Romney's Run Was Dogged by Miscalculations  —  With Mitt Romney's campaign for president nearly in tatters, he huddled with his senior advisers on Wednesday morning, jotting notes with pen and paper, to go over his options.  —  By the time the meeting ended, he seemed to want to stay in the race.

John McCain and the Last Crusade  —  This is my sixth presidential election, and for the first time ever I have no idea who to vote for.  I suppose I could have lived with Mitt Romney, but he's out.  I could feel comfortable — if not exactly enthusiastic — about Barack Obama, except for two important issues.

Gloves off: The Dem plan to hit McCain  —  With John McCain poised to win the Republican nomination, Democrats are already gathering ammunition to use against him in the general election.  —  In more than a few instances, the best fodder has been provided by the candidate himself.

Studies Deem Biofuels a Greenhouse Threat  —  Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies being published Thursday have concluded.

Bush, Congress hit bottom in AP poll  —  WASHINGTON - It's almost as if people can barely stand the thought of President Bush and Congress anymore.  Bush reached his lowest approval rating in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on Friday as only 30 percent said they like the job he is doing …

Berkeley Backs Off On Banning Marines  —  Berkeley Mayor Apologizes To Marines Over Recruiting Center Flap  —  BERKELEY, Calif. — As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday …

Huckabee to Get Evangelical Leader's Nod  —  James Dobson, one of the nation's most prominent evangelical Christian leaders, is about to endorse former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, The Associated Press has learned.  —  Dobson, founder of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Focus on the Family …

McCain's Veep Options  —  While congratulations are still premature, with Mitt Romney dropping out of the race yesterday it is now very likely that the Republican Party will nominate Sen. John McCain for president.  If that happens, the GOP will, for the first time since 1976 …

A Long Story  —  The economic news has been fairly dire this week.  The credit crunch is getting worse, and a widely watched indicator of trends in the service sector — which is most of the economy — has fallen off a cliff.  It's still not a certainty that we're headed into recession, but the odds are growing greater.

Re: Packing CPAC  —  Stanley, I'd be inclined to disagree with you.  I'd say McCain definitely papered the house.  I arrived at CPAC just before Mitt began to speak and was struck by the number of young student-ish types milling about in McCain T-shirts.  While my minder went off to check her coat …

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Landlord: Clinton staff stiffed me on rent … kdandurant@seacoastonline.com  —  PORTSMOUTH — Rochester physician Terry Bennett said he rented a city building to people who worked for Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign — and skipped town without paying the bill.

Hillary's Women  —  Let's put the Obama activist and donor numbers in perspective - 650,000 donors is a lot, but John Kerry had around 2 million donors, and George Bush had roughly as many.  Richard Viguerie and Roger Craver, direct mail gurus, have frequently noted that there are roughly …

Can Mrs. Clinton Lose?  —  If Hillary Clinton loses, does she know how to lose?  What will that be, if she loses?  Will she just say, “I concede” and go on vacation at a friend's house on an island, and then go back to the Senate and wait?  —  Is it possible she could be so normal?

McCain Can Beat Obama  —  Here at CPAC, there are lots of folks still in recovery.  I'm still getting getting used to the idea of McCain as our nominee.  —  But let me offer this.  —  I'm beginning to think Obama might be the easier candidate for McCain to beat.  Why?