FIRST THOUGHTS: TWO DIFFERENT MAPS  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** Two different maps: On TODAY and Morning Joe, NBC's Tim Russert took at a stab at November's electoral map.  And this morning, we do the same, to show how different Clinton's and Obama's paths to 270 are.

Obama's $40 Million Haul (And What It Means)  —  Sen. Barack Obama raised better than $40 million for his presidential campaign in the month of March alone, bringing his total raised for the first three months of 2008 to a staggering $134 million.  —  “Today we're seeing the American people's …

When Did The Pledged Delegate Count Become The Holy Grail?  How The Obama Camp and NBC Made It So  —  It is one of the most interesting phenomenas of this campaign and the Obama camp deserves great credit for this spin achievement - the turning of the pledged delegate count into the Holy Grail of this campaign.

BARACK'S A LOST CAUSE: HILL  —  VAIN BID TO WIN RICHARDSON'S SUPPORT  —  WASHINGTON - While lobbying for his endorsement, Hillary Rodham Clinton flatly told New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson that Barack Obama could not win the presidency if he got the Democratic nomination.  —  “He cannot win, Bill.

GOP under fire from everywhere after 9/11 comments  —  WASHINGTON - The California congressman who called the Sept. 11 attacks “simply” a plane crash ran for cover Wednesday under a barrage of ridicule from fellow Republicans, first responders and victims' families.

Barr bid could hurt McCain  —  Can a conservative former congressman who helped impeach President Clinton, is a board member of the National Rifle Association and has done contract work with the ACLU dent Sen. John McCain's presidential bid?  —  That's exactly what Mr. McCain would face if Bob Barr …

Graham Claims McCain Has Done ‘Even More’ Than Al Gore On Global Warming  —  An online ABC News article on the “surrogate wars” of this year's presidential election quoted Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), an ardent supporter of Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) candidacy, saying that McCain has …

McCain Is AWOL On New GI Bill  —  In November 2007, Sens. Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel penned an op-ed in the New York Times advocating a reformed G.I. Bill that would provide Iraq war veterans with greater educational opportunities.  —  The idea, which was first introduced in January 2007, was at once ambitious and benign.

Obama is Smokin'  —  Last August, I ran into Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, outside the Senate chamber in the Capitol.  —  This was before the Obama surge, before he had omnipresent Secret Service agents, back when you might see him strolling solo.  —  We chatted for a second …

McCain rejects Secret Service protection  —  Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) may be the presumptive GOP nominee for president, but, by his own wishes, he is not being protected by the Secret Service.  —  “He has not requested protection,” Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan told a congressional subcommittee this morning.

For McCain, son's duty in Iraq is not a talking point  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) regularly talks about his military experience on the presidential campaign trail, but he draws the line when asked about his sons' service in the armed forces.  —  Jimmy McCain, 19, who returned from Iraq in mid-February …

Student Sues ‘Anti-Christian’ Teacher Over Remarks in Class  —  A student and his family have filed a federal lawsuit demanding that a popular European history teacher at California's Capistrano Valley High School be fired for what they say were anti-Christian remarks he made in the classroom.

Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism  —  Billionaire environmentalist says world has too many people  —  Failure to address global warming will have us all dead or eating each other by mid-century.  —  So says Ted Turner, the restaurateur, environmentalist …

DNC convention stance surprises campaigns  —  The Democratic National Committee said Tuesday that Florida and Michigan members will be seated on the three standing committees — including the critical Credentials Committee—at the party's 2008 national convention, a position that could affect the selection of the Democratic nominee.

Muslims Leaving Islam in Droves  —  Pope Benedict's choice to publicly baptize the most prominent Muslim in Italy, Egyptian-born Magdi Allam, highlights a quiet worldwide exodus from Islam.  In recent years, millions have moved on.  With this high-profile action, Pope Benedict demonstratively blesses …

Fast Start for Soft Money Groups in 2008 Election  —  527s Adapt to New Rules, 501(c)(4)s On the Upswing  —  Soft money groups in the 2008 election are off to a strong start.  Federally-focused 527 political organizations raised money in 2007 at a faster clip than in the comparable off year before the 2004 election.

Murtha: Clinton Cannot Win Nomination Without Popular Vote  —  Hillary Clinton simply cannot be the Democratic nominee if she doesn't win the popular vote, Pennsylvania congressman and Clinton-backer John Murtha said Wednesday.  —  “Clinton has to win Pennsylvania,” he argued in an interview.