DANGER DAY: HILLARY FACES ‘15-POINT DEFEAT’ IN NC; SEES INDIANA WIN  —  Hillary Clinton's inner circle now fears a stinging defeat is likely in North Carolina.  —  “Look, we worked hard and gave it our best shot, but the demographics, well, they are what they are,” a top campaign source explained …

Remarks By John McCain on Judicial Philosophy  —  U.S. Senator John McCain will deliver the following remarks as prepared for delivery at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, NC, today at 10:00 a.m. EDT:  —  Thank you, Ted, and thank you all very much.  Dr. Hatch, I'm grateful for your invitation to this great university.

‘Hardcore’ Republicans voting Democrat  —  10:51 AM — ‘Hardcore’ Republicans voting Democrat  —  The two precincts at Broad Ripple Family Center selected Republican Jon Elrod over Democrat Andre Carson in March's special election for U.S. Congress.  But by 9 a.m., just 21 voters …

It's About Nothing  —  Dispatches from the twilight of a presidency:  —  7:13 a.m.: The South Lawn.  President Bush, determined to dispel doubts about his relevance, grants an early-morning interview to Robin Roberts of ABC News's “Good Morning America.”  Joined by the first lady …

Combat and Composure  —  Life is short, but campaigns are long.  And during the course of them, each candidate will have impressive and pathetic moments.  But underlying the highs and lows, there are the fundamentals.  The fundamentals of the Obama-Clinton race were on display Sunday morning.

Gitmo Trials Unlikely Before Bush Leaves Office  —  The Washington Post reports that the Bush Administration says it is unlikely that trials of any of the Guantanamo detainees will take place before Bush leaves office. … All three presidential candidates, Hillary, Obama and McCain have promised to close Guantanamo.

Obama is wrong about the gas tax  —  Think Clinton's plan to suspend the gas tax temporarily is a bad idea?  A similar measure in Illinois — which Obama backed — seems to have helped consumers.  —  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has repeatedly accused rival Hillary Clinton of …

MICHELLE OBAMA'S GOSPEL OF BITTERNESS  —  This past Friday Michelle Obama gave essentially the same stump speech in Charlotte, North Carolina that she had given the week earlier in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Based on the stump speech, Yuval Levin calls Mrs. Obama “The unhappiest millionaire.”

Most Democrats Not Eager for Either Candidate to Drop Out  —  Seven in 10 want superdelegates to commit before the August convention  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Heading into Tuesday's important North Carolina and Indiana presidential primaries, 6 in 10 Democrats say Hillary Clinton and Barack …

Pins and Panders  —  Obama Wears His Independence on His Lapel  —  Sometimes I think the best thing about Barack Obama is that little empty space on his lapel.  It is where other politicians wear the American flag pin, a kitschy piece of empty symbolism that tells you nothing …

You hippy-crites!  When it comes to saving the planet do celebrities practise what they preach?  —  Is the hot air emitted by celebrities when they spout ecological platitudes a greenhouse gas?  —  If so, then the melting of the polar ice caps just moved a step closer, following calls by Trudie Styler …

Two GOP Losses That Validate a National Pattern  —  These two special elections validate a national polling pattern that is bad news for Republicans.  According to a New York Times/CBS Poll, Americans disapprove of the President's job performance by 63 to 28 (and he has been below 40% job …

Clinton campaign retools delegate math  —  DURHAM, N.C. — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign yesterday tried to redefine the delegate math for securing the Democratic presidential nomination, signaling its willingness to wage a divisive battle with front-runner Sen. Barack Obama through the summer.