Losing Ugly  —  There's losing.  There's losing honorably.  And then there's John Edwards.  —  Mike Huckabee is not going to be president.  The loss in South Carolina, one of the most highly evangelical states in the union, made that plain.  With a ceiling of 14 percent among nonevangelical Republicans …

Was that a whisper in Romney's Ear?  —  What's a debate without a little blogging fun?  During the GOP Presidential Debate on MSNBC, a very curious thing happened during a Tim Russert question to Mitt Romney.  You can hear what seemed like an on air-whispered answer directed at Romney …

Transcript: John Kerry On Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton And More  —  National Journal's Linda Douglass sat down with John Kerry for “National Journal On Air."  This is a transcript of their conversation.  —  Q: I'd like to introduce Sen. John Kerry, former Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, United States senator now.

The Ideas Bill Forgot  —  It was a remarkable moment: A young, free-thinking presidential hopeful named Bill Clinton sat down with reporters and editors at The Post in October 1991 and started saying things most Democrats wouldn't allow to pass their lips.  —  Ronald Reagan, Clinton said, deserved credit for winning the Cold War.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do  —  We begin, as one always must now, again, with Bill Clinton.  The past week he has traveled South Carolina, leaving discord in his wake.  Barack Obama, that “fairytale,” is low, sneaky.  “He put out a hit job on me."  The press is cruelly carrying Mr. Obama's counter-jabs.

Hillary On The Morning Shows: Surprised By Photo Of Her And Rezko  —  Hillary hits all the morning shows, gets hit with a surprise on NBC: An old photo of her and Bill next to disgraced Obama associate Tony Rezko.  NBC's Matt Lauer says that the network “received” the photo and that its date is uncertain …

Weldon will not seek reelection  —  Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) announced Friday that he will retire from Congress at the end of this session, citing a desire to return to his medical practice.  —  “I want to thank my wife Nancy and my kids for all the support over these many years …

Primary Choices: John McCain  —  We have strong disagreements with all the Republicans running for president.  The leading candidates have no plan for getting American troops out of Iraq.  They are too wedded to discredited economic theories and unwilling even now to break with the legacy of President Bush.

An Even More Partisan Agenda for 2008  —  Election-Year Economic Ratings Lowest Since '92  —  Summary of Findings  —  With the economy slowing and the stock market reeling, there is greater agreement among Republicans and Democrats that strengthening the nation's economy should be a top priority …

John McCain's open-borders outreach director: The next DHS secretary?  —  Dr. Juan Hernandez, McCain Hispanic outreach director: “We must not only have a free flow of goods and services, but also start working for a free flow of people."  —  Last month, I received an e-mail from a concerned reader.

France, India to fire up military cooperation, nuclear energy ties  —  NEW DELHI (AFP) - India and France said they would push their military ties beyond weapons sales and open up nuclear power cooperation as soon as New Delhi is able to enter the global atomic energy market.

In Senate, a White House Victory on Eavesdropping  —  WASHINGTON — A White House plan to broaden the National Security Agency's wiretapping powers won a key procedural victory in the Senate on Thursday, as backers defeated a more restrictive plan by Senate Democrats that would have imposed more court oversight on government spying.

For Edwards, a Role as Possible Kingmaker  —  Democrat May Grab  —  Enough Delegates  —  To Sway Convention  —  LANCASTER, S.C. — As the banjo strains of his warm-up act faded to silence, John Edwards took the stage, telling the 200 assembled supporters the truth.  “The truth is, I am the underdog,” he said.

YEP, HE SAID IT  —  Seems McCain did say that.  —  Here's the video to refresh your memory ...  TPM Reader BY just sent in this clip from the Boston Globe ...  I guess it was too much to ask to have Russert crash and burn on this one.  —  Russert's quote was: “I know a lot less …

The Illustrated President  —  W.H.D. Koerner, “A Charge to Keep” (1916)  —  George W. Bush is famous for his attachment to a painting which he acquired after becoming a “born again Christian."  It's by W.H.D. Koerner and is entitled “A Charge to Keep."  Bush was so taken by it …