Barack Obama Makes His Case  —  Steve Kroft Interviews The Democratic Presidential Candidate  —  (CBS) Asked what he thinks is the biggest difference between himself and Senator Hillary Clinton, Obama told Kroft, “I think Senator Clinton is smart and can be an effective advocate.

Clinton badly needs Virginia victory  —  Tuesday's Chesapeake primary seems likely to continue propelling Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in opposite directions.  —  Obama has hearty leads and distinct demographic advantages in each of the three contests: Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

College Junior Breakfasts With Chelsea Clinton  —  21-Year-Old Wisconsin Super Delegate Gets Face Time With Former First Daughter  —  Jason Rae is a typical junior in college.  —  He spends several hours a day in class at Marquette University in Wisconsin where he is majoring in history and political science.

Rep. Tom Lantos Dies at Age 80  —  Rep. Tom Lantos, 80, a California Democrat whose experience during the Holocaust shaped his concern for human rights and his staunch view in favor of U.S. military intervention abroad, died early Monday morning, a spokeswoman told the Associated Press.

Hate Springs Eternal  —  In 1956 Adlai Stevenson, running against Dwight Eisenhower, tried to make the political style of his opponent's vice president, a man by the name of Richard Nixon, an issue.  The nation, he warned, was in danger of becoming “a land of slander and scare …

Getting to 270  —  Can John McCain win in November?  —  The conventional wisdom is that Republicans start at a serious disadvantage in trying to hold the White House.  A still-unpopular war and a softening economy certainly represent challenges.  So far, most of the enthusiasm in the primaries …

Clinton dismisses weekend losses  —  WHITE MARSH, Maryland (CNN) — Hillary Clinton on Monday explained away Barack Obama's clean sweep of the weekend's caucuses and primaries as a product of a caucus system that favors “activists” and, in the case of the Louisiana primary, an energized African-American community.

My Brother the Superdelegate and Why I Don't Trust Him to Pick the Next President  —  My brother Rahm Emanuel is a superdelegate.  I love my brother, and I trust my brother.  But I gave up letting my brother dictate my life since he determined whether he got the top or bottom bunk in our bedroom back in Chicago.

Gallup Daily: Tracking Election 2008  —  Based on daily polling conducted Feb. 8-10, 2008  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are now essentially tied in the Gallup Poll Daily tracking results for Feb. 8-10, with Clinton at 46% and Obama at 44%.  Clinton's lead over Obama has eroded over the past five days.

NEW: Preliminary Virginia Poll has Obama and McCain with Sizable Leads: Huckabee Surges  —  Eve of VA Democratic Primary 2/11/08: No Late Charge from Clinton; Obama Will Get Larger Share of Delegates: 24 hours till votes are counted in the Virginia Democratic Primary, Barack Obama is positioned …

Rove's Awesome Election Analysis  —  Rove was on Face the Nation yesterday, expressing confidence that John McCain would have no trouble uniting the Republican party in time to defeat the Democratic nominee in the fall.  The intraparty squabbling, said Rove, was a hiccup; in 2000 …

Did Bill Sink Hill on Purpose?  —  Before I explain, let me say that I'm not a (Bill) Clinton hater.  I actually like the guy.  I've grown nostalgic for the Clinton years.  The economy was booming.  He was the most free trade president we've had in a long, long time (certainly more free trade than this one).

You saw the Obama video, now watch the McCain one  —  Please watch this.  It's from my friend Andy Cobb and his brilliant cast of insane comedians and actors out in Hollywood.  (For anyone who hasn't seen the Obama video, you can watch it here first to get a flavor of the parody.)  I laughed out loud.

Huck Plays The USSR Card  —  In a race that's been marked by GOPers noisily competing to claim the mantle of Reaganism, Mike Huckabee seized an easy opportunity on CNN this morning to resurrect the old foe: “That is not what we do in American elections... Maybe that's how they used to conduct …

Bill Maher Sorry Rush Remains Alive, Media Silent  —  THIS IS WRONG  —  After Rush Death Wish, Maher Gets Free Pass  —  Since when has it become okay to wish for the death of political rivals on national television?  After Bill Maher's latest HBO meltdown, it's time to hold his feet to the fire.