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Madame front-runner

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has a definite lead among 10 Democratic hopefuls in the 2008 presidential race, according to the American Research Group, which polled 600 Democratic and independent likely voters in both Iowa and New Hampshire on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Mrs. Clinton is favored by 35 percent of Iowans and 39 percent of New Hampshire respondents -- compared with 18 percent and 13 percent in each state, respectively, who favored John Edwards.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois mustered 14 percent and 19 percent, "undecided" was cited by 13 percent and 21 percent, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack 12 percent and 1 percent. The rest, including Sens. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut and Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio, only managed to garner the favor of between 1 percent and 2 percent of the respondents in both states, the survey found. It has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Nader raiding

Republican strategists can count on it: Democrats may strut their stuff on Capitol Hill, but still quibble among themselves. Asked his opinion of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader got crabby, indeed.

"I don't think she has the fortitude. Actually, she's really a panderer and a flatterer. As she goes around the country, you'll see more of that," Mr. Nader told CNN yesterday. "I think her main problem may well be right in New York City, [Mayor] Michael Bloomberg."

"You like Bloomberg?" asked anchorman Wolf Blitzer.

"I'm saying he'll give more diversity for sure, and he'll focus on urban problems," Mr. Nader replied, noting that he would never vote for Mrs. Clinton and is partial to Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich.

"We have got a money horse race now," Mr. Nader said. "The press and the polls are gravitating on cash-register politics as if there's a bar graph to see who's going to raise the $100 million or $200 million, [Senator John] McCain or [Senator Barack] Obama or Hillary. That's very unhealthy. That's rancid politics."