A political tip sheet for the rest of us

WASHINGTON — A political tip sheet for the rest of us outside the Washington Beltway, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012:

DAY'S DEVELOPMENTS:

— GOP RACE. Caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota. Front-runner Mitt Romney hoped to stretch a two-state winning streak to four. But an electorate in both states now more conservative than when he won them in 2008 could prove troublesome for a candidate whose allegiance to conservative principles has been questioned. Rivals Rick Santorum and Ron Paul were trying to blunt Romney's momentum. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wasn't a significant presence in either state. Missouri held a nonbinding primary, to be followed by caucuses next month.

— OBAMA'S ABOUT-FACE. Reversing an earlier stand, President Barack Obama told Democratic donors it's OK to give freely to the kind of political fundraising groups he once labeled a "threat to democracy." His re-election campaign says he had little choice if he wants to compete with the big-money conservative groups that are raking in millions to spend against him in the fall. The campaign is urging its top donors to support Priorities USA, a "super" political action committee led by two former Obama aides that has struggled to compete financially with Republican-backed groups.

— CONTRACEPTIVE POLITICS: Republican presidential candidates tried to take advantage of an Obama administration policy requiring church-affiliated employers to begin providing birth control coverage to their workers. Romney, a Mormon, decried Obama's "assault on religion." Newt Gingrich, a Catholic, told Ohio voters the decision was an "attack on the Catholic Church." Gingrich also turned his fire on Romney, saying that as Massachusetts governor he "insisted that Catholic hospitals give out abortion pills, against their religious belief." Santorum, a strong anti-abortion advocate and a Catholic, made similar remarks about Romney in an article. As governor, Romney enforced a law that required all Massachusetts hospitals, including Catholic ones, to provide emergency contraception to rape victims. Some Catholics say the so-called morning-after pill is a form of abortion. Romney said he did not support the law, which passed despite his veto. But he also said at the time, "My personal view, in my heart of hearts, is that people who are subject to rape should have the option of having emergency contraception or emergency contraception information."