Weekend Roundup

GOP Faithful Get a Preview of 2008 Contenders

Almost 1,000 days before the elections of 2008, nearly 2,000 Republicans from the South and Midwest have come to Memphis looking for a new president.

Romney winds up and makes a Southern pitch

Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts looked out over a crowd of about 2,000 mostly Southern Republicans yesterday and declared that he shared their staunch conservative values, even though he leads ''the bluest state in America."

Dealing with the Mormon Factor

Say the name Mitt Romney and three words invariably follow: The Mormon Factor. Especially now, as Romney considers a 2008 presidential bid at the same time HBO is premiering a polygamy sitcom, "Big Love," on Sunday.