GOP sees Rev. Wright as pathway to victory  —  For months, Republican party officials have watched with increasing trepidation as Barack Obama has shattered fundraising records, packed arena after arena with shrieking fans and pulled in significant Republican and independent votes.

John Murtha Endorses Hillary Clinton  —  LANCASTER, Pa. — Rep. John P. Murtha has announced his endorsement of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, bringing his clout as a 17-term member of the House and a prominent anti-war Democrat to bear with more than a month until the primary here in his home state.

Questions About Obama  —  For the first time in two months, Democrats who had concluded that Barack Obama had sewn up the nomination, Democrats who support Barack Obama, Democrats who had concluded, as I had, that the mathematics work against Hillary Clinton, are filling my inbox and voice mail …

McCain Mixes Up Iraqi Groups  —  Senator Misstates Which Extremists Are Aided by Iran  —  Sen. John McCain, in the midst of a trip to the Middle East that he hoped would help burnish his foreign policy expertise, incorrectly asserted Tuesday that Iran is training and supplying al-Qaeda in Iraq …

Bearing Arms ... Against Bears  —  JUSTICE KENNEDY THINKS D.C. RESIDENTS NEED PROTECTION—FROM GRIZZLIES.  —  With all due respect to those who complain that the justices on the Supreme Court are too secretive, and for those who wish, perhaps, that David Souter was more like David …

Estimates of Iraq War Cost Were Not Close to Ballpark  —  WASHINGTON — At the outset of the Iraq war, the Bush administration predicted that it would cost $50 billion to $60 billion to oust Saddam Hussein, restore order and install a new government.  —  Five years in, the Pentagon tags …

Bear's Run-Up Sets the Stage For Epic Clash  —  Speculators Ignite Rally, Driving Shares Up 23%; Disbelief on Deal Price  —  Investors aren't ready to give up on the Bear just yet.  —  Betting that J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will have to pay up to seal its fire-sale deal to acquire Bear Stearns Cos. …

Paul slighted by the ‘neoconservative’ GOP  —  Ron Paul says the legions of newcomers his presidential campaign brought to the Republican Party are getting the cold shoulder from John McCain and from the party.  —  The Texas congressman says neither he nor his supporters have heard …

Black, White & Gray  —  In many ways, Barack Obama's speech on race was momentous and edifying.  —  You could tell it was personal, that he had worked hard on it, all weekend and into the wee hours Tuesday.  Overriding aides who objected to putting race center stage, he addressed a painful …

PATERSON GAL'S TAPE SHOCKER  —  OLYMPICS BABE BARES RECORDING & JOB ‘HE GOT ME’  —  An attractive Olympic gold-medalist says she had a close personal relationship with Gov. Paterson earlier this year - during which time she recorded a series of secret telephone conversations with him.

Mr. Obama's Profile in Courage  —  There are moments — increasingly rare in risk-abhorrent modern campaigns — when politicians are called upon to bare their fundamental beliefs.  In the best of these moments, the speaker does not just salve the current political wound, but also illuminates larger …