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 …

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%.

Veterans to Unfurl Replica ‘Mission Accomplished’ Banner at White House  —  Along with Iraq war veterans and concerned citizens, Iraq Campaign 2008 says it will unfurl a 50-foot replica “Mission Accomplished” banner at the White House tomorrow, marking the five-year anniversary of President Bush's now-infamous speech.

DC Madam commits suicide in Tarpon Springs  —  TARPON SPRINGS - Police were called to the home of DC Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey's mother on Thursday to investigate her apparent suicide.  —  Police have confirmed that the dead person is Palfrey who was 52.

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.

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 …

The Census Follies  —  This is supposed to be the digital age, but over at the Census Bureau they're still partying like it's 1799.  —  The Constitution requires that the national population be counted every 10 years.  This time around, the Census Bureau wanted to do things differently …

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food  —  ‘Sin’ Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals  —  WINDSOR, N.J. (CBS) ― The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer.  Now some lawmakers in New Jersey …

Let's Accept Michelle's Invitation  —  Michelle Obama, not surprisingly, wants to turn the page on Jeremiah Wright and focus on the issues: … I completely agree, so let's talk about Barack and education reform.  —  An excellent launching point is this April 2, 2008 Slate piece by Alexander Russo …