Morning Brief, Wednesday, February 6

Super Tuesday

DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battled roughly to a draw, while John McCain emerged as the clear Republican front runner after a strong showing by Mike Huckabee siphoned conservative votes from Mitt Romney. Here’s how it broke down:

Clinton: AR, AZ, CA, MA, NY, NJ, OK, TN (8 states)
Obama: AK, AL, CT, CO, DE, GA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, ND, NM, UT (14 states)

Huckabee: AL, AR, GA, TN, WV (5 states)
McCain: AZ, CA, CT, DE, IL, MO, NJ, NY, OK (9 states)
Romney: CO, MA, MN, MT, ND, UT (6 states)

And here’s how the AP delegate count shakes out (these numbers could change):

Clinton: 845
Obama: 765
2,025 Needed

McCain: 613
Romney: 269
Huckabee 190
1,191 Needed

The race was marred by deadly tornadoes in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama.

With the Republican calendar now looking like a stampede for McCain, here’s what’s next for the Democrats: Louisiana, Nebraska, and Washington (Feb. 9), Maine (Feb. 10), Maryland, Virginia, and DC (Feb. 12), Wisconsin and Hawaii (Feb. 19), and Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont (Mar. 4). 

Europe

French sent Defense Minister Hervé Morin to Chad to meet with embattled President Idriss Déby, who appears to have beaten back a rebel assault on his capital.

Italy’s president dissolved the parliament. By law, a new election must follow within 70 days.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging NATO states to shoulder more of the burden in Afghanistan. 

Middle East 

Rice also chided U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad for appearing on the same stage at Davos with the Iranian foreign minister.

Hamas claimed responsibility for Monday’s suicide attack in Israel. The Israeli military is stepping up its attacks on Gaza in response, although the bombers came from the West Bank.

Iraq is pushing for international investment in its oil sector despite not having a new revenue-sharing law.

Asia

The Sri Lankan government launched a new offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels in the country’s north.

Opium growth in Afghanistan is “alarming,” a new report by the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime says. 

China says it has restored electricity to millions whose power was cut by last week’s storms. 

Elsewhere

U.S. stocks had their worst day of the year.

U.S. National Intelligence Directer Mike McConnell said that al Qaeda is boosting its capability to attack the United States.

The death toll from post-election violence in Kenya has surpassed 1,000. 

Today’s Agenda

• New Zealand celebrates its national day.
• It’s the U.N.’s International Day against Female Genital Mutilation.
• Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent for Christians.

Yesterday on Passport

• War in Iraq third most important issue to GOP voters
• Quotable: The immortal Mike Huckabee
• A rough ride for Romney