This is an issue that is not getting much attention in the presidential campaign–or in Congress–but a battle is raging out in the states. Here’s a story I wrote about it for TIME.com.

The Governors are objecting primarily because of the costs, but civil libertarians have raised concerns about the new licenses as well, saying they are, …

Everyone tracks the presidential candidates campaign finance reports, but only rarely do we look behind the totals. On Friday, the Campaign Finance Institute put out a stark analysis of presidential fundraising so far this cycle. Some of the highlights, or lowlights, depending on your party affiliation:

1. As we know, Democrats are …

comes from a most unlikely quarter. Kathleen Parker at National Review, who actually heard his speech Friday night in Charlotte, writes that accounts of it have been distorted:

In no way did I interpret Clinton’s remarks as questioning Obama’s patriotism. Clinton was making the case for his wife’s electability against McCain, who

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The Clinton Campaign has a growing problem: The media referees in the ring are itching to call the Democratic bout.

First we got the big Kahuna, New York Times chief political sage Adam Nagourney, weighing in A1-style yesterday on Clinton’s diminishing chances to ever win the nomination. “If there is a road to victory for Mrs. Clinton, …

At the same time that those imprudently curious (or would that be curiously imprudent) State Department contractors were snooping around in Barack Obama’s passport files, the Department was also moving to make it easier for a lot more people, including foreign governments, to look at yours. Our colleague Brian Bennett

This in my email from CBS. I’ll post a link when I get one:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton her
passport file was breached in 2007. This comes after similar news about Sen.
Barack Obama’s file.

UPDATE: Senator Clinton’s office just put out this statement:

STATEMENT ON BREACH OF SENATOR

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This from AP:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday apologized to Sen. Barack Obama for a security breach in which three State Department contractors inappropriately reviewed the Democratic presidential candidate’s passport file.

The episode raised questions as to whether the actions of the three contractors, two of whom have

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Lengthy, repetitive, and starring Andrea Mitchell. Did you know that we should count the votes? Notes after the jump, audio TK. Also, Phil Singer was en fuego!

Quotes of the call:

Singer: [Obama campaign] distributed photos of President Clinton shaking hands with Rev Wright within hours of calling for a high minded debate, well, Clinton

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Plugged as “Obama Campaign Conference Call to Discuss Clinton Campaign’s Pattern of Misleading Voters,” participants included David Plouffe and Greg Craig and, as per usual with Obamanians, it was short, tight, and sweet. Notes after the jump, audio ASAP.

Quote of the call:

Plouffe: Essential assertions of her candidacy have proven to

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