Newt Gingrich not dropping out even if he loses Alabama, Mississippi

Newt is sticking it out no matter what, Romney used private email accounts, Ken Ard is done and primaries are heating up all over Illinois.

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WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

* Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is now saying he won’t quit the presidential race even if he loses Alabama and Mississippi next week, though his staff had described the contests as must-wins. “We’ll clearly do well enough to move on and I think there’s a fair chance we’ll win,” he said. “But I just want to set this to rest once and for all, we’re going to Tampa.”

* Mitt Romney used private email accounts to conduct state business while governor of Massachusetts, the AP reported today. That’s legal in the state, but it means the correspondence is unavailable to the public. Some of Romney’s gubernatorial emails were obtained by the AP and put online here.

* Freedomworks, a tea party-oriented group, has endorsed Rep. Don Manzullo in the member vs. member GOP primary for Illinois’ 16th district over Rep. Adam Kinzinger. In a statement, the group called ten-term Manzullo the “conservative” and Kinzinger, a freshman, the “moderate.” Kinzinger came into office with tea party support but now has relatively centrist record; House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is backing him.

* South Carolina Lt. Gov. Ken Ard (R) has resigned in the face of a Grand Jury indictment for ethics violations. Ard is accused of using campaign money to buy personal items. State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell (R) is taking over as lieutenant governor.

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS:

* Moorpark Councilman David Pollock  is dropping out of California’s 26th district House race, saying that four Democrats on the ballot was too many. State Sen. Tony Strickland is the only Republican on the ticket for the Ventura-area seat, where Rep. David Dreier (R) is retiring and Democrats are hoping for a pick-up.

* Young liberal community organizer Ilya Sheyman is narrowly beating Blue Dog Brad Schneider in fundraising and cash-on-hand for the Illinois’ 10th district Democratic primary. Whoever wins the primary will take on Rep. Robert Dold (R) in a Chicago-area district that has been made more Democratic by redistricting.

* Comedian Louis C.K. has backed out of hosting the Radio and TV Correspondents Association’ Dinner. “He just didn't want to do it anymore,” his agent told CNN. Fox News’ Greta van Susteren said Thursday that she would boycott the event because of offensive language the comedian has used to describe Sarah Palin.

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With Rachel Weiner