Today sees the Democratic contest for president move into the next stage. And on the surface, the contests today in Washington, Louisiana, and Nebraska as well as Tuesday's primaries in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. would seem to favor Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton:“The states in play this month do favor Senator Obama,” said Howard Wolfson, a Clinton spokesman, during a conference call with reporters. He cited Mr. Obama’s endorsements and his lead in the polls in states like Virginia. “We feel considerably better about the states on March 4.” Those states include Ohio and Texas, and more and more they are being seen as a chance to bring clarity to the neck-and-neck nominating fight. Campaign aides in Washington and other states were scheduled to be dispatched to Ohio and Texas as early as Sunday. Mr. Obama intends to spend considerable time in both states, as well as in Wisconsin, which holds its primary Feb. 19.With the Democrats...(Read Full Post)