UPDATE: May 3, 10:47 a.m. EST: This article was amended with a clarification, noted below.

Anti-abortion rights marketing group Heroic Media is expanding domestically and internationally, officials said Saturday during an “inaugural District of Columbia benefit dinner,” held in Bethesda, Md. – part of an effort to raise money for anti-abortion advertising in the Northeast this spring.

Sarah Palin headlined the $250-a-plate dinner and proudly told a dining room of about 300 people that given the opportunity to attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner or the Heroic Media fundraiser, she “chose life.”

Palin noted that her daughter Bristol attended the correspondents’ dinner and was counseled to “grit her teeth” upon hearing any Palin jokes; though she failed to mention that she would be heading to the Vanity Fair/Bloomberg White House Correspondents’ Association afterparty shortly after leaving the fundraiser.

At previous Heroic Media fundraisers, including those that Palin has headlined, emphasis has sometimes centered on abortion providers supposedly targeting the African-American community. Last week, Heroic Media and affiliate Life Always were sued by the mother of a young African-American girl featured on billboards with the slogan “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.”

But on Saturday, African-Americans were absent from any rhetoric. Instead, the evening’s main themes focused on the “heroic choice” to mother and on the disproportionately high rates of abortions for babies pre-diagnosed with disabilities.

During her 45-minute speech, Palin focused on the difficult decision women are faced with upon learning of unplanned pregnancies. Based on her experiences becoming pregnant unexpectedly early after being elected governor of Alaska, closely followed by Bristol’s unexpected pregnancy at 17, Palin said she now can empathize with women who become pregnant in “less than ideal circumstances.” She said she can understand how, “even for a split second” a woman might consider having an abortion. And as is her habit at Heroic Media events, Palin spoke of her son Trig, who has Down syndrome, claiming that 85 to 90 percent of babies expected to be born with Down syndrome are aborted. Her message to women facing similar “less than ideal” circumstances was to “hang in there.”

Palin spoke candidly about her family’s experiences with pregnancies (“Bristol was a good kid … she was always busy working, well not always busy working, obviously”) to her audience of supporters, which included tea partiers and several members from the organization Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin. As The Florida Independent pointed out last week, the event was marketed to the group as a “kosher shabbaton” with no mention of the event’s focus on abortion (to participate in the full shabbaton, which included four “gourmet” kosher meals, two nights at the Bethesda North Marriott and a quorum of 10 male Jewish adults, the cost was $650). JASP’s Rabbi Robert Shechter gave the closing prayer.

The Jews for Sarah ad included slogans such as “Take back the government!,” “U.S.-Israel alliance!” and No more pork!” but Palin mostly steered clear of politics, save for a few jabs at “politicos” in D.C. and a lament that despite all the hype of a government shutdown leading up to the finalization of the 2011 federal budget, the federal government was still conducting “business as usual.” She did commend recent state efforts to defund Planned Parenthood and said the focus should be directed toward eliminating all federal funding to the organization.

Palin praised Heroic Media for its approach to campaigning against abortion, saying that the key to changing the culture is by “infiltrating pop culture” (she said Bristol’s participation with “Dancing With the Stars” was an example of this). She then presented anti-abortion rights activist and Live Action founder Lila Rose with Heroic Media’s “Hero” award, calling Rose the face of the youth-led anti-abortion movement and praised her infamous undercover sting video against Planned Parenthood.

Rose gave a brief acceptance speech, commending Heroic Media’s work and saying she would continue her dedication to defending life.

As diners feasted on steak and asparagus, examples of Heroic Media’s Internet ads were displayed on big screens. Communication director Kimberly Guidry Speirs claimed the organization’s advertisements have led to a 20-percent drop in the ratio* of abortions (the number of abortions for every 1,000 births) in markets where billboard and TV ads are displayed. Speirs announced that the group is continually expanding and currently has five locations throughout the country and one in South America.

For 13 weeks this spring, she said, Heroic Media will air its television ad “Teen Angst” on cable channels including BET and MTV. The marketing, she explained, is precisely designed to target women between the ages of 18 and 34 with advertising that speaks to them. In the “Teen Angst” ad, a young blonde is lamenting that her boyfriend is pressuring her to have an abortion, saying, “Don’t I get to choose for myself, for the baby? Don’t I?”

Allen Hunt, the night’s master of ceremonies, called on supporters to donate to the organization to raise $227,000 for the Northeastern campaign, as did Heroic Media President Chris Joliat. Each table featured a bag filled with donation cards and blue pens. Those who might be wont to go home and pray on whether or not to give money were encouraged to talk to one of the ministers in the audience, and then donate.

