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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 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.

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 …

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.

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 …