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.

W. Virginia could raise doubts about Obama  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton's expected victory in West Virginia Tuesday won't cut much into Sen. Barack Obama's delegate lead, but it may cast doubt on Obama's support among certain Democratic voters, a CNN political analyst said.

Carville: Obama likely to win nomination  —  (CNN) — James Carville has been one of Hillary Clinton's most energetic defenders, but on Monday he all but declared Barack Obama will become the Democratic nominee for president.  —  Speaking to students at Furman University in Greenville …

Johnson Switches Sides Again, Endorses Obama  —  Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson, a Democratic convention delegate pledged to support Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, said yesterday that he thinks Sen. Barack Obama has “in a real sense” won the Democratic nomination and that he now plans …

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 …

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?”.

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.

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.

DUMB OR MENDACIOUS?  OR BOTH?....Democrats are taking unsurprising glee in rubbing GOP noses in the fact that the new campaign slogan chosen by House Republicans — “Change You Deserve” — turns out to also be the trademarked slogan of the antidepressant Effexor.  What a gift for late-night comics.

The Obama Rules  —  If Barack Obama gets his way, the Oxford English Dictionary will have updated its definition of “distraction” by the end of the campaign: “Diversion of the mind, attention, etc., from any object or course that tends to advance the political interests of Barack Obama.”

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.