Among sponsors for the event listed in the program were News/Talk630 WMAL ($15,000); Tea Party Review magazine ($10,000); Austin Baptist Association ($2,500); WRC 1260-AM “Intelligent Talk” ($1,000); Arlington Catholic Herald, Birthmothers Ministries, Inc. ($500), and Bayard Magazine Group (gifts in kind). Among individuals called to stand for their contribution and support to Heroic Media included the Rev. Dean Nelson, vice president of Underserved Outreach at Care Net, one of the nation’s largest networks of crisis pregnancy centers.

Due to a clause in Palin’s contract, this event was closed to the press, but The American Independent purchased a ticket to attend.

*Correction: We previously reported that Heroic Media claimed a 20-percent drop in the rate of abortions — they claimed to a drop in the ratio of abortions (the number of abortions for every 1,000 births). We regret the error.

In one YouTubed radio appearance, for example, Boykin rattled off figures on the population of Islamic terrorists around the world and in the United States. He said the “best estimates” suggest there are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world and that 15 percent of them are violent jihadists. He said that there are 2.4 million Muslims in the U.S. and that 15 percent of them are also jihadists. Boykin would have listeners believe that there are 225 million radical violent Islamists around the world seeking to kill Americans and that there are 360,000 of them here in the U.S., half the population of Palin’s Alaska.

But Boykin has not only drawn heat for his provocative talks. He also drew sanction from the Army when, as a top Pentagon official in the months after 9/11, he cast the War on Terror as a religious war, in part by recruiting “Christian warriors” to fight for God’s kingdom on Earth during a speaking tour of Baptist churches.

Boykin was also a key figure in putting the torture techniques practiced at Guantanamo Bay to work at the notorious U.S. detention facility at Abu Ghraib in Baghdad.

Writing at Salon, Sydney Blumenthal in 2004 said Boykin was “at the center of the secret operation to “Gitmo-ize” Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison and details Boykin’s travels through Bush-era anti-Islamic Christian America.

Just before Boykin was put in charge of the hunt for Osama bin Laden and then inserted into Iraqi prison reform, he was a circuit rider for the religious right. He allied himself with a small group known as the Faith Force Multiplier that advocates applying military principles to evangelism. Its manifesto, “Warrior Message,” summons “warriors in this spiritual war for souls of this nation and the world … God has given us the stewardship and accountability of FAITH as our strategy for this time to mobilize an exceedingly great army.”

As the head of the Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C., Boykin invited Southern Baptist ministers for prayer meetings that would be highlighted by demonstrations of Special Forces hand-to-hand combat and guided tours of the “Shoot House” and “Snake Room.”

Boykin staged a traveling slide show in which he displayed pictures of bin Laden and Saddam Hussein around the country. “Satan wants to destroy this nation, he wants to destroy us as a nation, and he wants to destroy us as a Christian army,” he preached.

Here’s Boykin on YouTube:

He said hundreds of millions of jihadists are determined to destroy our liberties and reestablish an international caliphate, that the Saudis are pouring money into our school systems and universities to undermine democratic thinking, and that radical madrasas are multiplying “right here in America.”

He refers to a terror trial in Dallas where “they determined… that almost every Islamic organization in America is a front for fundraising for Islamic extremism.”

More Boykin quotes from the radio appearance:

Law enforcement has been unwilling to address the issue to do what was necessary in terms of arresting and incarcerating these people…

These activist judges, there’s a history of leniency with these people, and many of [the alleged terrorists] have been released after committing crimes only to be rearrested later for being involved in some sort of terrorist activity…

There exist 35 Muslim compounds scattered across America, and the activities that are going on inside those compounds I think it’s safe to say are not in the best interest of our liberties and our freedoms and, in many cases when people have tried to get into these compounds to see what is going on, they’ve been held away at gunpoint…

I’m afraid the attitude of Americans is one of capitulation. There seems to be an attitude that, if we just allow them to worship as they please under the concept of freedom of religion, they will enjoy their life in America, when the fact of the matter is the jihadists have every intention of destroying the nation as we know it and establishing it as a Muslim nation… It is time for America to awaken… What we need to do as Christians and as Americans, we need to do what God’s called us to do, and that is get our armor on and get into battle.

In the weeks after Rep. Gabriel Gifford was shot in Arizona, Palin defended herself for targeting Gifford with gun-sight cross-hairs on a midterm election map. News that Palin was coming to Colorado to talk sparked some controversy. That she will share a stage with Boykin has always been more controversial news.

