Obama “deeply disappointed” in Father Michael Pfleger.  UPDATE Pfleger apology.  —  WASHINGTON—Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said in a statement he was “deeply disappointed” in Father Michael Pfleger, after the priest —in a scene caught on videotape— mocked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y) …

McClellan: WH wanted him to stay silent  —  Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan, speaking out for the first time since publication of his searing memoir, told NBC's “Today” show on Thursday that he erroneously believed what President Bush was saying about the war but now is answering …

Pelosi Credits Iran's “Goodwill” for Surge Success  —  In an interview yesterday with the San Francisco Chronicle, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi claimed the U.S. troop surge failed to accomplish its goal.  She then partially credited the success of the troop surge to “the goodwill of the Iranians …

Dunkin' Donuts pulls Rachael Ray ad  —  The coffee and donut chain says it yanked online spot to avoid ‘misperception’; professor says links to extremism are narrow-minded and even racist.  —  BOSTON (AP) — Dunkin' Donuts has pulled an online advertisement featuring Rachael Ray after complaints …

McCain's Negatives Mostly Political, Obama's More Personal  —  Clinton Backers Cool to Obama - White Female Support in Question  —  Overview  —  As the end of the primary season draws near, Barack Obama is the clear favorite of Democratic voters for their party's presidential nomination.

George Bush Authorized the Leak of Valerie Wilson's Identity  —  Scottie McC doesn't know it yet.  But that's basically what he revealed this morning on the Today Show (h/t Rayne).  —  During the interview, Scottie revealed the two things that really pissed him off with the Bush Administration.

Obama played hardball in first Chicago campaign  —  (CNN) — When the Democratic National Committee meets Saturday on the thorny issue of seating the Florida and Michigan delegations at its August convention, party officials will have to fashion a solution that satisfies supporters …

Google Technorati more:  —  Hillary and Bill: EAT THIS and shut up about your Electoral College Argument Du Jour.  Somehow the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy accusation that served you so well in the 1990s has become a Vast LEFT-WING Conspiracy??  Whatever suits your purpose I guess....

Follow the leader  —  Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters today that the United States and Europe could limit the flow of foreign goods from India and China if the countries don't agree to start reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.  —  “I think Europeans and Americans are aware …

Top Dems to push for swift end to primary race  —  WASHINGTON - Top Democratic leaders intend to push for a quick end to the battle for the presidential nomination when primaries are over next week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday, adding that he, Speaker Nancy Pelosi …

Murdoch: Obama's a Rock Star  —  It was vintage Rupert Murdoch who appeared after dinner at D, holding back little in a wide-ranging discussion that touched on everything from his admiration for Barack Obama, Microsoft's aborted bid for Yahoo, and even U.S. energy policy toward domestic oil drilling …

Bad News For Republicans  —  Is it the GOP's horrible reputation (in light of Bush, Katrina, Iraq, etc.) that is making voters not like them, or is it actually just their positions that are making them so unpopular?  Josh at Next Right points to an interesting study, done for NPR …

Simple comment on Jim Webb as veep  —  Since I am the last person within reach of a computer to weigh in about Jim Webb as a running mate for Barack Obama, I'll make up for the lateness with the simplicity of my point:  — Until 7pm November 4, 2008, Webb might well be a very strong addition to the ticket.

Clinton Recalls Her Trips With McCain to Conflict Zones  —  Matt Phillips reports from Madison, S.D., on the presidential race.  —  During one of those candidate-drops-into-a-diner-for-a- chat rituals in eastern South Dakota today, Sen. Hillary Clinton took an indirect jab at Democratic front-runner Sen. Barack Obama.

Everybody talks like they've got something to say  —  Working in Washington, for a company that specializes in its coverage of American politics, it's been easy for me to believe that absolutely no one, anywhere, has anything really new to say about this election.

Why are you making me hurt you?  —  Man, this is Carville (courtesy of The Jed Report) blaming the Obama campaign, and how they played the assassination story, for Hillary potentially pushing this race past June 3rd.  Incredible.  I was in college for most of the 90s doing the sort of illicit, dumb things that people in college do.

Parents say classroom sex education went too far  —  A middle school health teacher is under investigation, accused of teaching too much about sex.  —  Parents say the teacher is saying crude and explicit things that don't belong in the classroom.  Dewayne Smith says, “These are our children …