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.

According to this Gallup poll released today, some Democrats don't hold very Democratic views about this election:

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.

Suspense is building over the race to take on McCain, but unlike most Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid doesn't seem too concerned. "Things are being done" within the Democratic party to end the drawn-out primary contest, according to Reid.

The Democratic Party will let Puerto Rico move its primary election up to June 1, and switch from a caucus to a primary. With 55 pledged delegates at stake, Puerto Rico could be a significant prize for the candidates. Bill Clinton will campaign for his wife there in early April. Obama has not announced specific plans for Puerto Rico, but the governor is an Obama supporter.

Who will get the nomination, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) says the answer could be "neither."

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.