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The highest percent of enthusiasm for a single candidate (without offering those polled a list to choose from) was 9 percent, for Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee garnered 8 percent on the enthusiasm poll; Donald Trump, 7 percent; Newt Gingrich 5 percent; and Sarah Palin 4 percent.

Asked about specific potential contenders, the most “favorable” ratings went as follows:

• Huckabee: 54 percent
• Palin: 51 percent
• Romney: 42 percent
• Gingrich: 42 percent
• Trump: 35 percent
• Michele Bachmann: 21 percent
• Tim Pawlenty: 20 percent
• Rick Santorum: 19 percent
• Haley Barbour: 12 percent
• Mitch Daniels: 9 percent
• Jon Huntsman: 5 percent

Based on these results, CBS News has declared the race for the GOP nomination “wide open,” noting that when asked about specific candidates, most registered voters claimed not to know about most of the potential GOP contenders, especially Mississippi Gov. Barbour, Indiana Gov. Daniels and Huntsman.

While Donald Trump earned a favorable rating from 35 percent of Republican voters polled, 32 percent said they viewed him unfavorably and 33 percent said they had not heard enough about him to form an opinion. But of all registered voters, CBS News/New York Times said 72 percent of Americans do not view Trump as a serious presidential candidate.

Still, Trump’s high public profile has kept him in 2012 race discussions, at least in popular media.

The Des Moines Register on Thursday published an interview with Trump, highlighting his “evolving” views on same-sex marriage and abortion –- topics Trump is used to discussing. As far as more serious complex policy issues, his answers left much to be desired in the way of substance.

From the Des Moines Register:

Trump on national debt:

“What I’m going to do to reduce the debt is create a great economy. That can reduce the deficit better than anything. I am going to bring jobs back home. I am going to stop China from ripping off the United States — they will make $300 billion off us this year. I am going to stop China from manipulating their currency so we buy all their products and they take all our jobs. I will fight OPEC so oil comes way, way down. … I will create a tremendous economy. I will create a proud country.”

Trump on entitlements:

“I don’t like what’s happening in Washington where the Republican Party, a trap is being set for the Republican Party, where they’re willing to tinker and play with Medicare and Medicaid. Because I am against that. … I pledge right now that I will protect our senior citizens. And I don’t like that the Republicans have gone so far out on a limb about Medicare and Medicaid.”

Trump on embryonic stem cell research:

“I would say that I’d like to get back to you because I’m studying it very closely. It’s an issue, don’t forget, that as a businessman I’ve never been involved in.”

Nearly half, or 47 percent, of registered voters said they want Obama to be re-elected, while 37 percent said they wanted a Republican candidate to win in 2012.

As a comparison, during George W. Bush’s first term, in April 2003, 48 percent of registered voters said they wanted him to be re-elected in 2004, while 34 percent said they would prefer to see a Democrat win, according to Pew.

This most recent election poll was conducted March 8-14 among 1,524 adults.

“The race for the Republican nomination has gotten off to a much slower start than the presidential race four years ago,” notes a Pew statement overviewing the data. “The Pew Research Center’s news interest surveys have found that the campaign is drawing far less coverage and public interest than the previous presidential campaign at this stage. During the 2008 campaign, there were nomination races in both parties.”

The survey found that no frontrunner stands out among potential GOP candidates. Asking Republican and Republican-leaning registered who their first choice would be of the current potential runners, researchers found:

• 21 percent wanted Mitt Romney
• 20 percent Sarah Palin
• 11 percent Newt Gingrich
• 8 percent Ron Paul
• 3 percent Tim Pawlenty
• 2 percent Mitch Daniels
• 2 percent Rick Santorum
• 2 percent Haley Barbour
• 2 percent Chris Christie
• 1 percent “other”
• 5 percent “none”
• 10 percent “don’t know”

Analyzing the data, The Washington Post says:

Among independent voters, perhaps the most closely watched swing group, the race is relatively narrow at 40 for Obama to 34 percent for a generic Republican. More than a quarter of independents, 26 percent, are undecided. The six-point margin for Obama among independents is similar to his performance against John McCain in the 2008 election, in which he won independents by 52 to 44 percent, according to exit polls.

In April 2003 independents went 40 to 34 percent for Bush over a generic Democrat, exactly matching the vote choice for Obama now. But in 1995, independents split 23 to 16 percent for Clinton and a generic Republican with a 37 percent plurality preferring an unnamed independent candidate.

