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):

Color Oregon blue?  —  A fairly stunning new ad from Oregon's Republican senator Gordon Smith leaves little doubt as to which way the wind is blowing there.  —  In the ad, Smith, running hard away from Bush, associates himself at length and explicitly with Obama.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …