George Stephanopoulos Responds To Obama, Defends Handling Of Debate  —  At some point amid the hailstorm of criticism that greeted ABC's handling of yesterday's Dem debate, moderator George Stephanopoulos received an email — one of the many, many missives about the debate he's received — from an Obama adviser.

Obama fingers a ‘gotcha’ debate  —  Sen. Barack Obama was on the stump today in Raleigh, N.C., the day after his debate in Philadelphia with Sen. Hillary Clinton.  Have a look at his body language when he spoke of the sort of debate it was — a “gotcha” fest — and about Clinton being “in her element.”

Barack and the bomber  —  If we're judged by those with whom we associate, here's a question:  —  Would you rather be associated with a '60s radical who plotted to bomb the Pentagon and to this day believes, as he said a few years ago, “I don't regret setting bombs; I feel we didn't do enough …

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 …

Yale: Student's Art Project Only ‘Creative Fiction’  —  A Yale student's bizarre art project in which she claimed to have repeatedly impregnated and induced abortions in herself is a work of “creative fiction,” the university said in a statement this afternoon.

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:

The Two Wars in Iraq & Mistaken Republican Support for Obama  —  [T]he root function of language is to control the universe by describing it.  —James Baldwin.  —  Bush screwed the pooch in Iraq.  There is a good argument to be made that we should not have invaded in the first place.

Dirt off Your Shoulder  —  This business is pretty cool.  Somewhere between a dog whistle to the kids and a reverse Sister Souljah.  Check out Obama at 2:20:  —  And now Jay-Z:  —  Good stuff, thought I guess rap scold Douthat wouldn't approve.

This horrible “debate”  —  As mentioned earlier, family concerns (my father) have trumped other concerns for quite a while.  Among various consequences, and in the cosmic sense a trivial one, is the list of items building up that I am looking for a chance to weigh in on …

McCain readies unorthodox campaign  —  For reasons of financial necessity, personal preference and plain politics, John McCain is gearing up to run one of the least traditional presidential campaigns in recent history.  —  The problem is that even prominent strategists within McCain's own party wonder …

Benedict Meets With the Victims of Sexual Abuse  —  WASHINGTON — Pope Benedict XVI came face to face Thursday with a scandal that has left lasting wounds on the American church, holding an unannounced meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Boston area.

Bomb kills at least 60 at Iraqi funeral  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq — BAGHDAD, Iraq _ At least 60 people died Thursday when bombers targeted the funeral of two Sunni Muslim tribesmen who'd belonged to a council that was fighting against al Qaida in Iraq, police said.

Press secretary to the rescue  —  At 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, Lee Pitts, the spokesman for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), saw an unusual e-mail message pop up on the corner of his computer screen: “Please call 911 for me,” the subject line said.  —  Less than an hour earlier …