As we’ve seen in other polls, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee rise to top of a crowded Republican primary field winning 21 and 20 percent of the vote among Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and former House speaker Newt Gingrich comprise the second tier at 13 and 11 percent support, followed by a host of other candidates in the single digits.

Romney and Huckabee’s bases of support are distinct in a few areas. Romney appeals more clearly to upper income and older Republicans while Huckabee appeals to white evangelical Protestants and Republicans who attend church at least weekly.

In response to the upcoming event, black women’s groups have spoken out against Dillard’s for partnering with Heroic Media, which asserts in its ads: “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.” Through its African-American-centric anti-abortion campaigns, Heroic Media has erected billboards in a handful of cities across the country (most controversially in New York City), and the result has been the ire of groups who represent the reproductive freedom of African-American women.

“I don’t know how many Dillard’s customers are African-American, but I think they should be outraged,” said Toni Bond Leonard, co-founder and president of Chicago-based Black Women of Reproductive Justice, formerly known as African American Women Evolving, Inc., which was founded in 1996 with the mission of helping black women and girls realize reproductive justice.

Leonard said her organization’s priority is to effect policy changes that improve reproductive health and autonomy in black communities but also to educate black women and girls about their bodies and their choices when it comes to sexual health. Media campaigns like Heroic Media’s stifle that effort, she said.

“Aside from being offensive, I think [Heroic Media is] trying to divide the black community for their own agenda,” Leonard said. “What that agenda is I don’t know. But to say ‘the most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb’ speaks to more than just the issue of abortion; it speaks to a black woman’s ability to provide a safe, healing, and nurturing place for a baby. To vilify black women is not only offense and inhumane, but racist.”

In Leonard’s view, the billboards in question make indirect references to slavery. She pointed to times when women were used as “machines to birth human labor to support this country’s economy.” But the overall message of the billboards, she said, implies that black women do not possess enough common sense or moral agency to be able to control their own fertilities, and, ultimately, their own bodies.

Black Women of Reproductive Justice belongs to a consortium of several African-American women’s groups called Trust Black Women, which formed in the spring of 2010, in an effort to fight back against anti-abortion rights media campaigns like Heroic Media’s.

And just as Leonard doesn’t buy the claim that a Dillard’s Houston branch was unaware of Heroic Media’s mission or activity before it agreed to sponsor the group’s fundraiser, neither does Candace Cabbil, program associate for SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Health Collective, another Trust Black Women member organization based in Atlanta.

“We think [Heroic Media's campaign] is racist and deeply offensive, and Dillard’s should not support what it’s doing,” Cabbil said. “They can say whatever they want to, but do not target a specific demographic.”

In October 2010, SisterSong released a report documenting its successful efforts to defeat state legislation in Georgia last year. The legislation — House Bill 1155 and Senate Bill 529 — attempted to expand abortion restriction by linking race and gender, and was preceded by a publicity campaign launched by the Georgia Right to Life and Radiance Foundation, which included a billboard with allegations claiming “Black children are an endangered species.” SisterSong protested and helped kill the Senate bill.

The American Prospect’s Adam Serwer pointed out Wednesday the falsehoods and hypocrisy in anti-abortion rights groups’ accusations of racism hurled at abortion providers, particularly Planned Parenthood:

The way in which pro-life Republicans have latched onto accusing people of genocide is a remarkable, particularly when you consider how viscerally Republicans react to race-related criticisms. Among Republicans, suggesting that anti-Latino animus is behind restrictive immigration laws is beyond the pale–but if you identify Planned Parenthood as the spiritual successor to the Nazis you might as well be ordering a cup of coffee.

It’s worth mentioning, again, that the idea that most Planned Parenthood clinics are located in black neighborhoods is false, and abortion only accounts for 3 percent of their activities. (Planned Parenthood founder Margaret) Sanger was a eugenicist, and while the term is practically synonymous with racism now, at the time it was one of those intellectual trends that had an embarrassing number of adherents from all over the political spectrum. W.E.B DuBois was a eugenicist, though he obviously wasn’t trying to purge black people from the planet.

Correction: This story originally reported Stephen Brophy’s name as “Stephen Brody.” The text has been amended.

The American Independent reported earlier today on an upcoming Heroic Media fashion show fundraiser hosted by a Dillard’s store in Houston.

As the piece mentioned, in the past, Heroic Media, an anti-abortion rights media group based in Texas, has garnered a lot of attention for their star power speakers, such as former Alaska governor Sarah Palin. Palin is scheduled to join Heroic Media once again on April 30, for a “Heroes Among Us” event at the Marriott Bethesda in Bethesda, Md., according to a page on Heroic Media’s website. Tickets are $100.

