DNC chairman under Bill Clinton: Unite behind Obama  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democrats to “heal the rift in our party” and unite behind the Illinois senator.

FIRST THOUGHTS: MCCAIN'S BUSH PROBLEM  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  *** McCain's Bush problem: Yes, Jeremiah Wright could be a huge liability for Obama if he becomes the nominee.  Sure, questions about Clinton's honesty and trustworthiness could also hurt …

‘Mission Accomplished’: How the Media Covered the Bush Pronouncement 5 Years Ago — and its Aftermath  —  NEW YORK On May 1, 2003, Richard Perle advised, in a USA Today op-ed, “Relax, Celebrate Victory.”  The same day, exactly five years ago, President Bush, dressed in a flight suit …

Indiana Democratic Primary  —  Indiana: Clinton 46% Obama 41%  —  Senator Hillary Clinton leads Senator Barack Obama by five percentage points in the Indiana Democratic Presidential Primary.  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state finds Clinton attracting 46% of the vote while Obama earns 41%.

Andrew Explains Decision To Switch  —  “I'm calling on my all of my friends who are superdelegates to help heal the rift and unite behind Barack Obama, now,” says former Clinton supporter and former DNC chair Joe Andrew.  —  After saying that he's “going to be an advocate for an Obama-Bayh ticket …

U.S. has Mandela on terrorist list  —  WASHINGTON — Nobel Peace Prize winner and international symbol of freedom Nelson Mandela is flagged on U.S. terrorist watch lists and needs special permission to visit the USA.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation “embarrassing,” and some members of Congress vow to fix it.

Wright's wrong  —  Barack Obama gave his “More Perfect Union” speech in Philadelphia on March 18 to tamp down the furor caused by the release of videos excerpts of his pastor's sermons.  Obama himself had proclaimed the importance of his pastor to his life over the past twenty years in books and interviews.

Just Between Us  —  Telecoms and the Bush administration talked about how to keep their surveillance program under wraps.  —  The Bush administration is refusing to disclose internal e-mails, letters and notes showing contacts with major telecommunications companies over how to persuade Congress …

Doubts grow over ethanol  —  Sharply rising food prices may force Congress to reconsider the fivefold increase in ethanol production it mandated just four months ago, some lawmakers say.  —  Few members appear willing to call for the outright repeal of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) …