Bill Clinton jabs playing well with voters  —  So maybe Bill Clinton isn't quite so far off-message as we had assumed.  —  After two weeks of reports on the former president's temper, the former first lady's supposed inability to keep him on script, and the ostensibly dire impact on his legacy …

Huckabee: McCain-lover, Mitt-killer  —  COLUMBIA, S.C.—For people reading between the lines, Mike Huckabee's concession speech here Saturday night dropped some enticing hints that his presidential campaign now has an agenda other than getting elected president.  —  Huckabee's new role: Mitt-killer.

BILL HAS A ‘DREAM’  —  EX PREZ NODS OFF DURING MLK AWARD PRESENTATION  —  Bill Clinton showed yesterday why he made it into the book “The Art of Napping."  —  During an appearance at the Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem, the former president was caught nodding off.

“Who Let The Dogs Out?"  Mitt Romney Wants To Know  —  From CBS News' Scott Conroy:  —  JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA — Mitt Romney was greeted warmly by a largely African-American crowd at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade in Jacksonville.  He shook hands with several dozen parade-goers and even hugged a few of them.

Scarlett Johansson boosts morale in Kuwait  —  If anyone has wondered what can make a battle hardened Marine act like a love-struck high-schooler, the answer is simple—a meet and greet with Scarlett Johansson.  —  The 23-year-old bombshell met with nearly 600 service members at Camp Buehring …

CNN readers respond angrily to ‘race or gender’ story  —  (CNN) — Within minutes of posting a story on CNN's homepage called “Gender or race: Black women voters face tough choices in South Carolina,” readers reacted quickly and angrily.  —  Many took umbrage at the story's suggestion …

Stocks Plunge in Europe and Asia on U.S. Recession Fear  —  PARIS — Global stock markets plunged on Monday as fears spread that the turmoil in United States mortgage markets is spreading.  Indexes in Europe fell as much as 7 percent after a huge selloff in Asia.

Fred Thompson Loss Ends Republican Party  —  Steve Bainbridge is preparing to sit out the 2008 election rather than vote for anyone but Fred Thompson. … If only Fred Thompson were a better candidate, the party and the Republic could have survived.  Pity.

The Clinton-Obama exchange  —  CNN is providing transcript, and the full transcript of their first exchange is after the jump.  —  It began with this line from Obama, on his taxing and spending plans: “What she said wasn't true."  —  MODERATOR: She says that the new programs that she proposes she essentially

Debate Drunkblogging — LIVE!  —  5:57pm (All times likely Mountain) The worst part about CNN hosting these debates is having to watch Lou Dobbs on the pregame show.  He's like Bill O'Reilly for Morons.  —  5:59pm According to DirecTV's programming guide, tonight's debate is scheduled to run for three hours.

U.S. stock futures point to major decline on reopen  —  Markets in Europe end day in bear-market territory  —  LONDON (MarketWatch) — If futures contracts traded on a day when U.S. stocks weren't even due to open are anything near accurate, then markets will be in for a major decline on Tuesday …

SC Democrat debate: Punch, Judy, and Silky; Update: Squabbling, mud-slinging, the gloves are off!  —  Update 9:12pm Eastern.  Time for a commercial break and set change.  They're going to have them seated instead of standing.  It'll be a bonanza for the “body language experts.”