How Obama Fell to Earth  —  Back in Iowa, Barack Obama promised to be something new — an unconventional leader who would confront unpleasant truths, embrace novel policies and unify the country.  If he had knocked Hillary Clinton out in New Hampshire and entered general-election mode early …

Newsmax/Zogby Poll: Clinton Edges Ahead in Pennsylvania  —  UTICA, New York - New York Democrat Hillary Clinton had a good day in the Newsmax/Zogby daily tracking poll ahead of Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, following a strong debate performance in Philadelphia Wednesday night …

Barack Obama makes a one-fingered gesture while speaking of Hillary Clinton  —  This is one of those political moments that really needs few words.  —  We'll no doubt hear much more about this incident in coming days.  —  Right now, we'll just leave this video for Ticket readers to view and judge for themselves.

Joe Scarborough Walks Off MSNBC's “Race To The White House” After Exchange With Rachel Maddow  —  “Joe didn't walk off.  He chose not to participate in the final couple of minutes of the discussion because he felt the conversation didn't fit his role as a political analyst.”  —  Previously:

HMMMM  —  Remember that woman from the debate last night who the moderators showed videotape of asking whether Barack Obama “believes in the flag”?  Her name is Nash McCabe.  —  I remember thinking it was sort of odd to have a couple one-off uses of ordinary voter questions when it didn't really seem like it was part of the format.

Dean: I need a decision ‘now’  —  (CNN)— An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they're for - and “I need them to say who they're for starting now.”  —  “We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time …

Heilemann: Robert Reich to Endorse Obama  —  Secretary of Labor Robert Reich with Hillary Clinton at an education event in Washington, 1994.Photo: Corbis  —  If the Democratic presidential race were a poker game, by now you'd have to suspect that Barack Obama's campaign is dealing from the bottom …

Iwo Jima Veterans Blast Time's ‘Special Environmental Issue’ Cover  —  Time editor tells MSNBC ‘there needs to be a real effort along the lines of World War II to combat global warming and climate change.’  —  Business & Media Institute  —  For only the second time in 85 years …

McCain campaign's next stop: ‘Forgotten parts of America’  —  WASHINGTON — John McCain plans to spend next week reaching out to African-Americans, displaced factory workers and people living in poverty — voters not usually associated with the Republican Party.

Yale Senior's ‘Abortion Art’ Whips Up Debate, Protests  —  A Yale University student's senior art project, which she said documented her bleeding during repeated self-induced abortions, sparked a protest on campus, an outcry on the Internet, and debates over morality, medicine, art and academia.

MoveOn's definition of “hurting the country”  —  Yes, it's true.  The left-wing anti-patriots at MoveOn.org, who didn't think twice about handing jihadists potent ammunition the day before the sixth anniversary of 9/11 with their despicable attack on Gen. Petraeus, are now worried about actions that “hurt the country.”