Barack Obama's foreign policy adviser Samantha Power resigns from the campaign after a newspaper quotes her saying that Hillary Clinton is a "monster". On the Republican side, Ron Paul announces that his campaign "will soon wind down" and John McCain "grows agitated" after a journalist asks him whether he would consider picking John Kerry as his running mate, ABC News reports.

"She is a monster, too - that is off the record - she is stooping to anything."
Obama adviser Samantha Power, quoted in the Scotsman

You can be quite sure plenty of Clinton advisers have said far worse things about Obama privately Jonathan Cohn New Republic At-a-glance: 5 March

"I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton."
Samantha Power tenders her resignation

"You can be quite sure plenty of Clinton advisers have said far worse things about Obama privately - just as plenty of other Obama advisers have said far worse things about Clinton privately. They're all human beings, after all, working in a hotly contested campaign, so they're going to have strong feelings about it."
Jonathan Cohn, New Republic

"We have very vastly different philosophical fundamental political views. I respect those views. I respect them, I just totally disagree with them."
John McCain, rejects a suggestion that he should pick Democrat John Kerry as his running-mate

"Though victory in the conventional political sense is not available in the current presidential race, many victories have been achieved due to your hard work and enthusiams... for that I am deeply grateful."
Ron Paul thanks his supporters and winds down his campaign

There has been much speculation that the disputed Democratic primaries in Michigan and Florida might be re-run.

Rasmussen today published polls of voters in the two states to find out how they would vote if new votes were held.

In Florida, the poll suggests that Hillary Clinton has maintained her popularity since the disallowed January vote which she won 50%-33%. Now, she is polling 55% of the vote to Barack Obama's 39%, according to the survey.

In Michigan, however, Rasmussen indicates that Barack Obama may have gained ground since the state's contentious vote: he and Hillary are now tied at 41% each.

When the state voted initially, Mr Obama was not on the ballot, although his supporters were encouraged to vote for the "uncommitted" option.

Mrs Clinton ended up beating "uncommitted" by 55% to 40%.

Senator Clinton said that she welcomed Ms Power's resignation but that "it's important to look at what his advisers say behind closed doors"