Cordesman on what's really going on in Basra  —  Excellent work as usual from a guy who's never shied from telling either side what it doesn't want to hear.  I cringe every time I write about Basra since it's impossible anymore to tell who's allied with whom and why: Maliki, Sadr, the JAM …

Gallup Daily: Obama Now at 52% to Clinton's 42%  —  McCain still has slight advantage over both Democratic opponents  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama has extended his lead over Hillary Clinton among Democrats nationally to 52% to 42%, the third consecutive Gallup Poll Daily tracking report …

Bush booed loudly while throwing out first pitch in Nationals home opener.  —  President Bush delivered the first pitch tonight at the new Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. to a resounding chorus of boos.  After being announced, Bush was showered by boos as he strode to the mound.

New Backing for Obama As Party Seeks Unity  —  WASHINGTON — Slowly but steadily, a string of Democratic Party figures is taking Barack Obama's side in the presidential nominating race and raising the pressure on Hillary Clinton to give up.  —  Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is expected …

Say It Ain't So, Joe  —  It's not news that Sen. Joe Lieberman, the onetime Democratic VP candidate, is backing John McCain for President.  Nor is it news that Lieberman takes a different view of the Iraq War than most Democrats.  But what he said this morning on ABC's “This Week” is certainly news.

Maupin's remains found in Iraq  —  digg us!  del.icio.us!  —  Sgt. Matt Maupin is dead, the parents of the missing Clermont County soldier said today.  —  Maupin's remain were found in Iraq, nearly four years after he was captured by insurgents, his parents said.

HUD Secretary Expected to Quit  —  WASHINGTON — Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson is expected to announce his resignation Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, a decision that will deal a blow to the Bush administration's efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

Clinton Pushes Housing Market Fixes As Campaign Manager Sits on Board of Bankrupt Lender  —  WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton spends considerable time on the campaign trail bemoaning unscrupulous lenders who have left millions of Americans scrambling to keep their homes but all the while her campaign manager …

There's nothing funny about prison rape  —  Smirking at sexual attacks on inmates makes us all less safe.  —  'From the studio that brought you ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ " intones the preview for the light comedy “Let's Go To Prison,” “comes a penetrating look at the American penal system.

Food Stamp Use at Record Pace as Jobs Vanish  —  Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s.

Steps that can safeguard America's economy  —  Neither US financial institutions nor the economy are likely to suffer from a lack of central bank liquidity provision.  New lending facilities are coming along almost weekly, the safety net has been expanded to include non-bank primary dealers …