Obviously, the political world is focused on the health of Ted Kennedy, and not the potential political implications of his diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor. And despite the grim prognosis, it’s worth noting that there is a precedent in the Senate for overcoming similar odds: In 1993, Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter was also diagnosed with a brain tumor and given weeks to live, but he’s still in office today.  read more »

The biggest news for Republicans at 8:00 is that Massachusetts has been won -- decisively -- by Mitt Romney. John McCain has campaigned in the Bay State, hoping to capitalize of disaffection with Romney from Republicans who feel he abandoned them as governor to pursue his national ambitions. McCain had the backing of two former Republican governors -- Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift (who was pushed out of the corner office by Romney in 2002) -- and hoped to benefit from residual goodwill from 2000, when he blasted George W.  read more »

BOSTON—Photographers are petting the bomb-sniffing dogs! Nuts! Next up, cats and dogs having sex. Seriously, usually they just take you to jail if you go near the dog.

Earlier, down on the seaport at the World Financial Center, the line to go see Barack Obama speak stretched, four and eight wide, for at least half a mile, curving along the shore and up and over a bridge to downtown. Fortunately there wasn't much of a breeze off the water, but the youngsters in line (and they are young!) were shouting and hopping to keep warm. Seriously.

Madness!

During a visit by Hillary Clinton with some volunteers at her Boston headquarters just now, I peeled away from the pack for a moment to talk to Keith Collins, who has been working the phone banks for Clinton since Saturday.

In an admirably blunt assessment of the situation, he told me he thinks Obama is surging, and that Clinton-fatigue may be a factor.

“He’s coming on strong,” said Collins, a 44-year-old resident of South Boston who works for the city’s department of transportation. “I think people are tired of the Bushes and the Clintons. They want something new.”  read more »

WORCESTER, Mass.—In a slightly altered stump speech delivered here this afternoon, Hillary Clinton challenged Barack Obama by arguing that it was more worthwhile to use unity to reach a goal rather than just espouse unity for unity’s sake.  read more »

Moving up the date of New York's Presidential primary may mean seeing less of Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani.

Hillary will be raising money privately in Massachusetts.

Rudy Giuliani said that setting a timetable for pulling out of Iraq "made no sense to me."

The police will have to go "hat-in-hand" to bus and rail agencies to get federally authorized money to protect the mass transit system.

Fifty-three percent of financial-district buildings are now owned by New York-based landlords, The Wall Street Journal reports. These include One Federal Street, bought by Tishman Speyer last year, and the recent purchase of the State Street Financial Center by Fortis Property Group.