• 2008 contender Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska): U.S. soldiers in Iraq face a "hopeless, winless situation."
• Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), the man Jack Abramoff is in the slammer for having bribed, has abandoned his re-election bid.
• From "The enemy of my enemy is my hippie friend" file: Staffers for embattled Sen. Rick Santorum (Christian-Right, Pennsylvania) — including one intern dressed as a duck — were caught canvassing for the Green Party senate candidate.

[With Brendan Fitzgibbons]