Familiar face to be missing from GOP debate  —  SIMI VALLEY, California (CNN) — Republican presidential hopefuls will face off Wednesday night without a familiar face now that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has dropped out.  —  The remaining candidates will take the stage in a debate …

Gallup Daily: Tracking Election 2008  —  Based on daily polling from Jan. 27-29, 2008  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama has now cut the gap with Hillary Clinton to 6 percentage points among Democrats nationally in the Gallup Poll Daily tracking three-day average, and interviewing conducted …

POST ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA  —  Democrats in 22 states across America go to the polls next Tuesday to pick between two presidential prospects: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  —  We urge them to choose Obama - an untried candidate, to be sure, but preferable to the junior senator from New York.

The Last Action Hero  —  So here we are, at the turn of the tide: one vote from winning the court; two-to-three good years from winning the largest stage of the war; the pressures of the Oval Office at their dramatic peak.  A critical moment in our nation's history, time for an individual …

Ralph Nader Flirts with Presidential Bid  —  With Harsh Words for Current Field, Nader Says Candidacy as Urgent as Ever  —  Ralph Nader has formed a presidential exploratory committee, and said in an interview Wednesday that he will launch another presidential bid if he's convinced …

That's More Like It  —  Here's Barack Obama talking today in Denver: … Obviously, Obama, too, would have some problems against John McCain who'll argue that he's too green.  But the basic spirit here seems correct to me.  You want to argue that discontentment with the fruits of Bush's policies …

Why Edwards Lost: A Response to Cohn  —  Ed Kilgore, managing editor of the online magazine and political blog, The Democratic Strategist, responds to Jonathan Cohn's eulogy for the Edwards campaign:  —  With John Edwards' withdrawal from the Democratic presidential race today …

The Conservative Reality: A Vote For Huckabee Is A Vote For McCain  —  Chris Cillizza reports the MSM understanding of what is happening on the GOP side —the repudiation of conservatism: … In fact, the conservative vote has been split in many directions, but now has to decide whether …

Mukasey Refuses To Brief Congress On Legality Of CIA Torture Program  —  In December, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) asked Attorney General Mike Mukasey for his analysis of the legality of the CIA's interrogation program.  Yesterday, in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee …

The Orcinus fundraiser  — by Dave  —  Fund-raisers can be something of a mixed bag — simultaneously inspiring and deflating, especially when you're like me and really don't care for certain things required of people who use them as the revenue sources for their blogs.

Super Tuesday Math: Far, Far From Over  —  CNN puts McCain with 97 delegates and Romney at 74.  —  Let's look at the worst case for Romney on Super Tuesday.  —  Next Tuesday the winner-take-all states that lean McCain are New York (101), Missouri (58), Arizona (53), New Jersey (52) …

For immediate release  —  The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 50 basis points to 3 percent.  —  Financial markets remain under considerable stress, and credit has tightened further for some businesses and households.

A King Backs Clinton  —  Amy Chozick reports on the presidential race from Little Rock, Ark.  —  As the Obama campaign basks in the Kennedy glow, chief rival Sen. Hillary Clinton picked up an endorsement today from a larger-than-life southern entertainer known for his sideburns and white rhinestone-studded jumpsuit.

Sources: Schwarzenegger in talks to endorse McCain  —  SIMI VALLEY, California (CNN) — Two Republican sources familiar with the conversations tell CNN California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in discussions about endorsing John McCain's presidential bid.

U.S. Rep. Davis to Retire, Ending 14-Year Tenure in Congress  —  U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said today he will retire from Congress at the end of the year, bringing to a close a 14-year stint in the House of Representatives during which he rose rapidly through the ranks …