Love supplants hope, change for a day

A sign of confidence? A little thank-you to his wife for tolerating his presidential ambitions?

In the thick of his primary battle with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama is taking Valentine's Day off. Obama and his wife of more than 15 years, Michelle, are spending the afternoon with their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, before going out to dinner in Chicago, according to his campaign. No events, no interviews, no nothing -- just a little family time and a little romance. No word yet on gifts, or whether he's still got that BlackBerry on his hip.

Today's New York Times, meanwhile, has a good piece on Michelle and her role and value in the campaign.

As for the Clintons, they're spending the holiday campaigning -- frankly, given Obama's widening lead in the nomination battle, they can't really afford not to. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to make three stops in Ohio, where she faces a crucial primary on March 4. Bill Clinton is scheduled to make four appearances in Wisconsin, which votes in a primary Tuesday.