Report: Jimmy Carter to Meet With Hamas Leader in Syria  —  NEW YORK CITY — Former President Jimmy Carter is reportedly preparing an unprecedented meeting with the leader of Hamas, an organization that the U.S. government considers one of the leading terrorist threats in the world.

FBI probe: Lieberman campaign to blame for crashing own Web site  —  A federal investigation has concluded that U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's 2006 re-election campaign was to blame for the crash of its Web site the day before Connecticut's heated Aug. 8 Democratic primary.

Frustrated Senators See No Exit Signs  —  Asked repeatedly yesterday what “conditions” he is looking for to begin substantial U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq after this summer's scheduled drawdown, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he will know them when he sees them.  For frustrated lawmakers, it was not enough.

The New Liberal Taboo  —  What a spectacle.  It is now respectable for Democrats to assert, even to welcome, military defeat (see here).  But if a Presidential campaign functionary so much as hints at support for free trade, he's banished to policy exile.  —  That's the meaning …

More Cowbells?  More White People!  —  Overzealous event coordinators?  A rare, unforced error committed by the Obama campaign's site advance teams.  —  From an article in the Tartan, the daily newspaper Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Clinton leadership a study in missteps  —  Hillary Rodham Clinton wants voters to decide the nomination based on who can coolly and competently run the country.  She had better hope they don't study her recent campaign too closely for the answer.  —  Clinton has overseen two major staff shake-ups in two months.

Biden PWN3D Crocker! ...  In the Community-Based Reality  —  For reasons rational people will never fathom, lefty bloggers and blog readers are filled with glee over, well, this: … Biden “forced him down” how, exactly?  —  Clearly Ackerman, the flickering bulbs at Think Progress …

NYT Mag On Matthews: The Excerpts  —  Earlier: Forthcoming?  NYT Mag Piece on Matthews.  —  Earlier: Leibovich Dishes On Matthews  —  Earlier: NYT Mag On Matthews: NBC Forced Chris To Apologize.  —  We've got an advanced copy of Mark Leibovich's piece on Chris Matthews, entitled “Chris Matthews, Seriously.

Obama's Minister Problem  —  I have tried to get over my unease surrounding Barack Obama's response to the sermons and writings of his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.  But the unanswered questions remain.  —  I am a strong supporter …

Two Cheers for Newsroom Buyouts  —  THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE BAD NEWS COMING OUT OF NEWSROOMS.  —  Advertising revenue at newspapers has fallen off a cliff and may tumble all the way to the bottom of the Marianas Trench if the promised recession arrives.  Average circulation is down, too …

The Gospel, According to Luke  —  Pittsburgh's Young Mayor Wants City to Line Up Behind Clinton  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, center, participates in the Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day Parade with, from left, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato …

Obama Prepares Argument to Discard Public-Financing Principle  —  Despite his previous pledge to enter into the public financing system should he be the Democratic presidential nominee,* Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has recently been reluctant to re-commit to entering the system.

Ethno-Sectarian Violence  —  WHAT IT SHOWS: This chart combines maps of Baghdad's ethnic neighborhoods with density plots of ethno-sectarian killings to show that violence has declined significantly from December 2006 to last month.  —  ANALYSIS: Hidden beneath many of the density plots …

Candidates' positive ads mask trash-talk reality  —  The Hillary Clinton campaign yesterday unveiled two new TV ads for the Pennsylvania primary, featuring effusive praise from Gov. Rendell and Mayor Nutter - nothing but positive messages.  —  On the same day, though, her campaign communications director …