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 …

McCain makes pledge on conservative judges  —  (CNN) - Sen. John McCain moved to shore up his support among conservatives by pledging Tuesday to nominate strict-constructionist judges to the federal bench.  —  “It will fall to the next president to nominate hundreds of qualified men and women …

‘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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Calling It: Obama Wins N.C.  —  I just got off the phone with Mike Ash, Director of the Durham County Board of Elections in Durham, NC.  He doesn't have any numbers as far as percentages of eligible voters making it to the polls at this point, but said several polling locations have already hit record numbers.

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.”

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 …