Women Are Never Front-Runners  —  THE woman in question became a lawyer after some years as a community organizer, married a corporate lawyer and is the mother of two little girls, ages 9 and 6.  Herself the daughter of a white American mother and a black African father — in this race-conscious country …

The Woman Who Changed the World  —  With Barack Obama's meteoric rise topping the news these days, many people have forgotten the bizarre series of events that paved the way to his stunning ascendance.  It's especially interesting given that some personal and minor details …

See No Good  —  AT SATURDAY'S New Hampshire debate, Democratic candidates were confronted with a question that they have been ducking for some time: Can they concede that the “surge” of U.S. troops in Iraq has worked?  All of them vehemently opposed the troop increase when President Bush proposed …

A Candidacy's Prose and Cons  —  CONCORD, N.H. — Hillary Clinton may have unintentionally written the obituary for the Iowa and New Hampshire phase of her presidential campaign, and perhaps her candidacy, when she told voters on Sunday: “You campaign in poetry, but you govern in prose.”

Dartmouth Students Walk Out on Bill  —  HANOVER, N.H. — About thirty minutes into Bill Clinton's nearly two-hour stop here at Dartmouth College, a steady stream of students started walking out of the venue.  —  Moments later, Clinton — his voice hoarse, sometimes cracking …

US recession is already here, warns Merrill  —  The US has entered its first full-blown economic recession in 16 years, according to investment bank Merrill Lynch.  —  Merrill, itself one of Wall Street's biggest casualties of the sub-prime crisis, is the first major bank to declare …

Clinton Braces for Second Loss; Union, Senators May Back Obama  —  NASHUA, N.H. — With Barack Obama strongly favored — even within Hillary Clinton's camp — to win a second straight victory in today's New Hampshire Democratic primary, both rivals are looking to the next battle grounds.

Obama's Surge Deflates Forum and Talk of a Bloomberg Run  —  NORMAN, Okla. — He arrived here for what seemed like it could be a big moment.  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, eyeing a third-party presidential bid, joined Republican and Democratic elders at a forum to denounce the extreme partisanship …

Video: The obligatory “iron my shirt” post; Update: Radio show stunt?  —  The plant rumors are a-swirlin', but given that it's derivative of a viral 'Net meme it's probably just a couple of kids looking to earn immortality in the jackass hall of fame.  —  You know what the most compelling evidence is that it was pre-planned, though?

Seriously, Is Matt Lauer Serious?  —  This morning, theToday Show host interviewed Mitt Romney with hostility and Hillary Clinton with protective understanding.  He asked Mitt if he's a liar buying the election and he asked Hillary about her emotions, both aired near the top of the show, Romney was live, Hillary was taped.

Bush of Arabia  —  This U.S. president is the most consequential the Middle East has ever seen.  —  It was fated, or “written,” as the Arabs would say, that George W. Bush, reared in Midland, Texas, so far away from the complications of the foreign world, would be the leader to take America so deep into Arab and Islamic affairs.