DNC chairman under Bill Clinton: Unite behind Obama  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democrats to “heal the rift in our party” and unite behind the Illinois senator.

A Strained Wright-Obama Bond Finally Snaps  —  Late Monday night, in the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, N.C., Barack Obama's long, slow fuse burned to an end.  Earlier that day he had thumbed through his BlackBerry, reading accounts of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.'s latest explosive comments on race and America.

Veterans to Unfurl Replica ‘Mission Accomplished’ Banner at White House  —  Along with Iraq war veterans and concerned citizens, Iraq Campaign 2008 says it will unfurl a 50-foot replica “Mission Accomplished” banner at the White House tomorrow, marking the five-year anniversary of President Bush's now-infamous speech.

Indiana Democratic Primary  —  Indiana: Clinton 46% Obama 41%  —  Senator Hillary Clinton leads Senator Barack Obama by five percentage points in the Indiana Democratic Presidential Primary.  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state finds Clinton attracting 46% of the vote while Obama earns 41%.

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food  —  ‘Sin’ Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals  —  WINDSOR, N.J. (CBS) ― The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer.  Now some lawmakers in New Jersey …

U.S. has Mandela on terrorist list  —  WASHINGTON — Nobel Peace Prize winner and international symbol of freedom Nelson Mandela is flagged on U.S. terrorist watch lists and needs special permission to visit the USA.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation “embarrassing,” and some members of Congress vow to fix it.

The Census Follies  —  This is supposed to be the digital age, but over at the Census Bureau they're still partying like it's 1799.  —  The Constitution requires that the national population be counted every 10 years.  This time around, the Census Bureau wanted to do things differently …

Doubts grow over ethanol  —  Sharply rising food prices may force Congress to reconsider the fivefold increase in ethanol production it mandated just four months ago, some lawmakers say.  —  Few members appear willing to call for the outright repeal of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) …