The Field Is Clear - At Least This Week

As voters prepare to determine the next round of presidential voting tomorrow in three states, the candidates have a clear field - at least in terms of political news - for most of this week.

That's because not only is President Bush out of town until late this week on his trip to Africa, but Congress is also out of session for this President's Day holiday week.

That means fewer questions from pesky Congressional reporters like myself for lawmakers who are super delegates on the Democratic side.  Less scrutiny, means less of a drumbeat of daily stories out of Washington, D.C.

Instead there will be more of an emphasis on stories in local newspapers, which usually don't ricochet onto the News Agenda as effectively as a story in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.

I do find it interesting where Barack Obama will be on Tuesday while voters are casting ballots in Wisconsin and having Democratic caucuses in Hawaii.  He will be shifting to the next battleground, with a pair of rallies in Texas.

The latest polls give Hillary Clinton a lead in Texas for the most part, though not as big as the leads she enjoys in surveys in Ohio.  Both of those states are the anchors of the March 4th round of primaries.

I know, I know.  The polls have been flat out wrong in a number of states so far on the Democratic side.

Are we seeing what some say is the "buyer's remorse" phase of this campaign?  Where now that Obama is seen as the frontrunner, that maybe he gets a tougher review from both the voters and the media?  We shall see.

One listener just zapped me an email, urging the media to get tough on Obama.

"He only has

to say that he's for hope and change," wrote Bob from Charlotte, North Carolina.  "What gives?"




As voters prepare to determine the next round of presidential voting tomorrow in three states, the candidates have a clear field - at least in terms of political news - for most of this week. That's because not only is President Bush out of town until late this week on ...