By Steve Huff 2/10 2:58am

PUBLIC HEALTH

(Flickr/Francisco Javier Argel)

You Probably Didn’t Catch Measles at The Super Bowl

If you were among the crowds in Indianapolis rooting for the New England Patriots or New York Giants last Sunday, there’s a chance you received more than a beer and barbeque hangover or big foam finger for your troubles: health officials in Indiana report at least two cases of measles in the Super Bowl village.

While the patients who came down with measles didn’t go to the game, they did pass through Super Bowl village along with 200,000 others. Since measles is highly communicable, Indiana officials elected to alert state health departments across the country. Read More

By Steve Kornacki 5/07/08 1:50am

The End of the Clinton Strategy

Tuesday was a decisive night for Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton won Indiana, barely, giving her as many states on the day as Obama got.

But the result made clear one thing: It doesn’t matter anymore.

Ever since she fell hopelessly behind Obama in the pledged-delegate and popular-vote counts during a string of February defeats, Clinton Read More

By Jason Horowitz 5/07/08 1:23am

In Victory Speech, Obama Looks Forward to General Election

Barack Obama’s campaign just released the remarks he’s prepared for tonight’s primary night rally in Raleigh, N.C., in which he said his campaign stands “less than two hundred delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination ….”

He called Hillary Clinton a “formidable opponent,” and congratulated her for her victory in Indiana, and expressed confidence that Read More

By Jason Horowitz 5/07/08 12:16am

Obama Supporters Finally Get to the Fun Part

Barack Obama is winning. North Carolina is his, comfortably, and his delegate-count continues to climb ever closer to a requisite primary-ending majority.

So why has his campaign felt like a long march over broken glass?

“It is painful to watch,” said an influential Obama supporter and delegate in an interview the day before the North Read More

By Steve Kornacki 5/06/08 2:53am

The Stakes in North Carolina and Indiana

A pair of outright wins by Hillary Clinton on Tuesday could prompt immediate chaos, with already-jittery Democrats questioning anew Barack Obama’s general election viability and Clinton potentially moving into position to run the table in the remaining contests and to reverse some of the crucial metrics that have favored Obama and sustained his perceived inevitability Read More

By Jason Horowitz 5/05/08 2:01am

Barack Obama, Family Guy

INDIANAPOLIS—Barack Obama has become a family values candidate.

Wracked by questions over his beliefs, patriotism and values following the most tumultuous passage of his campaign, Mr. Obama has sought solace – and a new story line – in family.

Over the past few days, Mr. Obama steeped his speeches in talk about his grandparents and Read More

By Jason Horowitz 5/03/08 6:50pm

Obama’s Pocketbook Speech

INDIANAPOLIS—Barack Obama continued his assault on John McCain and Hillary Clinton over their proposed gas tax holiday today during a speech his campaign billed as his plan to fight for working families and against special interests. Responding to a new advertisement from Clinton about the gas tax, Obama, speaking in a high school here, said,“Keep Read More

By Steve Kornacki 5/02/08 2:12pm

This Time, Expectations Work for Obama

So far, 2008 has been the year of artificial momentum and warped expectations, and Hillary Clinton has been the beneficiary.

In contest after contest this primary season, we have seen the illusion of momentum, created by the spillover effect from recent results and whatever the dominant media narrative of the moment happens to be. So, Read More