Rep. Tom Lantos dead at 80  —  WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom Lantos, who as a teenager twice escaped from a Nazi-run forced labor camp in Hungary and became the only Holocaust survivor to win a seat in Congress, has died.  He was 80.  —  Spokeswoman Lynne Weil said Lantos, a Californian …

Hate Springs Eternal  —  In 1956 Adlai Stevenson, running against Dwight Eisenhower, tried to make the political style of his opponent's vice president, a man by the name of Richard Nixon, an issue.  The nation, he warned, was in danger of becoming “a land of slander and scare …

Clinton badly needs Virginia victory  —  Tuesday's Chesapeake primary seems likely to continue propelling Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in opposite directions.  —  Obama has hearty leads and distinct demographic advantages in each of the three contests: Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Getting to 270  —  Can John McCain win in November?  —  The conventional wisdom is that Republicans start at a serious disadvantage in trying to hold the White House.  A still-unpopular war and a softening economy certainly represent challenges.  So far, most of the enthusiasm in the primaries …

You saw the Obama video, now watch the McCain one  —  Please watch this.  It's from my friend Andy Cobb and his brilliant cast of insane comedians and actors out in Hollywood.  (For anyone who hasn't seen the Obama video, you can watch it here first to get a flavor of the parody.)  I laughed out loud.

Quote of the Weekend  —  From Mike Huckabee, on the fact that it would basically be impossible for him to roust up enough delegates to win the nomination: … Don't you kind of love Huckabee's hilarious tenaciousness in this race — protesting the result in Washington State …

Barack Obama Makes His Case  —  Steve Kroft Interviews The Democratic Presidential Candidate  —  (CBS) Asked what he thinks is the biggest difference between himself and Senator Hillary Clinton, Obama told Kroft, “I think Senator Clinton is smart and can be an effective advocate.

Gallup Daily: Tracking Election 2008  —  Based on daily polling conducted Feb. 8-10, 2008  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are now essentially tied in the Gallup Poll Daily tracking results for Feb. 8-10, with Clinton at 46% and Obama at 44%.  Clinton's lead over Obama has eroded over the past five days.

My Brother the Superdelegate and Why I Don't Trust Him to Pick the Next President  —  My brother Rahm Emanuel is a superdelegate.  I love my brother, and I trust my brother.  But I gave up letting my brother dictate my life since he determined whether he got the top or bottom bunk in our bedroom back in Chicago.

EDWARDS, OBAMA CANCEL MEETING  —  From NBC's Mark Hudspeth and Mark Murray  —  When asked about the AP report that Obama and Edwards meeting is not happening today, the Obama campaign told us to talk to the Edwards camp.  However, when pressed, they said it wouldn't be inaccurate to report …

Meet Hillary's new campaign manager  —  WASHINGTON - Among Billaryland's inner circle, Maggie Williams is renowned as the ultimate Hillary loyalist, fierce and unwavering in her devotion for nearly 25 years.  —  As the First Lady's chief of staff, her office was in the West Wing, right next to Hillary's.

How the spooks took over the news  —  In his controversial new book, Nick Davies argues that shadowy intelligence agencies are pumping out black propaganda to manipulate public opinion - and that the media simply swallow it wholesale  —  Onthe morning of 9 February 2004, The New York Times carried an exclusive and alarming story.

Obama and the Details  —  One anti-Obama meme that I notice has gotten a lot of support even among people sympathetic to his cause is the notion that he's somehow shallow or insufficiently well-versed in policy matters.  Obviously, I can't crawl into either candidate's brain and take a look around …

Planned Parenthood Action Fund Launches Radio Ad Criticizing Sen. McCain's Commitment to Overturn Roe v. Wade  —  WASHINGTON, DC — The Planned Parenthood Action Fund today announced the release of a radio ad educating voters about Sen. John McCain's anti-choice voting record.

Michelle Obama Solidifies Her Role in the Election  —  On a conference call to prepare for a recent debate, Barack Obama brainstormed with his top advisers on the fine points of his positions.  Michelle Obama had dialed in to listen, but finally couldn't stay silent any longer.