FIRST THOUGHTS: A DEM SPLIT DECISION  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** A split decision: The Clinton and Obama campaigns engaged in a furious game of spin before Super Tuesday, but Obama might have put it best when he said on TODAY and Morning Joe yesterday that it would end up being a split decision.

ONCE JOHN WINS, HE'LL MAKE A LEFT  —  RUNNING as a conserva tive, John McCain rolled up huge victories last night in New York, New Jersey and beyond.  —  But if history is any guide, the McCain we've seen of late on the campaign trail is the most conservative McCain we'll ever see.

One-Legged Stool  —  I wonder how many of us believe that if John McCain is the nominee, which is looking more likely, whether he will win New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California.  This was the Giuliani strategy.  He's losing the conservative vote in virtually every state other than New York and New Jersey.