Obama's Lead in Delegates Shifts Focus of Campaign  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama emerged from Tuesday's primaries leading Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton by more than 100 delegates, a small but significant advantage that Democrats said would be difficult for Mrs. Clinton …

Aloha: Chelsea to campaign in Hawaii  —  (CNN) — As part of the Clinton campaign's declared effort to fight for every delegate in every state, Chelsea Clinton is heading to Hawaii, Barack Obama's home turf, according to a Clinton campaign source.  She'll spend three days, including this weekend, campaigning in Oahu and Honolulu.

Wisconsin Democratic Presidential Primary  —  Wisconsin: Obama 47% Clinton 43%  —  The Democratic Presidential Primary in Wisconsin may be the most competitive contest between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton since Super Tuesday.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows Obama …

Dem leaders shower pork on freshmen  —  Democratic leaders have sent tens of millions of dollars to freshman lawmakers' districts in hope of protecting the party's newfound majority come November.  —  A new study of December's omnibus spending package shows that the party in power …

McCain: Against Torture, But  —  I'm heartbroken.  Torture is illegal and immoral whether it is conducted by the military or the CIA.  That was McCain's original position.  It appears it is no longer.  Marty Lederman homes in on the key point: … This is why the focus on waterboarding has been necessary but distracting.

Making (Some) Progress in Iraq  —  Good news is rare in Iraq.  But after months of bitter feuding, Iraq's Parliament has finally approved a budget, outlined the scope of provincial powers, set an Oct. 1 date for provincial elections and voted a general amnesty for detainees.

Hardbrawl  —  Last fall, as network executives, members of Congress and other hotshots gathered beneath a massive tent at Washington's Decatur House to celebrate the 10th anniversary of “Hardball,” Chris Matthews began to address the crowd.

The Cult of Obama  —  Every political news outlet, from the networks to the blogs, is abuzz today with the question: Is the Obama phenomenon a cult?  —  People — particularly Hillary partisans — are eagerly putting this idea out there.  I want to make it very clear before I get started …

McCain Adviser Won't Fight Obama  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: On Wednesday, a top adviser to John McCain said more definitively than he has in the past that he will step down from the Arizona senator's presidential campaign if the presumed GOP nominee faces Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in the general election.

Eavesdropping Law Is Likely to Lapse  —  WASHINGTON — Broad spying powers temporarily approved by Congress in August appear likely to lapse this week after a daylong game of chicken on Wednesday between the White House and House Democrats produced no clear resolution.

Obama at the Top  —  Hillary Clinton probably didn't watch the stem-winder speech that Barack Obama delivered Tuesday night after cleaning her clock in the Potomac primaries.  If not, she should.  —  It was tiresome.  —  The speech was classic Obama.  Beautifully written and beautifully delivered …

10 MYTHS ABOUT CANDIAN HEALTH CARE.  —  Sara Robinson does us all a nice service with an article detonating various myths about Canadian health care.  It's a good piece, and fair, too.  She doesn't deny that there are some long waits (and she adds an interesting twist to the situation …

Be My Political Valentine  —  Are you in love with a staffer on Capitol Hill, someone who works at a think tank, or just a plain, old political wonk?  Well, then today's your lucky day because you can show them that you really do understand their weird obsession with monetary policy …

Texas Ban on Sex Toy Sales Is Overturned  —  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court has overturned a statute outlawing sex toy sales in Texas, one of the last states — all in the South — to retain such a ban.  —  The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas law making …