Obama holds 12-point lead over McCain, poll finds  —  A Times/Bloomberg Poll says that in a two-man contest, 49% of respondents favor Barack Obama, while 37% support John McCain.  With Ralph Nader and Bob Barr added to the mix, Obama holds 15-point edge.  —  » Discuss Article WASHINGTON …

SPOTLIGHT: Telco PACs Gave $8K to Dems Who Changed Their Vote on FISA  —  For Immediate Release:  —  HOUSE DEMS WHO CHANGED THEIR VOTE TO SUPPORT FISA BILL, GIVING IMMUNITY TO TELCOS, RECEIVED, ON AVERAGE, $8,359 IN PAC CONTRIBUTIONS FROM VERIZON, AT&T, AND SPRINT

I've Never Seen An Ad Like This  —  Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) brags in a new television advertisement that he was worked closely and fruitfully with — and the music really does swell — Barack Obama.  —  Not Smith's good friend John McCain.  —  But Barack Obama.

Obama To Hammer McCain On Offshore Drilling “Gimmick”  —  From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:  —  (LAS VEGAS) Offshore drilling continues to be a major sticking point between Barack Obama and John McCain, and the two candidates are still jabbing at each other's position for the second week.

Surge Protection  —  I think David Brooks has it essentially right here about Bush's stubborness—as opposed to his knowledge of strategy or tactics or the situation on the ground in Iraq—as the reason why he made the correct choice on Iraq in late 2006.  But, as Brooks says, history is complicated …

Report Sees Illegal Hiring Practices at Justice Dept.  —  WASHINGTON — Justice Department officials over the last six years illegally used “political or ideological” factors to hire new lawyers into an elite recruitment program, tapping law school graduates with conservative credentials …

Seizing Laptops and Cameras Without Cause  —  A controversial customs practice creates a legal backlash  —  Returning from a brief vacation to Germany in February, Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington …

They Like Him, They Really Like Him  —  Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the Constitutional Sell-out of the year award (brought to you by The Politico and the good people from Depends): … .  —  What a guy.  Clearly, those who demand that the party should hew closer to the positions …

Dying Is Hard.  Comedy Is Harder.  —  THE honest truth is, for a comedian, even death is just a premise to make jokes about.  I know this because I was on the phone with George Carlin nine days ago and we were making some death jokes.  We were talking about Tim Russert and Bo Diddley and George said: “I feel safe for a while.

Us readers vote for Obama  —  Plus: Angelina skips out on ‘Wanted’ publicity; Tiger Woods takes a gamble  —  Putting Michele Obama on the cover of Us Weekly appears to be a gamble that's paid off.  Early sales numbers for the celeb glossy are trickling in, and according to sources that are familiar …

A Big-Government Running Mate for McCain?  —  The Washington rumor mill has Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as the leading candidate to be John McCain's running mate.  If so, that would be a clear slap in the face to small-government conservatives.  —  Pawlenty, who reportedly coined the term …