Jay defends endorsement of Sen. Obama  —  Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., defended his decision to make an endorsement in the race for president during an interview with Gazette editors on Monday.  —  Rockefeller said some have criticized him for endorsing Sen. Barack Obama before the West Virginia primary in May.

McCain seems confused about al Qaeda again, suggests it's a 'sect of Shi'ites.'  —  During today's hearing with Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) questioned Petraeus on what he called “the major threat” of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Surprising Political Endorsements By U.S. Troops  —  American Soldiers Speak Out About Their Presidential Endorsements  —  ABC's Martha Raddatz asked American soldiers in Iraq what issues are most important to them when looking at the presidential candidates.

Obama Catching Up With Clinton In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; She's Losing Ground Even Among Women  —  Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is catching up with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary and now trails 50 - 44 percent among likely primary voters …

The ‘Obama Effect’ shows itself at Petraeus-Crocker hearing  —  Never underestimate the drawing power of a star.  The crowd lined up for today's hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will include an appearance by the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination …

Religious leaders tell al-Sadr to keep militia intact  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraq's top Shiite religious leaders have told anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr not to disband his Mehdi Army, an al-Sadr spokesman said Monday amid fresh fighting in the militia's Baghdad strongholds.

East Texas Teenager Attacked Over History Project  —  Melanie Bowers, 13, and her parents walked into Athens High School Monday afternoon to talk to campus police.  They were hoping to get some answers.  —  “It never should have happened in the first place.

The Coming Tax Bomb  —  As the presidential campaign enters its final stages, there will be increased debate over budget priorities and how they will be paid for.  Many commentators and political leaders, including Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, believe that tax increases are needed …

Obama supporter Oprah takes a big dive  —  Much hay was made nearly a year ago when Oprah Winfrey announced that she would support — and campaign for — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.  Her effect in boosting support for Obama in early primary and caucus states like Iowa …

The 10 Pieces of U.S. Infrastructure We Must Fix Now  —  No one can predict what bridge, levee or water main will fail next.  But some problems are widely known, and work is long overdue.  As PM's new special report makes blatantly clear, we need to begin rebuilding the nation's infrastructure somewhere.

Suburban Obama delegate quits over ‘divisive’ remark  —  Moving to nip in the bud some potential bad press, White House hopeful Barack Obama's campaign persuaded a delegate to step down after she was ticketed for calling her neighbor's African-American children “monkeys.”

50 greatest political moments  —  At Politico, we love politics for some of the same reasons people love sports: the endless human drama.  —  Unlike a lot of people, of course, we don't have the freedom — or, truth be told, the desire — to root for one side or the other to win.