Clinton: Wright ‘would not have been my pastor’  —  TRIBUNE-REVIEW  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a wide-ranging interview today with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporters and editors, said she would have left her church if her pastor made the sort of inflammatory remarks Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor made.

The Long Defeat  —  Hillary Clinton may not realize it yet, but she's just endured one of the worst weeks of her campaign.  —  First, Barack Obama weathered the Rev. Jeremiah Wright affair without serious damage to his nomination prospects.  Obama still holds a tiny lead among Democrats nationally …

Obama Releases 2000-2006 Tax Returns  —  Barack Obama today released his 2000-2006 tax returns:  — 2006 Return  — 2005 Return  — 2004 Return  — 2003 Return  — 2002 Return  — 2001 Return  — 2000 Return  —  Here is a summary of the figures:

Forest Lake event canceled; too political  —  Forest Lake High's principal said the decision was spurred by concerns that the presentation was more political than educational.  —  A national tour featuring decorated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan won't be stopping …

HARRY REID: “IT WILL BE DONE.”  —  The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Molly Ball has Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the record seeming to imply that high-level, uncommitted Democrats are ready to tell Hillary to quit the race: … Cryptic.  But as I wrote yesterday, the tide is truly changing …

Worried Dems wish for ‘dream team’  —  WASHINGTON — What are the odds Democrats will field a “dream team ticket” with Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton combining forces?  —  London bookmaker Ladbrokes is taking bets at 8-1, but leading Democratic insiders aren't ready to put down their money — yet.

Britain is world's 7th most stable and prosperous nation  —  The United Kingdom has been ranked as one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the world, beating the United States, France and even Switzerland in a global assessment of every nation's achievements and standards.

Court doesn't mess with Texas; denies new trial  —  Texas has wanted to put Jose Medellin to death for a long time.  It looks like the state is going to get its way.  —  The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday sided with Texas against the Bush administration in a highly charged dispute …

A FARC Fan's Notes  —  A hard drive recovered from the computer of a killed Colombian guerrilla has offered more insights into the opposition of House Democrats to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.  —  A military strike three weeks ago killed Raúl Reyes, No. 2 in command of the FARC …

The Dungeon of Fallujah — Upgraded  —  Last month I published a piece here called The Dungeon of Fallujah about my visit to the wretched jail in the city.  As it turns out, the place was worse than I thought.  Prisoners had to supply their own food or starve.  I didn't report that detail because I didn't know it.

Conservatives' Hate-Based Campaign Against Obama  —  The right-wing smear campaign against Barack Obama has already begun.  Conservatives intend, as they have so many times before, to appeal to Americans' ugliest prejudices and most craven fears.  —  For months, I've been predicting …

McCain Promises A Series Of ‘Meetings’ To Solve Housing Crisis  —  Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) spoke to the Orange County Hispanic Small Business Roundtable in California on solving the nation's economic woes.  His speech, however, was short on “straight talk” and offered no serious proposals …

The Audacity of Rhetoric  —  It is painful to watch defenders of Barack Obama tying themselves into knots trying to evade the obvious.  —  Some are saying that Senator Obama cannot be held responsible for what his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, said.  In their version of events …

Clinton camp tags Obama for ‘the audacity of nope’  —  The Clinton campaign will not let go of the discounted Democratic primary votes in Michigan, where Sen. Hillary Clinton “won” as the only major candidate on the ballot, and in Florida, which Clinton “won” in an uncontested election.

Don't discount Gore-led ticket  —  U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, whose district includes much of Martin and St. Lucie counties, is hoping he won't have to attend the Democratic Party national convention in Denver in August.  —  If he does go, that will mean the Democrats still haven't decided a nominee for the presidential election.