CLINTON'S OFFENDED PA. VOTER - NOT  —  Barack Obama can take some solace out of Hillary Clinton's new television ad in Pennsylvania.  At least one of her supporters featured in the spot hammering Obama for his small town comments isn't registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

Springsteen defends Obama in elitism flap  —  PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AFP) - Rocker Bruce Springsteen, renowned for his gritty parables of American working class life, Wednesday defended Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama, as he fights charges of elitism.

The Official Village Voice Election-Season Guide to the Right-Wing Blogosphere  —  Sick of political blogs?  Too bad!  The 2008 campaign is unavoidable; if you know what superdelegates are, or who said “God damn America,” you're already a victim.  Thanks to the curse of modern technology …

Murtha says McCain too old to be president  —  WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday that Republican Sen. John McCain is too old to be president.  —  Murtha is 75, four years older than McCain.  He says they are nearly the same age, and the rigors and stress of running the country is too much for guys their age.

Eggheads and Cheese Balls  —  I'm not bitter.  —  I'm not writing this just because I grew up in a house with a gun, a strong Catholic faith, an immigrant father, brothers with anti-illegal immigrant sentiments and a passion for bowling.  (My bowling trophy was one of my most cherished possessions.)

Lieberman willing to star at Republican convention  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the Democratic Party's 2000 vice presidential nominee, is leaving open the possibility of giving a keynote address on behalf of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) at the Republican National Convention in September.

The Good, the Bad, and the Greenwald  —  Literate insights, occasional distortions, and forays into ugliness.  —  I KNOW THIS WON'T endear me to many of my fellow conservatives, but I like Glenn Greenwald.  I've spoken to him a few times on the radio and have enjoyed our jousts.

Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American's Plea  —  BAGHDAD — A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.  —  The retreat left a crucial stretch of road …

Which is it?  Obamarama . . .  A Pinocchio problem?  To fib . . . or is it a faulty memory?  —  •  • To wit: Dem presidential contender Barack Obama's handlers may be telling the press Obama has NO “recollection” of a 2004 party at influence peddler Tony Rezko's Wilmette house …

President's Global Warming Surrender: “It will be very bad”  —  We're hearing some very bad things about the President's likely unconditional surrender on global warming today.  One senior source suggested that the last line of sound defense had been breached and that “It will be very bad.”

Barack Obama In Quotes: Version 1.0  —  From the Horse's Mouth … Barack's Race Baiting Spiritual Mentor & Confidant … Theresa Heinz Obama … The Best Of The Rest

Penalty for crossing an Al Qaeda boss?  A nasty memo  —  Mohammed Atef, left, sits with Osama bin Laden, right, and Bin Laden's son Mohammed in early 2001.  Documents show Al Qaeda's obsession with paperwork.  —  Recently declassified documents reveal a little-known side of the network …

Keyes leaves GOP, looks at Constitution Party  —  HAZLETON, Pa. (AP) — Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes announced Tuesday night that he has left the GOP and is considering joining the Constitution Party.  —  Keyes, who also ran as a Republican to challenge Barack Obama's U.S. Senate bid …

Enlarging the Anglosphere  —  When Winston Churchill met President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the deck of the H.M.S. Prince of Wales in 1941, he spoke of the common bonds between Britain and America: “The same language . . . the same hymns . . . more or less, the same ideals.”

Bankers Cast Doubt On Key Rate Amid Crisis  —  LONDON — One of the most important barometers of the world's financial health could be sending false signals.  —  In a development that has implications for borrowers everywhere, from Russian oil producers to homeowners in Detroit …