Obama holds 12-point lead over McCain, poll finds  —  A Times/Bloomberg Poll says that in a two-man contest, 49% of respondents favor Barack Obama, while 37% support John McCain.  With Ralph Nader and Bob Barr added to the mix, Obama holds 15-point edge.  —  » Discuss Article WASHINGTON …

Dodd And Feingold Will Filibuster Telecom Immunity  —  Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) released the following statement today in response to the announcement that the Senate this week will consider the compromise legislation that would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

I've Never Seen An Ad Like This  —  Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) brags in a new television advertisement that he was worked closely and fruitfully with — and the music really does swell — Barack Obama.  —  Not Smith's good friend John McCain.  —  But Barack Obama.

Seizing Laptops and Cameras Without Cause  —  A controversial customs practice creates a legal backlash  —  Returning from a brief vacation to Germany in February, Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington …

Obama To Hammer McCain On Offshore Drilling “Gimmick”  —  From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:  —  (LAS VEGAS) Offshore drilling continues to be a major sticking point between Barack Obama and John McCain, and the two candidates are still jabbing at each other's position for the second week.

Report Sees Illegal Hiring Practices at Justice Dept.  —  WASHINGTON — Justice Department officials over the last six years illegally used “political or ideological” factors to hire new lawyers into an elite recruitment program, tapping law school graduates with conservative credentials …

Dying Is Hard.  Comedy Is Harder.  —  THE honest truth is, for a comedian, even death is just a premise to make jokes about.  I know this because I was on the phone with George Carlin nine days ago and we were making some death jokes.  We were talking about Tim Russert and Bo Diddley and George said: “I feel safe for a while.

They Like Him, They Really Like Him  —  Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the Constitutional Sell-out of the year award (brought to you by The Politico and the good people from Depends): … .  —  What a guy.  Clearly, those who demand that the party should hew closer to the positions …

Dobson accuses Obama of ‘distorting’ Bible  —  (CNN) — One of the country's leading evangelical leaders is accusing Sen. Barack Obama of deliberately distorting the Bible and taking a “fruitcake interpretation” of the U.S. Constitution.  —  In comments to be aired on his radio show Tuesday …

Why Trains Just Don't Work in America  —  Even if you're crazy about trains, you'd have to be nuts to expect that they could ever compete with air travel in a country this size.  —  I just want to make it clear from the outset: I love trains.  When I lived in New York and Connecticut …

So Let's Say Justice Scalia Writes D.C. v. Heller ...  Tomorrow may be the big day.  (Or we might have to wait again.  At least I'm improving my calcium intake.)  Court-watchers have noticed that, with the issuance of yesterday's opinion by Justice Souter in the right-to-counsel case …