Racial tensions roil Democratic race  —  A series of comments from Senator Hillary Clinton, her husband, and her supporters are spurring a racial backlash and adding a divisive edge to the presidential primary as the candidates head south to heavily African-American South Carolina.

Poll: McCain gets 21-point bump after victory  —  CNN Deputy Political Director  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — John McCain's victory in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary appears to be paying off.  —  The senator from Arizona is the front-runner in the battle for the Republican presidential nomination …

Shut Up, Larry  —  When I read Lawrence O'Donnell's post calling John Edwards a “loser” and threatening a lifetime of infamy if he doesn't get out of the race, I immediately went to O'Donnell's bio to see his party affiliation.  I was sure it would say “R” — but it didn't.  It didn't say anything.

THE AD MS. MAGAZINE REFUSED TO RUN:  —  The message, I take it, is pretty clear — “Feminists should like the way women are treated in Israeli life,” coupled with the pretty strong implication of “... and look how favorably it compares on this score to Israel's enemies.”

Does Chris Matthews have a problem with women?  —  Using overtly sexist language, he has referred to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) as a “she devil” and compared her to a “strip-teaser."  He has called her “witchy” and likened her voice to “fingernails on a blackboard.”

Ricks: Baghdad Only Seems ‘Peaceful’ Because 2006 Was ‘Pure Hell’  —  Discussing the one-year anniversary of President Bush's call for the “surge” on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night, Washington Post Pentagon reporter Thomas Ricks said that, “judged on the terms …

HOW TO PREVENT A NAVAL WAR WITH IRAN.  —  Just how serious was the half-hour standoff Sunday morning between three American warships and five Iranian speed boats in the Strait of Hormuz?  Did we come close to war?  Was there any provocation?  Was the Pentagon's version of events, as the Iranians claim, a fake?

Are We All Democrats Now?  —  Peace and prosperity are age-old winning campaign issues.  Reduced marginal tax rates have stood the test of time.  They are an effective economic stimulant, creating permanent incentives to work and invest and sufficient fire power to expand the economy's long-run potential to grow.

Observant Jews Effectively Barred from Nevada Caucuses  —  We've been drawing attention this week to the fact that the media-sponsored exit polls in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary only asked Republicans if they are evangelicals - effectively rendering Democratic evangelical primary voters invisible.

“We're all fascists now”  —  Jonah Goldberg is not a popular man among liberals.  The son of Lucianne Goldberg, the literary agent who played a pivotal role in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, he already had that as a strike against him when he began his career as a conservative political commentator in the late 1990s.

Snow falls on Baghdad for first time in memory  —  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Snow fell on Baghdad on Friday for the first time in memory, and delighted residents declared it an omen of peace.  —  “It is the first time we've seen snow in Baghdad,” said 60-year-old Hassan Zahar.  “We've seen sleet before, but never snow.

Bush Rejects McCain's ‘100-Year’ Occupation Of Iraq: 'That's A Long Time'  —  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has spent the last few weeks saying that in order to ensure the stability of Iraq, the United States should be prepared to stay in the country for 100 to one million years.

The Real McCain Record  —  There's a reason some conservatives who support John McCain are rarely willing to discuss the bulk of his record.  They want to discuss his personal story, his position on the surge, and his supposed electability.  And when questions are raised about McCain's broader record …