Obama wins Mississippi primary - results

Obama: 61%, Clinton 37%

Pelosi says Dem dream ticket is 'impossible'

A so-called "dream ticket" scenario - the idea that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could join forces this fall — may have gripped the imaginations of Democrats nationwide - but you can list House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a skeptic.

"I think that ticket either way is impossible," Pelosi told a New England Cable News reporter Tuesday, pointing to comments from Clinton and her campaign that implied Republican John McCain would make a better commander-in-chief than Obama.

"I think that the Clinton administration has fairly ruled that out by proclaiming that Senator McCain would be a better commander-in-Chief than Obama," she said.

Obama, Clinton in a fight to define 'winner'

As the two candidates seek to cut each other down to size, the greatest flash point between them is over the “big state” victories that have largely gone to Mrs. Clinton. While she claims that those victories make her the stronger contender in November, Mr. Obama points to the greater number of states in his column. He added a victory in Mississippi to his total on Tuesday...

House Dems from Florida opposed to re-do

The Members of Florida’s Democratic Delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives issued the following statement regarding the seating of Florida’s delegates at the DNC National Convention this August.

“We are committed to working with the DNC, the Florida State Democratic party, our Democratic leaders in Florida, and our two candidates to reach an expedited solution that ensures our 210 delegates are seated.

“Our House delegation is opposed to a mail-in campaign or any redo of any kind.”

New York Gov. Spitzer to resign today

Eliot Spitzer is going to resign his post as governor. Sources tell CBS 2 HD he's using the resignation as a bargaining chip with the feds and was expected to make an announcement some time Wednesday.

Spitzer doesn't have the luxury of playing deal or no deal. Experts agree that his involvement in a prostitution ring makes him damaged goods.

"I think his career is politically at an end," noted criminal defense attorney Ronald Fischetti told CBS 2 HD.

Sources tell CBS 2 HD the governor knows this and is using his defense team, led by Michele Hirshman, to leverage his resignation against potential charges he may face.
 

THE CANDIDATES:

John McCain... today's headlines with excerpts

McCain more hawkish on foreign policy than Bush?

John McCain is at least as determined as George W. Bush to stay the course in Iraq and more confrontational than the president on foreign policy issues ranging from Russia and China to North Korea.

The perception that McCain is less bellicose than the administration is belied by his own positions. He's skeptical about Bush's plan to provide nuclear fuel to North Korea. He has signaled he would be tougher on China. And he called Russia's elections ``rigged'' even as Bush said he wanted a ``close'' relationship with the president-elect.

Why McCain has the best health care plan

Besides eliminating the employer exclusion, McCain's plan boasts another nice feature. It would allow consumers to choose an insurance plan that suits their stage of life.

... Nine states, including New York, California, and Texas already require that as many as 50 benefits be covered, a list that ranges from in vitro fertilization to mental health services to prescription drugs. These requirements increase the cost of insurance; they're a major reason young people have dropped their coverage. Under the McCain plan, insurers in any state would be free to offer the plans with a vast variety of deductibles, co-pays and benefits. United Healthcare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans already provide a menu of packages tailored to groups as varied as Gen Xers and retirees. ..

McCain advisers lobbied for Europeans to win Air Force tanker deal

A co-chairman of Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign and other top campaign advisers and supporters were lobbyists for the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, part of a group that beat out Boeing for a $35 billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force.

Boeing, which has filed an appeal with the Government Accountability Office, is expected to focus at least in part on Mr. McCain’s role in the deal, including letters that he sent urging the Defense Department, in evaluating the tanker bids, not to consider the potential effects of a separate United States-Airbus trade dispute.

Romney would be 'honored' to be McCain's VP

“I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice-presidential nominee, myself included,” said Mr. Romney, who is scheduled to appear on Fox News Channel’s Hannity & Colmes tonight, according to advance excerpts.

“Of course this is a nation which needs strong leadership. And if the nominee of our party asked you to serve with him, anybody would be honored to receive that call.”

Hillary Clinton... today's headlines with excerpts

Ferraro 'absolutely not' sorry for Obama comment

"I am sorry that people think this was a racist comment," Ferraro said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America."

She declined to apologize directly for the firestorm she created when she told a newspaper last week that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."

She told Sawyer she was "absolutely not" sorry for what she said.

Ferraro, a former 1984 vice presidential candidate, also told Sawyer she has no intention of stepping down as a member of Sen. Hillary Clinton's finance committee.

Paglia: Hillary campaign has 'set bad precedent for future women candidates'

The arrogant, self-absorbed Clintons have shown their unscrupulous hand to all who have eyes to see. Yes, Hillary may know the labyrinthine flow chart of the Washington bureaucracy, but her peripheral experiences as a gallivanting first lady scarcely qualify her to be commander in chief.

On the contrary, her constant resort to schmaltzy videos and cheap entertainment riffs ("The Sopranos," "Saturday Night Live") has been depressingly unpresidential. Is this how she would govern? All that canned "softening" of Hillary's image would have been unnecessary had she had greater personal resources to begin with. Her cutesy campaign has set a bad precedent for future women candidates, who should stand on their own as proponents of public policy.

Would I want Hillary answering the red phone in the middle of the night? No, bloody not. The White House first responder should be a person of steady, consistent character and mood -- which describes Obama more than Hillary.

Pennsylvania isn't a lock for Hillary - yet

With the support of the state’s political establishment and favorable demographic terrain, Pennsylvania's April 22 primary is widely viewed as Hillary Clinton’s to lose.

But it’s hardly a lock, especially if Barack Obama can make inroads with a few key constituencies outside of his reliable base of affluent whites, liberals, African-Americans and the youth vote.

Clinton enjoys warm Scranton, PA 'homecoming'

Surrounded by a raucous crowd in a high school gymnasium, the New York senator hearkened back to her time as a child visiting her grandparents in the area and vacationing at nearby Lake Winola, where her family still owns a home.

''This really is like a homecoming,'' Clinton told the crowd of hundreds, many waving ''Hillary'' posters. ''Coming here really is such a personal privilege for me and for my family. And I want you to know that you will have a friend and a partner in the White House.''

see also: Clinton speaks to overflow crowd at Forum

Clinton's Pennsylvania plan

Learning from Iowa, the Clinton campaign goes frugal, tried personal approach...

It has been just over two months since Sen. Clinton came in third in the Iowa caucus. The lessons the Clinton campaign took from its expensive and unsuccessful yearlong effort there have altered the fabric of the campaign.