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 …

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 …

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.

It Depends On What The Definition Of Conscience Is  —  Remember this? … Well, here he is, testifying that, basically, that the ends justify the means:  —  TPM reports that this way: … It's really hard for me to believe that someone who used to be a federal judge can blow that sophistry …

With Giuliani Aboard, Is Straight Talk Express Moving at Warp Speed?  —  It's a testament to how fast-moving this election cycle has become that even before former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is scheduled to end his campaign and endorse Sen. John McCain (R) later today, the development already feels like old news.

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) …

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.

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 …

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 …

Bush Thumbs Nose at Congress  —  It's about as basic as it gets: Congress has the power of the purse.  And Section 1222 of the massive defense appropriation bill enacted this week asserts that power.  It reads, in its entirety:  —  “No funds appropriated pursuant to an authorization …

Compassionate to the End  —  When President Bush took his final walk to the rostrum of the House chamber, his speech and manner conveyed little nostalgia.  He views both meditation on the past and speculation about his legacy with equal suspicion, preferring to live in the urgency of the now.

Commission Confidential  —  EXTRA  —  In a revelation bound to cast a pall over the 9/11 Commission, Philip Shenon will report in a forthcoming book that the panel's executive director, Philip Zelikow, engaged in “surreptitious” communications with presidential adviser Karl Rove …

The Daniel Pearl Standard  —  This week marks the sixth anniversary of the murder of my son Daniel Pearl, a reporter for this newspaper.  It is a fitting occasion to step back and reflect on what this tragedy has taught us.  —  I am often asked why Danny's death has touched so many people and why he …

Top Edwards Adviser Joe Trippi: Hillary And Obama Are “Banging Down The Doors” For Our Endorsement  —  Top Edwards adviser Joe Trippi just confirmed to me by phone that the Hillary and Obama campaigns are already working overtime to woo Edwards to their sides — even before his official dropout speech.