Rep. McHenry calls U.S. soldier in Iraq a ‘two-bit security guard.’  —  During a public appearance on Saturday, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) belittled a U.S. soldier in Iraq who was following orders and wouldn't let McHenry go to the gym without the proper credentials.

Obama and King  —  Martin Luther King Jr. died at age 39; today, the 40th anniversary of his death, is the first time he has been gone longer than he lived.  —  Figures such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have tried to claim his place on the American stage.  But at most they have achieved fame and wealth.

The DOJ comments on the Mukasey controversy  —  (updated below)  —  In response to the growing controversy over plainly misleading comments by Attorney General Michael Mukasey last week in San Francisco, and in response to the questions I submitted, the DOJ's Peter Carr …

And the next GOP primary begins  —  A group of social conservatives have launched an effort to keep Mitt Romney off John McCain's ticket.  —  Under the rubric of an obscure PAC called “Government Is Not God,” a coalition of longtime Romney opponents and past supporters of Mike Huckabee …

Statement Regarding POPLINE Database  —  I was informed this morning that the word “abortion” was blocked as a search term in the POPLINE family planning database administered by the Bloomberg School's Center for Communication Programs.  POPLINE provides evidence-based information …

Clinton Donors Press Dean at Fifth Avenue Bundler Summit  —  Leading donors to the Clinton and Obama campaigns sat down together last night with DNC chairman Howard Dean at a meeting at the Fifth Avenue apartment of super-bundlers Maureen White and Steven Rattner.

McCain returns $3m in checks as he considers public funding  —  In another sign that John McCain is moving toward accepting public financing this fall, the Republican's campaign is returning about $3 million in checks to contributors who have given money for his general election campaign …

Penn's Got Trouble  —  News that Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, took a meeting with Columbian officials to talk about ways to advance a free trade deal is at once not surprising, given Penn's refusal to step down from his position as CEO of Burson-Marsteller.

Obama Adviser Calls for Troops To Stay in Iraq Through 2010  —  WASHINGTON — A key adviser to Senator Obama's campaign is recommending in a confidential paper that America keep between 60,000 and 80,000 troops in Iraq as of late 2010, a plan at odds with the public pledge of the Illinois senator …

Second poll shows Clinton's Pennsylvania lead shrinking  —  49% of those asked favor her, compared with 38% for Obama.  —  Clinton holds an 11-point lead in Pennsylvania, down three percentage points from mid-February, according to a survey by The Morning Call/Muhlenberg College of 406 likely Democratic voters.

U.N. Forecasters: Global Temperatures to Decrease  —  Average global temperatures in 2008 are forecast to be lower than in previous years, thanks to the cooling effect of the ocean current in the Pacific, U.N. meteorologists say.  —  The World Meteorological Organisation's secretary-general …

Beck Rants Against Polar Bears: 'They Eat People!  For The Love Of Pete, They're Big, Angry Bears!'  —  Last night on his CNN Headline News show, right-wing pundit Glenn Beck hosted global warming skeptic Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK).  Beck allowed Inhofe to rant about how — with “all the liberals” …