Backs turn on Clinton  —  The tide turned against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Capitol Hill Wednesday, as even some of her supporters said she should consider ending her White House bid.  —  Some uncommitted Democratic superdelegates refused to meet with the beleaguered candidate …

The Five Mistakes Clinton Made  —  For all her talk about “full speed on to the White House,” there was an unmistakably elegiac tone to Hillary Clinton's primary-night speech in Indianapolis.  And if one needed further confirmation that the undaunted, never-say-die Clintons realize their bid might …

‘Deafening’ silence on analyst story  —  Even with countless media outlets available these days, a Sunday New York Times cover story could always be counted on to send a jolt through the television news cycle.  —  But apparently that's no longer the case.  Indeed, reporter David Barstow's …

Obama plans to declare victory May 20  —  Not long after the polls close in the May 20 Kentucky and Oregon primaries, Barack Obama plans to declare victory in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.  —  And, until at least May 31 and perhaps longer, Hillary Clinton's campaign plans to dispute it.

Larsen endorses Obama after Hill meeting  —  Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) surprise visit Thursday to the House floor has already paid dividends in the form of a superdelegate endorsement.  —  Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) announced, after meeting with Obama at the Democratic Congressional …

Clinton supporter pressures Pelosi over White House battle  —  WASHINGTON — In a heated phone call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late last month, Hillary Clinton supporter Harvey Weinstein threatened to cut off campaign money to congressional Democrats unless Pelosi embraced a new plan …

McCain's Pastor Problem: The Video  —  WASHINGTON DISPATCH: In a taped sermon, the preacher McCain calls a “spiritual guide” calls on America to see the “false religion” of Islam “destroyed.”  Still, the candidate won't reject Rod Parsley's endorsement.  —  During a 2005 sermon …

Alan Wolfe on the Unity Ticket  —  The idea of a Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton “unity ticket” has been floated quite a bit the last few days.  But, seriously, is the idea any good?  We asked a few friends of the magazine to weigh in.  Here's Alan Wolfe, a TNR contributing editor and professor of political science at Boston College.

Hillary to Address Major Backers in D.C.  —  Hillary Clinton has begun to ask her influential backers to be in Washington on May 14 for a meeting at her home, according to a major fund-raiser.  Separately, the fund-raiser said, Bill Clinton will be speaking with top donors this afternoon on a conference call.

It's Obama, Warts and All  —  Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each took a state Tuesday.  But the result was a damaging loss for the woman who was once the overwhelming front-runner for the Democratic nomination.  Here are some observations on the race:  — Mr. Obama is now the prohibitive favorite.

DNC Superdelegate Puts His Vote Up For Sale  —  Steven Ybarra Wants $20 Million For His Vote  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS13) ― In this tight battle for the Democratic nomination we've heard a lot about the candidates courting superdelegates.  —  But, one superdelegate is courting the candidates.

Ahmadinejad: Israel a ‘stinking corpse’  —  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that the state of Israel is a “stinking corpse” that is destined to disappear, the French news agency AFP reported.  —  “Those who think they can revive the stinking corpse of the usurping …

Obama: McCain is ‘losing his bearings’  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - Barack Obama chastised John McCain Thursday for engaging in “smear” politics, and defended himself from critics who question whether he is capable of being commander-in-chief, during a wide-ranging interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer …

First Look: ‘W,’ Oliver Stone's Bush Biopic  —  Entertainment Weekly goes inside the director's dark, comic, and already controversial movie about George W. Bush's rise to power, starring Josh Brolin  —  “Where is George Bush's bedroom?”  —  Oliver Stone is flinging open French doors inside …

Once-secret memos question Clinton's honesty  —  A decade before Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton admitted fudging the truth during the presidential campaign, federal prosecutors quietly assembled hundreds of pages of evidence suggesting she concealed information and misled a federal grand jury …

Why Clinton Stands to Lose Millions  —  The struggling candidate must act quickly if she wants her campaign debts repaid  —  With rounds to fight running out, the self-described Rocky Balboa of politics will soon be forced to assess the damage sustained by the most expensive primary bout in history.

Burying Trees: Brilliant or Crazy?  —  Normally, if anyone claimed to have a simple, elegant solution to the problem of runaway greenhouse-gas emissions that didn't require a massive restructuring of the world's energy policies, well, I'd narrow my eyes and keep a hand on my wallet.

Obama Floated Idea Of Voluntarily Capping Donations  —  During a private fundraiser last month, Sen. Barack Obama said he was “considering” voluntarily restricting the amount of money he could raise in a general election from campaign donors.  —  “We need to separate money from political influence.