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From Jim Geraghty's CampaignSpot blog at National Review: Soren Dayton, writing over at The Next Right: A very good source is telling me that multiple DNC members have told him that Hillary is the person. While not immediately intuitive, Clinton is the candidate who one can easily imagine helping with Barack Obama's numbers. Which seem to be ... in bad shape? Who else would fundamentally shift the numbers? You could see her bringing Democrats back home, etc., in a way that none of the other candidates could. By the way, she would probably school most Republican VP candidates in the...

Early exit poll data for tonight... In Maryland, McCain 57 percent, Huckabee 31 percent. In Virginia, the second wave of data shows an extremely close race, less than a percentage point between McCain and Huckabee. But I warn you, at this point, or even a little later a week ago, the data was saying McCain and Romney were tied in Arizona, and McCain won comfortably. No word on the Democrats yet, and no word on D.C....

As the Senate Democratic leader pushed his immigration bill through the chamber yesterday, Republican leader Mitch McConnell took a pass on the debate and left his rank-and-file members to fend for themselves. Mr. McConnell finds himself in the crossfire between a majority of his own senators, who oppose the bill, and President Bush, who desperately wants it to pass. The Kentucky Republican's solution has been to go underground, leaving his party's senators to fight among themselves and with Democrats. During all of yesterday's back-and-forth and procedural maneuvers, he did not utter a word, even eschewing the usual duty of helping...

Illegals bill loses support in SenateThe Senate immigration bill lost supporters yesterday and hangs on by a thread heading into this morning's showdown vote, after lawmakers voted down amendments making illegal aliens show roots to get legal status and cutting off their path to citizenship. This morning's vote is on a parliamentary question about limiting debate, but it boils down to a vote to block the bill. Just two days ago, 64 senators voted to revive the bill, with many saying they wanted to give the Senate a chance to improve the bill through amendments. But after a messy day...

On cloture — I think we're all hearing pretty much the same thing (although hopefully not from the same person). On Tuesday morning, before the first vote, I checked in with a plugged-in Senate source who predicted cloture would win 60 to 64 votes. The final was 64. Tonight that source says of tomorrow's second, more critical, cloture vote: "Good chance cloture will fail. If it passes, it will be a razor-thin margin. More likely to fail." Things are still fluid and could look different in the morning, but that's the way it seems at 10 p.m. tonight.

This is a recent post by Erick on ConfirmThem.com blog (a project of RedState.org):Word in legal circles is that Priscilla Owen is set to become the next justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Unfortunately, I have received reliable information late this afternoon that Karl Rove, among others, is making a last minute push for the President to consider Alberto Gonzales, despite previous assurances from inside the White House, Justice Department, and Senate that Gonzales was not being considered. A third party source tells RedState that Rove is pushing for Gonzales and that Larry Thompson’s name has gone off...

One of John Roberts’ law partners at Hogan & Hartson was none other than Sandy “how’d that National Archive doc get in my pants” Berger. When the President announced Roberts as the nominee, Berger was watching in a waiting room with radio host Michael Medved. Medved recalls this private conversation: Berger: My God, my law partner! … He’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met. Medved: Like off-the-charts kind of intelligence? Berger: Yes. In any meeting he’s always the smartest guy there. He’s just unbelievably smart. And he’s modest about it which makes him very hard to go...

Roberts' qualifications hailed by Dr. Dobson, other family advocates; liberal groups immediately begin the attack.President Bush on Tuesday unveiled his nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court: federal appeals court Judge John Roberts, a choice roundly praised by family advocates. "Judge Roberts is an unquestionably qualified attorney and judge with impressive experience in government and the private sector," said James C. Dobson, Ph.D., chairman of Focus on the Family Action. "He has demonstrated at every stop on his career path the legal acumen, judicial temperament and personal integrity necessary to be a Supreme Court justice."...

