Texas Democratic Presidential Primary  —  Texas: Clinton 54% Obama 38%  —  When Election 2008 began, long before the first votes were cast, Senator Hillary Clinton led in the national polls but trailed Barack Obama in the key state of Iowa.  Many remarked upon the difference between those national and state numbers.

Matthews Calls Clinton Press Shop “Lousy”, “Kneecappers”  —  Chris Matthews fired a salvo at the Clinton campaign this morning after both he and his MSNBC colleague were privately and publicly rebuked for recent comments deemed misogynistic or inappropriate.

The Clintons' Beef With the Media  —  Are the news media being beastly to Hillary Clinton?  Are political reporters and commentators — as Bill Clinton suggested but didn't quite come out and say in a radio interview Tuesday — basically in the tank for Barack Obama?

Clinton Camp May Regret Largely Turning Its Back on Caucus States  —  Among the costliest decisions Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign has made this year was to largely cede caucus states to Barack Obama.  It is one that, in retrospect, baffles Democratic strategists and, even more so, the operatives on Obama's team.

Mao offered U.S. 10 million women  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid a discussion of trade in 1973, Chinese leader Mao Zedong made what U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called a novel proposition: sending tens of thousands, even 10 million, Chinese women to the United States.

WHITE MEN WITH OBAMA SINCE THE BEGINNING  —  Much was made this week of Obama's performance among white men in Virginia.  Indeed, his support with white men was seen as both the key to Obama's Potomac Primary victories, as well as a sign of broadening support to include those formerly in Clinton's base.

Waxman Regrets Hearing Was Held  —  WASHINGTON — A day after a dramatic, nationally televised hearing that pitted Roger Clemens against his former personal trainer and Democrats against Republicans, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said Thursday …

Let's Revote in Michigan and Florida  —  Democrats are headed for a trainwreck in campaign '08 that threatens to produce a tainted Democratic presidential nominee and, worse, a divisive and delegitimized presidential contest.  —  Recall that when Michigan and Florida moved up their primaries …

Jihadis throw a wild bash over the Protect America Act  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  What can one even say about this quote, included in Carl Hulse's NYT article on the Democrats' refusal yesterday to pass the Senate's FISA bill before expiration of the Protect America Act:

BAE: papers reveal Saudi threats  —  Spectre of ‘another 7/7’ led Tony Blair to block bribes inquiry, high court told  —  Saudi Arabia's rulers threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless corruption investigations into their arms deals were halted, according to court documents revealed yesterday.

TV bunny rouses Gaza kids against Israel, Danes  —  Source: Reuters  —  A man-sized talking rabbit appeared on television in Gaza on Friday to denounce Danish newspapers over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that offended Muslims.  —  The latest in a line of cartoon-inspired characters …

Rep. Lewis: Report of delegate switch to Obama ‘not accurate’  —  A story in Friday New York Times that said U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) was going to back Barack Obama for president is inaccurate, a spokeswoman for the former civil rights leader told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning.

Confidence or Derangement?  —  “This is death by a thousand cuts.”  That's what they keep saying about Hillary Clinton.  —  Think of what this week was for her.  She awoke each day having to absorb new sentences in a paragraph of woe:  —  Three more primary losses, not even close.

‘Porkbusters’ boot GOP leadership rep from list  —  Angered by the decision of Republican leaders to not give earmark foe Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee, a coalition of fiscal conservative groups is kicking the GOP leadership's representative off its mailing list.

MI/FL: The DNC Changed The Rules  —  This horse has long been beaten to death, but this thoughtful diary about the MI/FL fiasco ignores the fact that, as commenter dhonig points out, it was the DNC that changed the rules of what the punishment would be for moving up the Mi and FL primaries.

WISC-TV statewide presidential primary poll  —  The WISC-TV Poll was conducted from February 13 through February 14, 2008.  A total of 600 likely voters who vote regularly in state elections were interviewed statewide by telephone.  The poll was conducted by Research 2000 and was paid for by WISC-TV.