MSNBC's Shuster to Offer On-Air Apology to Clinton  —  Using a prostitution metaphor for the daughter of a presidential candidate is a surefire way for a journalist to get into trouble.  —  On MSNBC yesterday, correspondent David Shuster went there, amazingly enough, while interviewing …

The media pick the winners  —  Super Tuesday's over, and there's no absolute winner among either Democrats or Republicans.  —  Nonetheless, even though no one candidate has yet locked up their party's nomination, we might as well cancel the rest of the primaries or caucuses.

Obama With Big Lead In Virginia  —  InsiderAdvantage, the only national firm to accurately indicate the surge of Mike Huckabee in Southern states on “Super Tuesday,” polled Virginia Democrats for the Southern Political Report, whose coverage includes that state.

The Sun Also Sets  —  Climate Change: Not every scientist is part of Al Gore's mythical “consensus.”  Scientists worried about a new ice age seek funding to better observe something bigger than your SUV — the sun.  —  Back in 1991, before Al Gore first shouted that the Earth was in the balance …

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 …

Bill Clinton says he's learned a lesson  —  WASHINGTON - Former President Clinton says he's learned a lesson from the dustup over his remarks on the campaign trail — he can promote his wife's presidential candidacy, but he's not free to defend her.  —  Bill Clinton also said that everything …

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.

INCENTIVES IN POLICIES.  —  Another note on Richard Eskow's interview with Obama health adviser David Cutler.  In it, Cutler says, “It comes down to this: You'll never get someone to buy something if it's not affordable and not accessible.  People just don't do it...If there are free riders, Obama is open to mandates.

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?

Leprosy outbreak causes concerns in Northwest Arkansas  —  SPRINGDALE - The medical community is warning the public: a leprosy outbreak in Springdale could blossom into an epidemic, if something isn't done soon.  —  Doctors say at least nine cases of leprosy have been confirmed in Springdale.

Violations of ‘Islamic teachings’ take deadly toll on Iraqi women  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — The images in the Basra police file are nauseating: Page after page of women killed in brutal fashion — some strangled to death, their faces disfigured; others beheaded.  All bear signs of torture.

Thoughts on the Current Mess  —  There were four developments that got conservatives into this mess — the inexcusable increase of federal spending from 2001-05 (that gave mendacious Democrats room to fabricate that the tax cuts had caused the red ink), the sordid scandals of 2005-7 …