McCain Strolls Through Baghdad Market, Accompanied By 100 Soldiers, 3 Blackhawks, 2 Apache Gunships  —  Sen. John McCain strolled briefly through an open-air market in Baghdad today in an effort to prove that Americans are "not getting the full picture" of what's going on in Iraq.

Democrats To Widen Conflict With Bush  —  Even as their confrontation with President Bush over Iraq escalates, emboldened congressional Democrats are challenging the White House on a range of issues — such as unionization of airport security workers and the loosening of presidential secrecy orders …

Tainted Wheat Gluten Sold as "Food Grade"  —  Del Monte Foods has confirmed that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten used in several of its recalled pet food products was supplied as a "food grade" additive, raising the likelihood that contaminated wheat gluten might have entered the human food supply.

The Once and Future Republic of Vermont  —  The winds of secession are blowing in the Green Mountain State.  —  Vermont was once an independent republic, and it can be one again.  We think the time to make that happen is now.  Over the past 50 years, the U.S. government has grown too big …

Crime Intensifies Debate Over Taping of Suspects  —  The account, buried in a mountain of documents assembled for a Congressional investigation, describes a decidedly local yet brutal crime: a Navajo man charged with beating his girlfriend nearly to death and then hanging her by a rope outside …

Some Bumps at Start of War Tribunals at Guantánamo  —  As the first of the war crimes cases under a new law began here a few days ago, a military law specialist said it was a test run "to show that this plane will fly."  —  It was a bumpy ride.  —  The military commissions …

Clinton Shatters Record for Fundraising  —  Edwards Also Passes 1st-Quarter Benchmark  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) raised $26 million in the first quarter of the year, almost three times as much as any politician has previously raised at this point in a presidential election …

ABC's Silent Expert  —  Stephanopoulos knows more than he lets on about firing U.S. attorneys.  —  How does "World News with Charles Gibson" do it?  For the fifth time in seven weeks, the ABC newscast the week before last drew the biggest audience on average (8.4 million) of the three network evening-news shows.

Tsunami Hits Solomons; 8 Reported Dead  —  HONIARA, Solomon Islands (AP) - A powerful undersea earthquake Monday in the South Pacific sent a tsunami several yards high crashing into the Solomon Islands, devastating at least one village, officials and residents said.

A Chat with General David Petraeus  —  The following is an OPFOR exclusive.  Our friend Richard S. Lowry, currently working on a historical account of the surge, sat down for an extensive phone interview with General Petraeus last Thursday.  Richard transcribed the conversation into the post below …

The Republicans are going to crack  —  Via Think Progress, we learn that General Petraeus met privately with the Republican caucus and told them he will deliver 'real progress' by August.  According to Andrea Mitchell, who was bandying about this scoop, the Republicans are deeply skeptical …

Under The Influence  —  60 Minutes' Steve Kroft Reports On Drug Lobbyists' Role in Passing Bill That Keeps Drug Prices High  —  (CBS) If you have ever wondered why the cost of prescription drugs in the United States are the highest in the world or why it's illegal to import cheaper drugs …

More Craven Than Karl  —  On his lonely way back home.  Kris Kristofferson  —  In his front page political self-immolation in the New York Times, Bush pollster Matthew Dowd has managed to set a standard for duplicity unmatched thus far by even Karl Rove.  For all of Rove's many and manifest failings …

MTP Transcript for April 1, 2007  —  Patrick Leahy, Orrin Hatch, Charlie Rangel  —  MR. RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Tough words on Capitol Hill over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.  —  SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT): The Republicans are the ones who don't want to have the hearings.

CNN LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER  —  Interview With Al Sharpton; Interview With Terry Waite  —  THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.  THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.  —  WOLF BLITZER, HOST: It's 11:00 a.m. in Washington and here in New York, 8:00 a.m. in Los Angeles, 7:00 p.m. in Baghdad, and 6:30 p.m. in Tehran.