However, the web page appears to be in draft form: It is missing hyperlinks; the image of Palin is advertising an October 2010 event in Houston; information for when the event begins reads: “Doors open at ?:00 p.m. for General Admission and Patrons and the Private Reception for Sponsors begins promptly at ?:00 P.M.”

The site Christian Concerts Online also lists also lists Palin as speaking at the “Heroes Among Us” Heroic Media event on April 30 in Bethesda. The site producer said the event will begin at 7 p.m. with a reception at 6 p.m. Tickets sales begin this week, he said.

Heroic Media founder Brian Follett previously told The Texas Independent that his organization was planning an event with Palin in the Washington, D.C., area, and that 20 percent of the proceeds would go to “African American outreach in the inner city.”

(Image by: Matt Mahurin)

From the report:

Birthers make a majority among those voters who say they’re likely to participate in a Republican primary next year. 51% say they don’t think Barack Obama was born in the United States to just 28% who firmly believe that he was and 21% who are unsure. The GOP birther majority is a new development. The last time PPP tested this question nationally, in August of 2009, only 44% of Republicans said they thought Obama was born outside the country while 36% said that he definitely was born in the United States. If anything birtherism is on the rise.

…

There is really a remarkable divide in how the birther and non-birther wings of the GOP view Sarah Palin. With the birthers she is a beloved figure, scoring an 83/12 favorability rating. Non-birthers are almost evenly divided on her with 47% rating her positively and 40% unfavorably.

This is yet another poll where we find Palin with the highest favorability among Republican primary voters but still lagging in the horse race. 65% have a positive opinion of her compared to 58% for Huckabee and 55% for Romney and Gingrich. Her problem is that even though they like her, few GOP voters think Palin’s qualified to be President. Asked whether she’s more qualified to be President or Vice President, only 29% of voters place her in the top spot compared to 46% who say she’d be a more appropriate number 2.

In recent months, nearly every likely Republican 2012 presidential candidate has made his or her voice heard in Florida, courting potential campaign donors at big-ticket speaking engagements and invitation-only dinners. #

With its high number of votes in the electoral college, Florida has long been one of the nation’s most important swing states, and a vital battleground in presidential elections. Often noted for its nail-bitingly close elections, Florida’s choice for president is generally a fair indication of the election’s overall winner. In fact, the state has voted with the winning candidate in nine out of the past 10 election cycles. #

As a result, even if they haven’t officially announced their candidacy, it’s hard to disassociate the arrival of high-profile GOP figures from the 2012 presidential campaigns they are likely mulling over. #

Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin made a stop in North Florida last year, speaking at an anti-abortion event in Jacksonville. Palin has long made clear her aspirations for the White House, and has dropped hints at speaking events since losing the 2008 election. Palin played a significant role in Florida’s own midterm elections, endorsing fellow tea party favorite Pam Bondi for attorney general. #

But with the recent publicity surrounding the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords — which many linked to Palin’s infamous “political crosshairs” maps and comments like “Don’t retreat. Reload.” — the popularity of the former Wasilla mayor with a penchant for one-liners seems to be waning. #

A recent Vision Critical poll found that 38 percent of Americans say their opinion of Palin has worsened over the past year. The same poll found that a majority (64 percent) view her as inexperienced and 58 percent said that she is more “style than substance.” The results are a far cry from an August 2008 poll, which showed that Palin was the top choice to represent the GOP in 2012. #

Other would-be nominees for the presidency have been making headlines in Florida. #

In January, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (who has made it a point to distance himself from Palin recently) was one of the few hopefuls to speak at a Hispanic Leadership Network Conference in Coral Gables. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a fluent Spanish speaker with close ties to the Hispanic community, helped organize the event, extending invites to several potential Republican presidential candidates. #

Hispanic populations proved to be key for many Republicans elected during the 2010 midterm contests. Conservative Hispanics gained seven House seats, won gubernatorial campaigns in New Mexico and Nevada, and Marco Rubio, also a Republican, won his Senate race with 55 percent of the Latino vote. #

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently acted as keynote speaker to a group in Naples, focusing on current affairs, while subtly making allusions to a presidential run. During his 40-minute speech, Barbour said that experience in Washington would bode well for a political campaign: “I can’t deny I’m a Washington insider. … But I think people want someone who can get things done.” #

