I have been amazed to see, in three different instances, three 30+ minute feeds of speeches from Senators Clinton and Obama and President Bush today. The Democratic candidates are talking about the economy and outlining their plans for fixing a litany of problems. President Bush is talking about... well, I'm not sure, but it undoubtedly has something to do with freedom.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy isn't incredibly popular at home, and he has had his share of scandalous reveals since taking office. A recent state visit to the United Kingdom, however, shows that he can nevertheless turn it on when the occasion calls for it. I will admit that this is sort of silly, but reading this story made me long to have a head of state that can occasionally show up to work and do things right on the diplomacy / international relations front. Can you imagine President Bush speaking to a joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament and evoking statesmanship?

If you've looked around while trying to drive somewhere in Dallas or Austin lately and wondered, "Where did all these people come from?!" I don't have an answer for you. But it isn't just your imagination - there are actually tens of thousands of additional people living and working in those places, as well as Houston and San Antonio, according to new census figures. DFW was the fastest growing area, adding over 150,000 new residents between July of 2006 and July of 2007.

TPM Muckraker's Paul Kiel reports that, in the wake of an NIE that largely went against Bush administration message, the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq is likely to remain secret and unavailable for public scrutiny. Or debate.

As the GOP continues to cast about, John McCain's lack of Patented Campaign Message & Money Power™ is becoming a source of concern on their side of the aisle. So far, McCain has failed to make the most of the gap between when the GOP and Democratic nominations are decided and has yet to raise impressive money.

On Monday, Curtis Rochelle reported that sales on existing homes had actually picked up a bit in February over January, but cautioned against any raging optimism in regards to the housing crisis. Today the Commerce Department reports that new home sales decreased by 1.8 percent in February, settling to a pace lower than anything since 1995.

An incredible development: Senator Mike Gravel, formerly seeking the Democratic nomination for President, has decided to bail on the Democratic Party altogether. He will now seek the Libertarian nomination, which will be decided at the party's convention in late May.

If you plan on attending this Saturday's conventions in Texas, you are likely to see plenty of familiar faces, some newly motivated Democrats ready to make a difference, and an attorney volunteering for the Clinton campaign. The Politico's Ben Smith has the text of an email sent to the Lawyers for Hillary group, stating a goal "to have an attorney present at each of the convention sites this Saturday."

If you were harboring hope for a speedy convention, you may be disappointed.

The Wall Street Journal tries to help NRCC Chair and Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole find the upside for House Republicans in the electoral beatings scheduled for November. Honestly, reading this is like reading a scouting report for the Kansas City Royals, but with less hope at second base.

With 29 retirements among House GOP members thus far and the possibility of mounting defeats in the fall, plenty of seats on plenty of committees are opening up on the Republican side. Some relatively fresh-faced members will have a shot filling some high-profile, coveted spots on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and even Appropriations. Patrick O'Connor has a rather tongue-in-cheek rundown of the vacancies over at Politico.