Playing by Clinton Rules  —  Barack Obama had a theory.  It was that the voters are tired of the partisan paralysis of the past 20 years.  The theory was that if Obama could inspire a grass-roots movement with a new kind of leadership, he could ride it to the White House and end gridlock in Washington.

Clinton weapon double-edged in Pa.  —  Together, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell make an odd pairing.  Clinton is the model of message discipline, a politician whose steely demeanor and unerring ways cause voters to question her authenticity.

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD  —  It seemed as if took the networks about half a day yesterday to realize that the most newsworthy thing to come out of Hillary's Washington press conference was, you know, the commander-in-chief threshold comment.  —  So, belatedly, here it is:

Archivists block release of Clinton papers  —  LITTLE ROCK — Federal archivists at the Clinton Presidential Library are blocking the release of hundreds of pages of White House papers on pardons that the former president approved, including clemency for fugitive commodities trader Marc Rich.

On the Red Phone  —  Here's an idea for an Obama ad: a montage of Clinton's Sybillish personalities that have surfaced during the campaign with a solemn voiceover at the end saying, “Does anyone want this nut answering the phone?”  —  How is it that she became the one who's perceived …

The Great Non Sequitur  —  WASHINGTON — She threw the kitchen sink at him.  Accused Barack Obama of plagiarism.  Mocked his eloquence.  Questioned his truthfulness about NAFTA.  —  Wasn't enough.  Hillary Clinton still faced extinction in Ohio and Texas.  So what do you do when you have thrown the kitchen sink?

McCain begins to take charge at RNC  —  The Republican National Committee tomorrow will announce the appointment of three top John McCain loyalists to help coordinate the party's effort with McCain's campaign and to lead the joint voter contact program, according to GOP sources.

Desperation and the Puerto Rico primary  —  It's a sign of the strange times we live that this question is being asked at all:  —  Will Puerto Rico decide everything?  —  Strange because of a number of things:  —  a.  Puerto Rico has only 8 superdelegates and 55 delegates.  —  b.

Row over military uniforms in public  —  Plans to urge soldiers, sailors and airmen to wear their uniforms in public were in disarray last night after RAF personnel were ordered to dress in civilian clothes while off-duty because of persistent threats and abuse.

A Friend Indeed  —  John Hagee has some odd ideas about Jews that, as a Jewish person, make me uncomfortable.  Jews, as most people know, have suffered a lot of persecution over the years.  According to Hagee, we were getting what we deserved: … Mark Kleiman points out that Abe Foxman …

Housing, Bank Troubles Deepen  —  Foreclosures Reach  —  A New Record;  —  Home Equity Falls  —  Two crucial barometers of the nation's housing market have worsened markedly in recent months, ratcheting up pressure on policy makers in Washington for action to stem the growing housing crisis …

Senate Democrats Hope for a Majority Not Seen in 30 Years: 60 Seats  —  WASHINGTON — When Mark Begich, the popular 45-year-old mayor of Anchorage, came to town for a meeting of mayors in January, he was beckoned to the Capitol by the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada.