The fight over whether the delegates from Michigan and Florida will be seated at the Democratic National Convention has expanded in recent weeks, with nudges from the Clinton campaign in favor of making those delegates count and rumors that a real fight was brewing over the issue.

Lest we forget, Mitt Romney won the Maine caucuses this weekend, sealing the deal amidst high turnout for the Pine Tree State's hearty 18 delegates.

President Bush unveiled his budget proposal for 2009 today, and did an amazing job of eradicating the last vestiges of fiscal conservatism. The GOP's budgetary policy is the same as it has ever been: benefits for the rich and punishment for the poor.

How I feel about national polls is well-established — they largely indicate name ID, especially in primary elections, and have only a fractious relevance that dissipates when the rubber meets the road in a real state.

It isn't often we have reason to link to E! Online and talk about labor dispute resolutions, but there you have it. The rumor mill is churning away about how an end to the Writers Strike is imminent.

We've been talking about a meaningful Texas primary for about a year, starting way back when it seemed like it might be moved up by legislation. Now it seems like the field may force the finalization of the nominee later and later, and Texas is beginning to loom for the Democratic candidates.

The Huffington Post's Mayhill Fowler tell us that California may turn into more of a Democratic battleground than had originally been expected, and Eric Kleefield from TPM Election Central has a breakdown of the Super Tuesday outlook for the GOP candidates, showing McCain being heavily favored to make out well.

U.S. employers dropped 17,000 jobs in January, the first net month reduction since all the way back in 2003. This kind of thing will put even more pressure on lawmakers to cut a deal and get the stimulus package done.

The big money story a few days ago was Obama's big January haul. The FEC reports are in today from the campaigns, and Clinton has a big story of her own: she outraised Obama last quarter, $27 million to $23.5 million. To put it lightly, Democrats are outperforming the GOP in fundraising.

From Talking Points Memo comes this nugget from Roll Call about the NRCC: "The National Republican Congressional Committee said Friday that it has contacted the FBI about possible financial improprieties at the committee." That sounds like something with the potential to be pretty bad. More as we hear it.