It's Obama, stupid: Carter and Gore to end Clinton bid  —  DEMOCRAT grandees Jimmy Carter and Al Gore are being lined-up to deliver the coup de grâce to Hillary Clinton and end her campaign to become president.  —  Falling poll numbers and a string of high-profile blunders …

Geoffrey Garin: Obama's Small-Town Comments Would Damage Him In General Election — And Super-Dels Should Consider Them  —  Hillary chief strategist Geoffrey Garin dramatically raised the stakes in the battle over Barack Obama's comments about small-town America, saying in an interview that they would be …

In Searching for New Job, Gonzales Sees No Takers  —  WASHINGTON — Alberto R. Gonzales, like many others recently unemployed, has discovered how difficult it can be to find a new job.  Mr. Gonzales, the former attorney general, who was forced to resign last year, has been unable …

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Context  —  The silliest thing I have read today comes from the Big Tent Democrat, who takes up otherwise useful space at Jeralyn Merritt's TalkLeft.  The BTD compares and contrasts a McCain statement that is being offered as the moral equivalent of Obama's small town gaffe.

Furore over Hitchens's sapphic slip  —  When is a lesbian not a lesbian?  When the person in question is a gay, Catholic, conservative blogger by the name of Andrew Sullivan, it would seem.  —  For when Sullivan was stuck for words on an American news discussion programme last week …

Memo to Petraeus & Crocker: More Laughs, Please  —  Once again it is time to bid aloha to that sober team of mirthless entertainers, Petraeus & Crocker.  —  It's hard to imagine where you could find another pair of such sleep-inducing performers.  —  I can't look at Petraeus …

Obama's Magic Numbers  —  In recent weeks, Trailwatch has repeatedly discussed Hillary Clinton's poor prospects for catching Barrack Obama in the delegate race for the Democratic nomination.  It is starting to look like Obama can now win enough delegates, 2,024, to secure the nomination before the Democrats meet in late August.

Clinton touts her experience with guns  —  VALPARAISO, Indiana (CNN) — Hillary Clinton appealed to Second Amendment supporters on Saturday by hinting that she has some experience of her own pulling triggers.  —  “I disagree with Sen. Obama's assertion that people in our country cling to guns …

Secret Iraqi Deal Shows Problems in Arms Orders  —  BAGHDAD — An $833 million Iraqi arms deal secretly negotiated with Serbia has underscored Iraq's continuing problems equipping its armed forces, a process that has long been plagued by corruption and inefficiency.

Bush Admits To Knowledge of Torture Authorization by Top Advisers  —  ACLU Calls for Independent Counsel to Investigate Administration's Approval of Torture and Abuse  —  ACLU Washington Legislative Office, (202) 675-2312 or media@dcaclu.org  —  National ACLU, (917) 251-8654 or media@aclu.org

BACK TO THE CAMPAIGN.  —  This may sound odd, but man am I disappointed that stuff is happening again in the presidential campaign.  These last few weeks of relative quiet have been terrific.  All the older reporters tell me that this is supposedly the greatest campaign of my lifetime …

Dancing fools  —  I was very sorry to be missing this, as I'm out of DC for the weekend, but not as sorry as I am now—someone just got arrested.  —  The background: twenty people were at the Jefferson Memorial, dancing to the private groove of their own iPods so as not to disturb anyone.

I Get To Nitpick Gary Wills  —  Gary Wills writes on “Two Speeches”, comparing Lincoln's address at Cooper Union with Barack's Philadelphia speech on race.  And here are two from the “Small Historical World” file - I poked through Lincoln's Cooper Union speech a few years back in response …