Barbour was reported to be considering a presidential run as early as 2010 and, considering he helped found the D.C.-based lobbying firm BGR Group, he is viewed as extremely well-connected and politically influential. But Barbour has a lot of damage control ahead of him, too — comments he made praising the pro-segregation Citizens Council landed him in hot water in his home state, which many political analysts see as a major setback to a presidential campaign. #

His appearance in Florida came only days after he told a room of South Carolina Republicans that, should he start a 2012 campaign, he would make a “serious effort.” The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Barbour was calling wealthy Republican donors with a message to “keep their powder dry” till he decides whether or not he will run. #

In June, former presidential hopeful and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney visited Jacksonville for a fundraiser benefiting then-state GOP chairman and state Sen. John Thrasher. After being introduced as “hopefully the next president,” Romney shied away from campaign talk, saying he felt like his colleagues were “starting a campaign” for him when he “hadn’t even thought about it yet.” #

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee made headlines last spring when he changed his voter registration to Florida. Though he films a Fox News show in New York City, Huckabee and his wife rent a home in the Florida panhandle and he made a high-profile endorsement of would-be governor Bill McCollum during the midterm elections. Allegations that Huckabee’s endorsement was for sale never got much traction, but made headlines nonetheless. #

Speaking at an event in St. Petersburg in April, Huckabee did mention a potential 2012 campaign — but not his own. Comparing him to President Obama, Huckabee said that Marco Rubio had all the talent needed to win a presidential election: “I’m awfully proud to say I was with [Rubio] when he was 50 points down, not 50 points up. Now I feel like a prophet.” #

Others likely to start up a campaign in the near future? Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who visited West Palm Beach last week and made an endorsement for Florida’s attorney general, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who headlined a GOP dinner in Boca Raton in late May. #

Another potential candidate currently making headlines is recently resigned U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman. Huntsman’s resignation sparked speculation that he is likely considering a 2012 White House run, and President Obama added fuel to the fire when he hinted at the same thing during a recent news conference. Jacksonville consultant Susie Wiles, who acted as campaign manager for Florida Gov. Rick Scott, was recently tapped to run a political action committee supporting Huntsman. #

Several likely candidates have also already started spending heavily in the state that will likely determine their fate. #

Palin’s political action committee (SarahPAC) took in $3.5 million last year, only $7,000 of which went to Florida candidates. Newly minted Sen. Rubio got $5,000, while Allen West and Tom Rooney each got $1,000. #

Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC, meanwhile, spent more than $55,000 on Florida candidates in the 2010 midterm elections — with $5,125 going to Rubio. Romney’s PAC raised more than $5.5 million in 2010, ending the year with nearly $800,000. In addition to his national PAC (which by law can only receive individual donations capped at $5,000) Romney has created a network of affiliated, state-level PACs, thereby ensuring that he is well-connected nationwide, and has a hefty chunk of change with which to campaign. #

However, in the Post/ABC poll, 51 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy, and 60 percent think the country is on the ‘wrong track.’ The increase could be for a few reasons — his handling of the shootings in Tucson, the end of the midterm elections wherein Republicans bashed his policies or having a Republican House to deflect some of the attention.

The Republican field remains very unformed about a year out of the Iowa Caucuses — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 21 percent of poll respondents’ support, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has 19 percent and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has 17 percent. In short, there is no frontrunner. In addition, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has 9 percent and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has eight percent. Several other mentioned candidates — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Sen. John Thune (S.D.), Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour — have less than three percent. No one — except for longshot candidate and businessman Herman Cain — has announced anything yet, and others, namely Chris Christie, have denied interest in running.

The other prominent Republicans considering presidential bids fare far worse against Obama. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich trails Obama by a 51-38 percent margin, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney finishes behind the incumbent at 47-41 percent.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin performs the worst for Republicans against Obama. She only gains 37 percent support from Iowans compared to 53 percent for Obama in a hypothetical match-up. PPP’s poll only looked at these four top tier Republican candidates, excluding other possible nominees such as former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or Sen. John Thune (S.D.).

November 2012 is a long way off, but Iowa will likely be one of the handful of swing states that could decide the president’s re-election. Governing Magazine analyzed the electoral landscape and rated Iowa, with its six electoral votes, among its 10 toss-up states. Obama carried Iowa in 2008 with 54 percent of the state’s vote. But after the 2010 census, the states carried by John McCain in 2008 gained further electoral votes, so Obama will likely start his re-election bid with less secure electoral college votes, making states like Iowa that he won in 2008 even more important to hold.