Losing Ground  —  After losing Pennsylvania and a difficult month of scandals, Barack Obama's double-digit lead over Hillary Clinton has dropped to seven points in the latest NEWSWEEK poll.  —  After an important primary win in Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton has reduced Democratic rival …

Clinton challenges Obama to Lincoln-Douglas style debate  —  MARION, Ind. (AP) — Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton turned up the rhetoric Saturday in their increasingly heated primary battle as she issued a new debate challenge and he complained of a race that's largely …

Obama Calls Bloggers Liars for Accurately Reporting His Words  —  This is an absolutely blatant attempt to rewrite history by Barack Obama, documented at ABC News Political Punch.  —  First, I honestly don't care much whether a person wears a flag pin, and you can certainly be a patriot without wearing a badge proclaiming it.

Sharpton vows to ‘close this city’ after officer acquittals  —  NEW YORK (AP) - Hundreds of angry people marched through Harlem on Saturday after the Rev. Al Sharpton promised to “close this city down” to protest the acquittals of three police detectives in the 50-shot barrage that killed …

McCain Frequently Used Wife's Jet for Little Cost  —  Given Senator John McCain's signature stance on campaign finance reform, it was not surprising that he backed legislation last year requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets.

Kim Jong-il builds ‘Thunderbirds’ runway for war in North Korea  —  An airbase inside a mountain is the latest sign that North Korea, whose links to Syria's nuclear programme came to light last week, is cranking up its military machine  —  North Korean military engineers are completing …

Why is it so quiet after the Moyers-Wright interview?  —  I expected a roaring debate in the political blogosphere this morning, and on cable news after the Friday night Bill Moyers interview with Rev Jeremiah Wright.  Instead, there's eerie quiet.  —  The most I could find was this post …

Dissent Of The Day II  —  A reader writes: … My response is simply that honorable campaigns do not allow foreign agents, especially terrorist organizations, to insert themselves into American presidential politics.  No respectable foreign governments do such a thing; and the gambits of al Qaeda …

Letters Give C.I.A. Tactics a Legal Rationale  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has told Congress that American intelligence operatives attempting to thwart terrorist attacks can legally use interrogation methods that might otherwise be prohibited under international law.

Hizbollah builds up army for a new assault  —  Villages empty as Shia militia sends recruits to tough training camps in Bekaa Valley, Syria and Iran, reports Mitchell Prothero in southern Lebanon  —  The dead of southern Lebanon watch the living from the sides of buildings and from lampposts …

Can we learn anything from the Democratic spat?  —  Between Clinton and Obama, that is.  One thing we learn is just how unpleasant a politics of confrontation can be and that's no matter what your political point of view.  Most voters don't define their views along the distinctions set down by the policy wonks.

Bowling 1, Health Care 0  —  Chapel Hill, N.C.  —  FOR the last month, news media attention was focused on Pennsylvania and its Democratic primary.  Given the gargantuan effort, what did we learn?  —  Well, the rancor of the campaign was covered.  The amount of money spent was covered.