Obama Responds: I Will Never Use “Threat Of Terrorism To Scare Up Votes”  —  Okay, Obama has now directly responded to Hillary's ad asking who you want in the White House at 3 A.M. when the red phone rings and your kids are safely asleep.  —  And his reply suggests that the Obama camp …

The McCain/Hagee story picks up steam  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  The McCain/Hagee story is growing, though still not as much as it ought to.  My new friends from the Catholic League emailed earlier to advise that Bill Donohue was being interviewed for tonight's program of The Situation Room on CNN.

Reformer: Trial Will Reveal ‘Cesspool’ of Obama's Allies  —  Trial for Indicted Fundraiser Tony Rezko Set for Monday  —  With the corruption trial of one of Sen. Barack Obama's longtime friends and supporters set to begin Monday in Chicago, Ill., reform watchdogs say it will reveal the …

The White House Plagiarist  —  Timothy S. Goeglein, a top White House aide who is President Bush's chief liaison to religious groups, has admitted to plagiarizing a column he wrote for his hometown paper, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel.  —  Goeglein is a special assistant to the president and deputy director of public liaison.

AG Refuses Probe of Ex-Bush Aides  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Friday rejected referring the House's contempt citations against two of President Bush's top aides to a federal grand jury.  Mukasey says they committed no crime.  —  Mukasey said White House Chief …

Amateur Hour  —  Slate's John Dickerson asks an obvious question on a conference call with Hillary Clinton's campaign: “What foreign policy moment would you point to in Hillary's career where she's been tested by crisis?”  After an uncomfortably long moment during which neither Mark Penn …

Obama Backs Law Helping McCain  —  U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) wrote her legislative fix on a yellow legal pad, which she delivered to the Senate clerk, to ensure that any person born to U.S. citizens serving in the armed services while stationed abroad would qualify to become president of the United States.

Unless Obama Wins, He Loses  —  Huh?

Inside Delegate Math: The Numbers  —  Using delegate projection software created by Matt Vogel, I ran a scenario yesterday showing how tough it will be for Hillary Clinton to catch up to Barack Obama's earned delegate lead.  —  Some of you have asked for my specific state-by-state projections.

Clinton accepts donations from trouble firm  —  Sen. Hillary Clinton has declined to return $170,000 in campaign contributions from individuals at a company accused of widespread sexual harassment, and whose CEO is a disbarred lawyer with a criminal record, federal campaign records show.

Senator Clinton Cosponsors Legislation to Ban Use of Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan  —  Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today that she has cosponsored legislation to ban the use of Blackwater and other private mercenary firms in Iraq.

Michelle Obama: “Don't Go Into Corporate America”  —  I have a new story today about Michelle Obama's visit to Zanesville, Ohio, where she met with a group of women at a local day care center.  According to the U.S. Census, Muskingum County, where Zanesville is located …

Wexler: Obama might not mean Ahmadinejad  —  Barack Obama does not necessarily have in mind Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he says he will meet with Iran's leaders, a top Jewish proxy says.  —  “Ahmadinejad may not be the one to meet with,” U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, the top Jewish surrogate …

Bush Condemns Leaders Who ‘Sit Down At The Table’ And ‘Have Pictures Taken’ With ‘Tyrants’  —  In yesterday's news conference, President Bush sharply attacked Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) argument that the president “should never fear to negotiate” with America's enemies.  Bush told reporters: