Obama Weathers the Wright Storm, Clinton Faces Credibility Problem  —  National Discontent Approaches 20-Year High, Bush Approval at 28%  —  Summary of Findings  —  The videos of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's controversial sermons and Barack Obama's subsequent speech on race and politics …

Analysis: Al-Sadr in trouble, Iraq headed for meltdown  —  (CNN) — The fighting among Shiite militias and government troops in Basra is a glimpse of Iraq's future, and pivotal cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is in deep trouble, according to two CNN correspondents and a CNN military analyst.

EXCLUSIVE: McCain's Foreign Affairs Speech Plagiarizes 1996 Address By Adm. Timothy Ziemer (UPDATED)  —  EXCLUSIVE: McCain's Foreign Affairs Speech 1996 Address By Adm. Timothy Ziemer (UPDATED) … Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) gave a foreign policy speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Democratic Donors Send $24 Million Letter to Pelosi  —  Major fundraisers, who support Hillary Clinton, urge the Speaker of the House not to meddle with superdelegate votes—and millions of dollars are behind their message.  —  Prominent backers of Hillary Clinton sent a multi-million-dollar message …

Siegelman to be released from prison, Scrushy must stay in  —  MONTGOMERY — A federal appellate court today ordered former Gov. Don Siegelman released from prison while he appeals his 2006 conviction, but denied co-defendant Richard Scrushy's request to be released.

Obama would have left if Wright stayed  —  WASHINGTON - White House hopeful Barack Obama suggests he would have left his Chicago church had his longtime pastor, whose fiery anti-American comments about U.S. foreign policy and race relations threatened Obama's campaign, not stepped down.

Transcript of Dodd's Interview With National Journal  —  Q: As I mentioned earlier, you were the General Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.  Now, you know that a lot of Democrats feel that this increasingly bitter race between Obama and Clinton is hurting the party.

Obama talks cap-gains rate with CNBC  —  In an interview in conjunction with his big economic speech in New York, Senator Obama tells CNBC's Maria Bartiromo he favors increasing the capital-gains tax rate.  —  Bartiromo reported after her interview: “Right now, as you know, the cap gains tax is at 15 percent.

Obama's Former Pastor Getting $1.6M Home in Retirement  —  This was supposed to be the week that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. returned to the pulpit to preach for the first time since his anti-American sermons generated nationwide outrage and drew condemnation from his longtime parishioner, Barack Obama.

Obama retools in Pennsylvania  —  PHILADELPHIA — On the eve of his six-day bus tour of Pennsylvania, Barack Obama is bringing in a new operative to lead his efforts in the state.  —  Paul Tewes, who directed Obama's impressive win in the Iowa caucuses, will take over the Pennsylvania campaign …

Hillary vows: We're going all the way to the convention; Update: Hillary questions the legitimacy of Obama's nomination  —  Good lord.  Even I find her ruthlessness here creepy, and I'm pulling for her.  I'm giving you the second clip mostly for the smug look on her face after she delivers her bone-chilling …

Woman says TSA forced piercings removal  —  LOS ANGELES - A Texas woman who said she was forced to remove a nipple ring with pliers in order to board an airplane called Thursday for an apology by federal security agents and a civil rights investigation.  —  “I wouldn't wish this experience upon anyone …

Obama Fathers Two-Headed Gay Terrorist Baby: The National Enquirer-ization of American Politics  —  As campaign politics in America lurches, zombie-like, deeper and deeper into the muck, with Hillary Clinton desperately flogging the Reverend Wright “scandal” in all its idiotic glory …