Super Tuesday May Be Super Confused

John Lewis may switch vote; another House member already has

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton is starting to lose the support of prominent black leaders—and superdelegates— who previously backed her. Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who carries great influence in Congress, says he's now tilting toward Barack Obama. Another Georgia Democrat, David Scott, already switched, the AP reports. “Something is happening in America," Lewis said, "and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.” More»

Democrats concede Ohio, Virginia races

(NEWSER) - Republican candidates won two congressional seats in special elections yesterday. The spots, in Ohio and Virginia, were left vacant by the deaths of representatives, both Republicans. They were in districts that have long favored Republicans, but Democrats had hoped that the low turnout typical of special elections would help them score wins. More»

Looked 'heartless' as Obama seized advantage: Charles Krauthammer

(NEWSER) - Republicans really blew it in the payroll tax debate—both in terms of policy and politics, writes Charles Krauthammer. For one thing, the two-month extension simply doesn't make sense: It requires businesses to plan for "two-thirds of a one-quarter tax-holiday extension." More importantly, for Democrats, it was "the perfect campaign ploy: an election-year bribe that has the additional virtue of seizing the tax issue for the Democrats," Krauthammer writes in the Washington Post . More»

Vocal minorities can temporarily sway the masses

(NEWSER) - Wondering about the future of the Tea Party, or what affect the Occupy Movement might have on Democrats? Try asking a bunch of fish. Scientists have found that in a school of fish, a "vocal minority"—that is, a group determined to swim in a certain direction—can entice a less-committed majority to follow. But when uncommitted fish are introduced, they tend to follow the majority. More»

Krugman: It's a 'disaster' for the country, and shows he'll surrender again

(NEWSER) - President Obama caved deeply in a debt deal that made the Republicans big winners, with both Andrew Leonard and Paul Krugman arguing that he "surrendered." Their take:

• “In the end, President Obama had to admit surrender,” writes Andrew Leonard in Salon , detailing “a smashing victory for the Tea Party and a crushing defeat for Democrats.” In Obama’s defense, he “had to choose between an awful deal or an outright catastrophe.” But he made a mistake in trying to sell it as a compromise. "The president said it was not 'the deal I would have preferred.' He should have said it's a bad deal that does not address the pressing needs of the nation," but one that he had no choice but to sign.