Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause  —  Danielle Ross was alone in an empty room at the Obama campaign headquarters in Kokomo, Ind., a cellphone in one hand, a voter call list in the other.  She was stretched out on the carpeted floor wearing laceless sky-blue Converses, stories from the trail on her mind.

Of yellow dogs and Democrats  —  THE WORLD ACCORDING TO CARVILLE  —  GREENVILLE — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has likely locked up the Democratic presidential nomination, but political consultant and Clinton family adviser James Carville told about 500 people at Furman University that U.S …

Poll: Obama trouncing Clinton in Oregon  —  Illinois senator leading former first lady 55-35  —  A bit more than a week away from Oregon's May 20 primary, Barack Obama has amassed a nearly insurmountable lead in the Democratic presidential race, according to statewide polling conducted by Portland's Davis …

Reach Out and Touch Faith  —  Andrew Sullivan is bothered by this illustration accompanying an endorsement of Barack Obama in an Oregon weekly paper.  —  But that's not really all that unusual, if you've been checking the alternatively hilarious and disturbing blog, “Is Barack Obama The Messiah?”.

Senators say whether they'd agree to be vice president  —  The Hill asked all 97 senators who are not running for president the same question: “If you were asked, would you accept an offer to be the VP nominee?”  —  Some senators laughed, but others took the question seriously.

Missile Is Fired at Copter Over Baghdad, U.S. Says  —  BAGHDAD — A surface-to-air missile was fired on Saturday at an American Apache helicopter flying over the Sadr City section of Baghdad, American military officials said on Monday.  The attack, which had not been disclosed previously …

Rep. Bob Barr and Entitlements  —  Earlier, I noted that Rep. Barr had voted to create a prescription-drug entitlement in Medicare.  Clark Stooksbury points out that Barr had left Congress before the bill passed in 2003.  That's correct.  But Barr was still in Congress in 2002, and he voted for the idea then.

Senate rebukes Bush on energy policy  —  The Senate issued a strong, bipartisan rebuke to President Bush on energy policy Tuesday, voting 97-1 for a measure to suspend oil shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  —  “We are buying the most expensive crude oil in the history of the world and storing it …

The Neural Buddhists  —  In 1996, Tom Wolfe wrote a brilliant essay called “Sorry, but Your Soul Just Died,” in which he captured the militant materialism of some modern scientists.  —  To these self-confident researchers, the idea that the spirit might exist apart from the body is just ridiculous.

Obama As A Reflection Of The Current Incarnation Of The Progressive Movement  —  This article synthesizes several extant arguments that have appeared on Open Left into a new hypothesis.  Despite the consternation that I, and others, have shown over Obama altering the progressive movement …

McCain Backer John Hagee Apologizes to Catholics  —  Elizabeth Holmes reports on the presidential race.  —  John Hagee, the controversial evangelical pastor who endorsed John McCain, will issue a letter of apology to Catholics today for inflammatory remarks he has made …

Obama Advisor: Put Jerusalem on Negotiating Table  —  In the course of Obama's winding interview with Jeffrey Goldberg yesterday, there was very little discussion of the substantive issues that impede a comprehensive settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians.

MS-01 Watch  —  The most important election taking place today is not in West Virginia.  It's in Mississippi, for the first congressional district, a seat held since the Republican revolution of 1994 by Republican Roger Wicker.  Wicker's moving up to take Trent Lott's seat …

A Spoiler, by Way of the Dairy Case  —  In his career in public service, Bob Barr has performed many important roles.  —  As a Republican candidate for the House in 1994, he rose to national attention when reports alleged that he had licked whipped cream off the breasts of two women at a charity event.