Day tribute. It's all an effort to humanize Romney and grab voters who want to see their candidate as one of them. [TheHill] More on Romney and his big Utah gathering this weekend below.
Topping the news: Dozens of homes have burned in Sanpete County as a wildfire continues to rip through more than 39,000 acres. It's the fourth wildfire in the state in a week. [Trib] [DNews] Nothing draws out politicians like natural disasters, writes a Daily Herald contributor. [Herald]
-> DNews poll shows Hatch with a big lead over challenger Dan Liljenquist for Tuesday's primary. [DNews]
-> BYU's Study for the Study of Elections and Democracy runs the numbers on three different scenarios for tomorrow and shows Hatch winning them all. [Trib] [UtahDataPoints]
-> A DNews poll also shows Rep. Jim Matheson beating Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love by a wide margin. [DNews]
Today's News: Romney winning Utah is a no-brainer, but the other GOP races will still make for an interesting Tuesday primary. [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly says an increase of mail-in ballots will actually hurt voter turnout as many of the ballots were sent to citizens too late. [Trib]
-> The Utah Federation of Republican Women is bouncing back after nearly closing up shop. [UtahPolicy]
-> Hatch's efforts against Microsoft in the early 2000s has prompted the tech company to pour money into Washington lobbyists and political campaigns. [Examiner]
Tweet of the day: From @DeidreHenderson: "Speaker @BeckyLockhart accidentally dropped her golf ball in the toilet at the UTC golf tournament. Does that count as a hole-in-one?"
Happy birthday: To Mike Gehrke and USU's Ted Pease
Opinion section: Pat Bagley's gives his take on how Utah wildfires are started. [Trib]
-> And Bagley chimes in on Sen. Mike Lee's comments last week about Mormons exceptional ability to talk about American exceptionalism. [Trib]
-> A Utah physician warns about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, charging that it would give foreign corporations unprecedented rights within U.S. borders. [Trib]
-> A Utah doctor describes the tragedy of motorcycle accidents without helmets and how such accidents affect taxpayers. Such facts, he says, justifies a mandatory helmet law. [Trib]
-> Rolly asks if the timing of the liquor license session was just a little convenient and politically motivated. [Trib]
-> A Millcreek resident says turning the township into a city gives his neighbors more self-governance and contrary to popular belief, taxes won't rise because of the area's thriving sales tax and property tax revenues. [Trib]
-> A venture capitalist says Romney's similar "expertise" is all about making profit. Not a very good qualifier for leading a nation. [Trib]
-> A retired businessman says voters shouldn't let emotion triumph over their common sense. [Trib]
-> A U. professors says religious writings such as the Ten Commandments in public buildings should be looked upon for their historical nature and not religious promotions. [Trib]
-> LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli offer their suggestions for Tuesday's primary outcomes. [DNews]
-> Former Sen. Bob Bennett says economic growth starts with free enterprise and the middle class. [DNews]
Weekend in review: CNN's Jessica Ravitz takes a look at the fascinating friendship of SUU President Michael Benson, a Mormon, and NJ Mayor Cory Booker and a New York rabbi. [CNN]
-> While in Utah with Romney, potential vice presidential candidate and conservative superstar, Rep. Paul Ryan, campaigns for Mia Love. [Trib] [UtahPolicy]
-> The GOP primary for Attorney General has been the most expensive and vicious that anyone can recall. And now a lawsuit is in the mix. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Just as allegations against Mike Winder were dropped, so are those against Mark Crockett. The Republican Salt Lake County mayoral primary will continue without legal action. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Winder and Crockett are in a statistical tie heading into tomorrow's primary, though both are currently leading state Sen. Ben McAdams. [DNews]
-> The race for state auditor, between longtime incumbent Auston Johnson and state Rep. John Dougall, is too close to call. [DNews]
-> The Constitution Party has a primary battle on Tuesday's ballot as well. [DNews]
-> It's clear that Senate Republicans do not want to see their friend Sen. Orrin Hatch go, so they've pitched in $370,000 for the campaign. [Trib]
-> Hotline looks at the Top Five reasons Hatch will survive the intraparty challenge. [NJ]
-> Hatch says Rick Santorum endorsed Liljenquist is because of Santorum's "sugar daddy," Foster Friess. [TheHill]
-> NPR says Hatch faces the "youth movement" in his primary race. [NPR]
2012 Watch: GOP big-whigs, top donors and Mitt Romney's top aides gathered in Deer Valley this weekend for a strategy retreat. Included in the mix: A long list of potential running mates. [NYTimes] [LATimes] [WSJ] [BusinessWeek] [DNews]
-> Security was tight, reporters were scrambling and speculation rampant in the quiet mountain town. [Trib]
-> Romney's biggest challenge soon will be wooing wary Republican voters to turn out. [NPR]
-> Some experts say President Barack Obama and his top lawyers flubbed the health care law's best chance to survive the Supreme Court. [WaPost]
-> An army of Obama campaign workers set out this past weekend to gin up support at gay pride parades across America. [NYTimes]
-> The Obama administration has already had a tough year at the high court and the decisions on health care and immigration could add to that. [WaPost]
-> The Washington Post's ombudsman defends his newspaper against complaints by the Romney camp. [WaPost]
-> Mike Leavitt tells The Trib he plans to spend quite a bit of time at the U.S. Capitol as he preps for a Romney presidency. [Trib]
Where are they?
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-- Thomas Burr and Andreas Rivera
Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/andreascrivera
