Obama: Fire Imus  —  Obama First White House Contender to Call for Imus' Firing Over Racial Slur  —  In an interview with ABC News Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., called for the firing of talk radio host Don Imus.  Obama said he would never again appear on Imus' show …

Defending Iraq War, McCain Assails Democrats  —  Senator John McCain of Arizona today accused his potential Democratic presidential rivals of playing "small politics" in opposing the war in Iraq, saying withdrawal would lead to chaos across the Middle East, embolden Al Qaeda and expose the United States to "another 9/11 — or worse."

Who's Behind the Pelosi Smear?  —  Oh the irony.  From Jim Lobe: … That would be the same Elliot Abrams who was indicted for (and pled guilty to) lying to Congress (no wonder members of the Bush junta have no fear of doing so) and who, in the 80s, led a very similar campaing to discredit …

A.G.'s Statement Dropping Duke Rape Case  —  Statement from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper on the Duke University lacrosse rape case.  —  Good afternoon, everyone.  —  On Jan. 13 of this year, I accepted the request of the Durham district attorney to take over three Durham cases.

What You Need To Know  —  [Editorial Note: Thompson will be on Neal Cavuto's show at 4pm and with Sean Hannity at 4:30pm today to discuss this news.  Given the morning outage, we're going to keep this up top for a while.  Please scroll down for newer content.]

HOS AND BITCHES....Now that Don Imus has been universally condemned for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos," the conversation is moving on, as conversations do, to broader questions.  In the LA Times today, civil rights attorney Constance Rice joins in the condemnation …

Regarding Imus  —  I'll have some more fleshed-out thoughts on the matter in the magazine this week, but for now, since many people have asked: No, I won't be going on Imus anymore.  Having said that, it's not like they'll be inviting me back.

Gates Announces Longer Tours for Active-Duty Army Soldiers  —  Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced this afternoon that all active-duty Army soldiers currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan could serve extended tours of up to 15 months in combat, meaning more than 100,000 troops …

Racist Literature Distributed in Berkeley  —  A study in hate, the left/right convergence, and media spin  —  During the first few days of April, 2007, racist literature was distributed in several Berkeley, California neighborhoods by members of an out-of-town white supremacist group.

Iraq in the Balance  —  In Washington, panic.  In Baghdad, cautious optimism.  —  BAGHDAD—For 35 years the sun did not shine here," said a man on the grounds of the great Shia shrine of al-Kadhimiyyah, on the outskirts of Baghdad.  I had come to the shrine at night, in the company of the Shia politician Ahmed Chalabi.

Pelosi is open to Iran trip  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, just back from a trip to Syria that brought sharp criticism from Republicans and the Bush administration, suggested Tuesday that the two may be interested in taking another diplomatic trip — to open a dialogue with Iran.

Government lawyers' membership in GOP group seen as inappropriate  —  WASHINGTON - In his day job, Christian Adams writes legal briefs for the voting rights section of the Justice Department, a job that requires a nonpartisan approach.  —  Off the clock, Adams belongs to the Republican …

McCain Trims Headquarters Staff  —  Sen. John McCain 's campaign retooling continues.  —  Manager Terry Nelson is trimming some of the organization's vestigial edges to pare down costs and more efficiently distribute key staff.  Contrary to rumors, the campaign is not shedding weight in order to slow down its cash burn rate.

A Word of Advice During a Housing Slump: Rent  —  A promotional spot for the National Association of Realtors came on the radio the other day.  The spot, introduced as something called "Newsmakers," was supposed to sound like a news report, with the association's president offering real estate advice.