Clark won't back down  —  In a statement to reporters, retired General Wes Clark repeats that McCain is a “hero” but also reiterates his point that McCain's service didn't give him “executive experience”:

Obama's Money Class  —  Barack Obama sells the Democratic Party short.  He talks about his fund-raising success as if his donors were part of a spontaneous movement of small-money enthusiasts who cohered around himself.  In fact, Democrats have spent years building their donor network.

Obama Fiercely Defends His Patriotism  —  Democrat Also Decries Criticism of Rival McCain on Service to Country  —  Dogged by persistent rumors questioning his belief in country, Sen. Barack Obama journeyed to Middle America on Monday to lay out his vision of patriotism …

The Worst Politician Ever?  —  It's virtually unanimous: everyone from Hassan Nasrallah to Mossad Chief Meir Dagan seems to agree that Israel's prisoner swap deal with Hezbollah marks a significant strategic setback for the Jewish state.  —  After all, in exchange for two captured soldiers …

Evidence Faulted in Detainee Case  —  In the first case to review the government's secret evidence for holding a detainee at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a federal appeals court found that accusations against a Muslim from western China held for more than six years were based on bare and unverifiable claims.

Dem Guru: McCain ‘Limited’ by POW Years  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis and Molly Hunter Report: While Barack Obama was urging supporters not to devalue the military service of rival John McCain, an informal Obama adviser argued Monday that the former POW's isolation during the Vietnam War has hobbled …

Pentagon Official Warns of Israeli Attack on Iran  —  U.S. Offical Sees Two ‘Red Lines’ That Could Prompt Strike  —  Senior Pentagon officials are concerned that Israel could carry out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities before the end of the year, an action that would have enormous security …

We Can Lower Oil Prices Now  —  Although most experts agree that financial speculation was not responsible for the surge in the global prices of food and energy, many people remain puzzled about the source of these remarkable price rises.  Economics offers a simple supply-and-demand explanation …

Bringing Down Bear Stearns  —  On Monday, March 10, the rumor started: Bear Stearns was having liquidity problems.  In fact, the maverick investment bank had around $18 billion in cash reserves.  But soon the speculation created its own reality, and the race was on to keep Bear's crisis from ravaging Wall Street.

Firm gets big cut of campaign donations  —  GOP candidates see little of funds raised; Some clients, donors unaware of numbers  —  Charles A. Morse, a conservative Republican gadfly from Brookline, ran a brief write-in campaign to unseat US Representative Barney Frank in 2006.

Drill Now as the conservative MoveOn?  —  For years John McCain's environmental agenda highlighted his independent streak, and angered conservatives in the process.  Yet the right showed little ire when he aired an ad last month touting his environmentalist bona fides: “John McCain stood …

Solution, or Mess?  A Milk Jug for a Green Earth  —  NORTH CANTON, Ohio — A simple change to the design of the gallon milk jug, adopted by Wal-Mart and Costco, seems made for the times.  The jugs are cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher when it arrives in stores, and it costs less.

Obama's sister helps reach out to Asian-Americans  —  SAN FRANCISCO - The throng of Asian-American donors drew closer, drinks in hand, to hear Barack Obama's sister describe the wide arc of his life: beyond politics and Chicago, into his childhood in Indonesia and Hawaii.

Obama to expand Bush's faith based programs  —  CHICAGO - Reaching out to evangelical voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is announcing plans that would expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups and — in a move sure to cause controversy …

NRA plans $40M fall blitz targeting Obama  —  The National Rifle Association plans to spend about $40 million on this year's presidential campaign, with $15 million of that devoted to portraying Barack Obama as a threat to the Second Amendment rights upheld last week by the Supreme Court.

McCain's energy record is on/off  —  The Republican presidential candidate has swerved from one position to another over the years, taking often contradictory stances on the government's role in energy policy.  —  WASHINGTON — Crisscrossing the country over the last two weeks to promote his energy plans …