Biden's sharp words mark a new phase in campaign

Make no mistake, the presidential campaign is well under way for the Democrats as well as the Republicans. Vice President Joe Biden called out Mitt Romney and other GOP rivals as being "dead wrong" about the auto bailout, a feisty ramping-up by President Barack Obama's top political surrogate even as the Republicans battle each other through the primaries.

Biden defends auto rescue in first big campaign foray

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. made an aggressive entry into the 2012 campaign Thursday, calling out Mitt Romney and the other Republican presidential hopefuls by name for their failure to support the auto bailout.

Santorum says English is 'condition' for statehood

Rick Santorum says making English an official language should be a "condition" of statehood for Puerto Rico.

Romney's delegate gain is still loss of 'cushion'

Mitt Romney extended his lead in delegates in the Republican presidential nomination fight this week, but his hopes of avoiding a contested convention dimmed slightly after third-place finishes in Tuesday night's two biggest contests.

Numbers offer little clarity, no closure in GOP marathon

From one perspective, Tuesday's Republican primaries in Alabama and Mississippi were two more in a long series of contests this year that have left the Republican presidential nomination picture as cloudy as a 1952 DuMont TV screen with rabbit ears.

Santorum says Romney a 'flawed' front-runner

Flush from two Southern victories, Rick Santorum held up his successes as proof that GOP front-runner Mitt Romney is a "fundamentally flawed" candidate. Romney chugged along raising and spending money for his effort to wrap up the nomination race as it spreads to far-flung contests in Puerto Rico, Illinois, Louisiana and beyond.

Romney declared winner in Hawaii's GOP caucus

Hawaii Republicans gave Mitt Romney a victory in their caucus Tuesday, softening the blow from his twin losses earlier in the night in Alabama and Mississippi.

Santorum wins; Romney pads delegate lead

Bolstering his claim that he's the strongest conservative in the Republican presidential field, Rick Santorum swept the Alabama and Mississippi primaries on Tuesday, sending a strong signal to Mitt Romney that the GOP front-runner still isn't connecting with a big chunk of the party's deeply conservative base.

Santorum is a 'David' of his own making

Rick Santorum is casting his fight with Mitt Romney as a "David-versus-Goliath" battle — but from failing to get his name on ballots to coming up short on raising cash, the Republican presidential contender deserves at least part of the blame, political observers say.