[Costello:] Mitt Romney is expected to pick up enough delegates when Texas holds the primary to push him over the top. He only needs 78 more delegates to hit the magic number of 1,444 to clinch the GOP presidential nomination. Romney's also hitting the trail today in two western battleground states. His first stop is in Craig, Colorado, that will happen in the next hour and then he heads to Vegas to attend a fundraiser hosted by real estate mogul, Donald Trump. Just moments ago, Fox News aired part of an interview with Romney talking about what he needs to do to win over undecided voters in those battleground states.
[Mitt Romney , Presidential Candidate:] I can make the economy better. I can get more jobs in America. I can get competition between employers for jobs, rising wages. I understand how the economy works. The president wants to make this a personal attack campaign. He's going after me as an individual. Look, I'm an American. I love this country. I have experience in the economy that's going to happen me get good jobs for Americans so we can be secure again.
[Costello:] Well, Romney is talking about the economy. Others are talking about his decision to attend that Vegas fundraiser hosted by Donald Trump even though Trump hasn't let go of the birther issue. He's once again questioning where President Obama was born. Trump harped on that issue for such a long time that for the first time in history an American president produced the long form birth certificate. Trump has not put the issue to rest, but Romney welcomes Trump's support. I talked about that with CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein.
[Ron Brownstein, Cnn Senior Political Analyst:] Part of the job of being president is being president to the whole country and that includes saying no to your own party at time. And one thing that Mitt Romney has been throughout this primary season is very reluctant to pick a fight on the right. When Rick Santorum got up and said challenge the separation of church and state, and said John Kennedy had made him sick. Mitt Romney was pretty much silent when Rush Limbaugh attacked the Georgetown student over the contraception issue. Mitt Romney only said, well, I wouldn't use that that's not the language I would use. He's been very mild. There's a pattern here where he's seemed reluctant to challenge the right. I think he's always been concerned whether conservatives would ultimately kind of rise up against him in some ways and the cumulative portrait makes you look kind of weak.
[Costello:] But still, I mean, Mitt Romney came out and said, I need 50.1 percent of the vote. I need money to win. I need all the support I can get. I'm not to agree with all the supporters and I certainly don't agree with that part of Donald Trump's mantra, but I need his support to win.
[Brownstein:] That's fine as far as it goes but, Carol, if you think about where this election is going to be decided, both parties have a pretty solid base. The portion of the Republican Party and there is a significant minority of the Republican Party who believes who basically agrees with Donald Trump's questioning although seemingly the issue has been settled. The issue is going to be decided I think fundamentally by voters who are tend to be college educated, suburban voters who may be somewhat economically or ideologically disappointed with President Obama after 2008. But are reluctant to turn over power to the Republicans either because they see them as too ideological or intolerant or extreme and by not unequivocally separating himself from these sentiments, I think Romney adds another hurdle for himself with those voters who in the end outside of Philadelphia and outside of Detroit are the kind of voters he's going to need.
[Costello:] Checking our top stories now. Northern Italy is on edge this morning after an earthquake kills at least 12 people. Several aftershocks have been reported. Today's quake was centered in the province of Modana near Bolona. Nine days ago, a quake struck the same region killing seven people. We are going to survive this. That's what a husband and father in Idaho said right after his small plane slammed in to the mountain. He was right. Brian Brown, his wife, Jan and their daughter, Heather, were injured, but they're expected to be OK. Immediately after the crash, Heather calmly called 911.
[Unidentified Dispatcher:] Owyhee County 911, what is your emergency?
[Unidentified Caller:] Hi, I'm in an airplane and I crashed and I'm in the mountains.
[Unidentified Dispatcher:] Where are you at, Hun?
[Unidentified Caller:] In the 29 miles east of west of Mountain Home, Idaho. I need you to send a search party, please.
[Costello:] Well, they did send a search party, but because of the rough terrain and bad weather, it took 15 hours for a chopper to finally rescue them. Mexico seeing the own version of the Arab spring right now. Young voters getting active and feeling empowered. They could help decide who wins Mexico's presidential race. We'll have that story.