WASHINGTON, July 16 - It is like Congressional clockwork. Senate Democrats argue their case on judges; Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, soon strides onto the floor and in calm and measured tones, seeks to dismantle the Democratic argument. Now the Supreme Court fight could get much more personal for Mr. Cornyn. He is among those being mentioned as a possible nominee.... The prospect of a Cornyn nomination is disturbing to some Democrats and liberal activists. They view him as a hard-right ideologue who delivers his views in a polished and gentlemanly manner. To his opponents, the combination of sharp...

Quietly, quietly behind the scenes the Supreme Court boiler is building steam waiting for a release. Anticipation builds with rumors now circulating that the Chief Justice's health is only getting worse. As of this afternoon, he is in the hospital with a fever. Here are the latest bullet points on the Supreme Court saga. Let's just cut out the "sources say" business because everything below is what various previous sources (including my own little deep throat source) are telling me. The White House is expanding its search of possible nominees, including looking off the federal bench to the state level...

In 2000, some conservatives went to the polls without much enthusiasm for George W. Bush. What drove many of them was the simple fact that a president nominates Supreme Court justices, and they counted on him to follow through on his promise to select judges in the mold of Associate Justices Clarence Thomas or Antonin Scalia. Now, Mr. Bush has a chance to repay conservatives for the elections in 2000, 2002 and 2004, and to set the stage for 2006. There are varying opinions about how much the issue of judges moves voters. Some Republican senators think it is worth...

<p>KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A member of Afghanistan's interim government said Monday that four Arab al Qaeda members were in a convoy struck by U.S. warplanes last week.</p> <p>Amanullah Zadran, minister of border affairs, said Stinger missiles and anti-aircraft weapons were fired from the convoy. U.S. warplanes fired back, Zadran said.</p>

New York Daily News Online | News and Views | Beyond the City | Cheney as Veep Pick's a Smart Move &#151; Dems " --> --> From: News and Views | Beyond the City | Sunday, July 23, 2000 Cheney as Veep Pick's A Smart Move &#151; Dems By THOMAS M. DeFRANK Daily News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON" --> WASHINGTON t least for now, even Democratic partisans say George W. Bush's pick of Dick Cheney for a running mate is a savvy political stroke. One of the Democratic Party's most prominent officials called Cheney &quot;a very strong choice&quot; that will ...

Bush Seeks Primary Dividends With a New Campaign Style 7:00 a.m. ET (1200 GMT) February 17, 2000 By John P. Martin &nbsp;&nbsp; BEAUFORT, S.C. &#151; Sharon Griffin entered the Boys and Girls Club in this historic town on Wednesday with plans to support John McCain in Saturday's Republican primary. But as she stood in the crowded gym listening to George W. Bush, she changed her mind. Griffin, an education professor, heard Bush's voice swell to a near yell as he described his passion for education reform. She watched him field 17 questions from the audience and stay for nearly ...

Moderator: Next is Fairfax, Virginia, third party line. Caller: Mr. Keyes, I am a member of the Reform Party and a supporter of Pat Buchanan. And I was calling because I have two questions. I guess the first is, what is your position on the recent decision by the CPD regarding the debates criteria for the general debates? And the second is, regardless of the success or lack of success in your own campaign, given the commonality of positions, how do you think you might be able to work with Pat? Keyes: Two things are true. One, I would like ...

HOW TO DEFEAT A PRO-LIFE CANDIDATE By Carol Tobias, NRL PAC Director In the 1998 election, some pro-life candidates faced intense challenges from formidable pro-abortion candidates. They should have been able to expect the full support of all the pro-life community, but didn't get it. Instead, some pro-lifers who insisted they would support only 100% &quot;pure&quot; pro-life candidates divided the pro-life community and contributed to the defeat of the pro-life candidates. This cost babies' lives. New York Senate Race Pro-life Republican Senator Al D'Amato had been in the Senate since 1980. Shortly after coming to the Senate, Senator D'Amato co-sponsored ...