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 …

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?

I Hate This  —  From WSJ: … And from Steven Waldman at Beliefnet: … I repeat: I do not believe that Mitt Romney is not the nominee because of his religion.  I do, however, think it was a problem.  And that is offensive to our very Founding.  Someone out there needs to have some deep discussions …

Bush Declares That Cheney Is ‘The Best Vice President In History’  —  During his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this morning, President Bush told the crowd of raucous right-wing activists that he “appreciates the fact that” they “invited Vice President Cheney” to speak.

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.

The Fall of Romney, Inc.  —  In fairness to Team Romney, they did more right than not.  They rose from single digits in the national polls to receiving 32% of the primary votes cast to date.  They became the conservative establishment's choice.  They leveraged mechanical and resource superiority …

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.

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 …

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 …

Questions for Dr. Retail  —  QUESTION: Dr. Retail, now that the Democratic presidential race has entered its long, bloody slog phase, I figured it was time to get a fresh perspective.  Can you explain to me what it's all about?  —  DR. RETAIL: Why do you bother me with simple problems?

Remarks by the President to the Conservative Political Action Conference  —  Washington, D.C.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all.  Good morning.  I thank you for coming.  I apologize to my friend — he likes to sleep in.  (Laughter.)  —  I really do want to thank you all for adjusting the schedule.

Boy wants to return to school as a girl  —  HIGHLANDS RANCH - The issue of being transgender usually pops up with students in high school.  However, a 3rd grade boy wants to dress as a girl and wants teachers and students to address him with a girl's name.  —  “As a public school system …

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.

The Story from CPAC  —  Will reporters hype the division?  —  JOHN MCCAIN'S SPEECH at CPAC was surprisingly well-received.  Aside from a couple small pockets of boos, McCain got a more than polite applause from the crowd.  And one of the interesting things to watch, from my vantage point …