DAILY GRINDER: Rick Santorum Takes 2nd in Iowa | PhillyNow | A ...

Rick Santorum is on the cover of every newspaper in America this morning (besides Philadelphia Weekly, and probably some others). And he deserves it. He didn’t show so strong last night in Iowa, losing by 14 8 votes to Mitt Romney (by 10 p.m., pundits were saying even if he didn’t win, he won) just because there are some anti-gay corn farmers somewhere. He’s genuinely a good candidate for president and if you don’t believe that, watch his midnight speech from last night. Then the general cable news reaction to it. This is happening. Accept it or, more likely, fear it, because that guy is literally against condoms. I mean, really: Condoms! Anyway, check out last night’s PW live blog of the caucuses.

Romney gave a speech, too. A terrible one. We’re going to give him the benefit of the doubt, believing someone secretly lined his margarita glass with coke a la that episode of The League. Because, Jesus. Is he like that all the time? What a freak.

Santorum spent $1.65 per vote. Romney spent $113.

And now the machine steps in. Former presidential candidate John McCain is endorsing Mitt Romney today, because, HOLY SHIT OUR VIABLE CANDIDATE MIGHT LOSE. Except, John McCain, isn’t he just a hologram now?

One of the top Google searches that brought people to PhillyNow’s blog last night: “Rick Santorum sucks.”

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput may be trying to sell the Overbrook residency where he lives. This comes as a blue ribbon commission prepares to recommend the closing of dozens of parish schools. The sale needs to be approved by the Vatican.

State Senate President Joseph Scarnati of Jefferson County, who’s been leading the natural gas push in the state, says he wants to have a Shale bill ready by February.

There were 32 fire deaths in Philly in 2011. That’s one less than last year but we’re still the arson capital of the country (Pennsylvania, that is.)

Not cool: Two guys get into a fight in Overbrook and one kills the other’s dog? How’s that fair? According to the Daily News, the dog was stabbed “at least six times throughout its torso.”

New Jersey marijuana activist Weedman is set to defend himself at trial. Check out more Weedman here and here.

Keystone Progress named 20 Pennsylvania state representatives as its Legislative Heroes of 2011, and you guessed it: 13 are from Philadelphia. They are, Reps. Louise Williams Bishop, Vanessa Lowery Brown, Michelle Brownlee, Mark Cohen, Lawrence Curry, Pam DeLissio, Babette Josephs, Michael O’Brien, Cherelle Parker, James Roebuck, Curtis Thomas, Jewell Williams, and Rosita Youngblood.

Here are Rangers and Flyers fans fighting outside Geno’s after the Winter Classic.

Here are Mummers and ‘Normies’ fighting on 2 Street.