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>> we begin tonight with presidential politics. new numbers that underscore just how important our big debate here is tomorrow night and a new twist in the campai campaign conversation. a new cnn times poll shows a statistical dead heat this arizona. 36% for mitt romney, 32% for the surging rick santorum. add in a small santorum lead in michigan which also votes next tuesday, and what you get is a tense, volatile gop race as the final four candidates prepare for their first debate in nearly a month. in a moment how the tightness of the race is playing out among the candidates. but fi...

>> you know who got the biggest hoot out of that is john mccain, he's got a good sense of humor. [ inaudible ] to the more serious point though, 10% unemployment in the country, it's high out here, you've got the real estate issue out here, foreclosures -- and yet the number one issue most of the candidates and a lot of people seem to be talking about sim grags. >> right. but isn't that tied to economics? essentially every time the economy goes south, you go looking for a scapegoat and the scapegoat is obviously the people at the lowest end of the totem pole. it's easier to blame them than say...

Whether pearce leaves his own unique mark. let's bring in our great panel. jessica yellin, national political correspondent. ed montini, "arizona republican." cnn's espanol juan carlos lopez. pearce is the father of this legislation. >> right. you should call me author. somebody who actually knows the law wrote it. russell -- the interesting thing about this law, and i think even russell would admit this, today, they've already had their victory. i mean, sb 1070 i don't think was ever really meant to go into effect. it was meant to frint people. it worked. it frightened people when it was pass...