Hypocrisy on Hamas  —  McCain Was for Talking Before He Was Against It  —  If the recent exchanges between President Bush, Barack Obama and John McCain on Hamas and terrorism are a preview of the general election, we are in for an ugly six months.  Despite his reputation in the media …

Pity Party  —  Big picture, May 2008:  —  The Democrats aren't the ones falling apart, the Republicans are.  The Democrats can see daylight ahead.  For all their fractious fighting, they're finally resolving their central drama.  Hillary Clinton will leave, and Barack Obama will deliver a stirring acceptance speech.

TOO HARD A BALL  —  Right-Wing Radio yakker crashes and burns like the Hindenburg while trying to talk about appeasement ...

McCain adviser ousted in conflict uproar  —  John McCain's campaign asked a prominent Republican consultant, Craig Shirley, to leave his official campaign role Thursday after a Politico inquiry about Shirley's dual role consulting for the campaign and for an independent “527” group opposing the Democratic presidential candidates.

California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban  —  The California Supreme Court, striking down two state laws that had limited marriages to unions between a man and a woman, ruled on Thursday that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.  —  The 4-to-3 decision …

Women Threaten Obama Boycott  —  FROM GUEST-BLOGGER RICK KLEIN, OF ABC'S THE NOTE  —  I've posted a few times in the last two days about female supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton who are angry — at the Democratic Party, at the Obama campaign, or at the general situation that sees …

Group finds Starbucks logo too hot to handle  —  A Christian group based in San Diego found grounds for outrage over the new retro-style logo.  —  Seems that one person's smut is another person's morning latte.  —  A Christian group based in San Diego found grounds for outrage over the new retro-style logo for Starbucks Coffee.

Edwards Back in the Spotlight Again  —  On his way into an award ceremony in New York City on Thursday, John Edwards took a few questions from reporters about his endorsement of Senator Barack Obama the day before.  —  Mr. Edwards, the one-time contender for the 2008 Democratic nomination …

Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax  —  LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — A Missouri woman was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.  —  Lori Drew, of suburban St. Louis …

Should Obama Clarify Comments on Detroit Speech?  —  Sen. Barack Obama may have to retract a claim he made at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Indianapolis on May 8.  —  In the 30-minute speech, Obama discussed the usual “challenges facing people across Indiana and all across this country …

SO IF THE REPUBLICANS ARE IN TROUBLE, WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE SO HAPPY?  I'm at the NRA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.  I haven't been to a big gun event in probably a decade, and the change in mood is striking: People are, well . . . not ebullient, really, but noticeably cheerful and confident.

Official Urged Fewer Diagnoses of PTSD  —  A psychologist who helps lead the post-traumatic stress disorder program at a medical facility for veterans in Texas told staff members to refrain from diagnosing PTSD because so many veterans were seeking government disability payments for the condition.

In the South, a Force to Challenge the G.O.P.  —  NEW ORLEANS — The sharp surge in black turnout that Senator Barack Obama has helped to generate in recent primaries and Congressional races could signal a threat this fall to the longtime Republican dominance of the South, according to politicians and voting experts.

McCain Vision Has Most G.I.'s Out of Iraq by 2013  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — Senator John McCain declared on Thursday that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013 and that the nation would be a functioning democracy with only “spasmodic” episodes of violence.