Watch McCain on the Daily Show Wednesday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Of the Democratic presidential candidates, would Republican John McCain rather take on Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton?

"You know, Ron Paul is still in the race," McCain joked Wednesday during a taping of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

McCain deadpanned about the marathon race between the Democrats: "I hate to watch it. It's terrible. My heart goes out to them."

During the taping, McCain pretended to walk off the set when Stewart pressed him on whether President Bush is more of a liability for him than the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is for Obama. Then
McCain fiddled with his microphone and mouthed "technical difficulties" into the camera.

The all-but-certain Republican nominee did reveal a few tidbits. His Secret Service code name, he thinks, "is 'jerk,"' and his choice for a vice presidential running mate is Dwight Schrute, a character on the NBC sitcom, "The Office," played by Rainn Wilson.

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CARSON CITY, Nevada (AP) — The state that pioneered the quickie divorce is witnessing a potentially ugly breakup that has the governor of Nevada fighting to get back into his own mansion.

Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons filed for divorce last week after moving out of the 23-room official residence. With his wife, Dawn, now ensconced in the Governor's Mansion, he has gone to court to have her evicted so that he can move back.

Entire sitcoms have been built on less. And many Nevadans are fascinated by the whole spectacle.
"This isn't a tourist attraction, but it's certainly an attraction," said Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada.

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Sister Julie McGuire, a polling place inspector, had to turn away about a dozen of her fellow nuns when they showed up without proper identification in South Bend, Indiana.

(AP)–About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place by a fellow sister because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph.

Sister Julie McGuire said she was forced to turn away her fellow members of Saint Mary's Convent in South Bend, across the street from the University of Notre Dame, because they had been told earlier that they would need such an ID to vote.

The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn't get one but came to the precinct anyway.

"One came down this morning, and she was 98, and she said, 'I don't want to go do that,"' Sister McGuire said. Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drive.

The convent will make "a very concerted effort" to get proper identification for the nuns in time for the general election. "We're going to take from now until November to get them out and get this done.

"You can't do this like school kids on a bus," she said. "I wish we could."

Elsewhere across the pivotal state, voting appeared to run smoothly, despite the fears of some elections experts that the Supreme Court's recent refusal to strike down Indiana's controversial photo identification law could cause confusion at the polls.

Indiana's photo ID law is the strictest in the country. The Republican-led effort was designed to combat ballot fraud, said supporters, who also have acknowledged that no case involving someone impersonating a voter at the polls has ever been prosecuted in Indiana.

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Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks backs Obama.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Hanks is supporting presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Hanks has taken to his MySpace.com page to pledge his support for Obama, who is competing to be the first black president.

Obama, who faces rival Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, has also been endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen and Scarlett Johansson.

"As an official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you," the 51-year-old actor says in a short video titled, "Beware: Celebrity Endorsement."

"History with a capital 'H' is going to be made this November, no matter who the president-elect is. I want Barack Obama to be president of this country, a country that once said people with his skin color were only three-fifths of a human being."

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Bill Clinton joked his still can make people faint.

LENOIR, North Carolina (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton is cracking wise about his ability to make people faint, telling voters in North Carolina he didn't think he still had it in him.

Clinton was campaigning Sunday for his wife's presidential bid on a hot and sunny day in western North Carolina. The state's primary is Tuesday.

After one person fell during an event in Lenoir, Clinton joked: "Somebody faints at nearly every one of these things now. At my age, I didn't think I could make anybody faint anymore."

A young girl walked away from an earlier event in Marion after fainting. Emergency workers brought the elderly man in Lenoir water and ice and used campaign signs to fan him. The man was alert as emergency workers took him away on a stretcher.

A blogger has taken a particular interest in Al Franken's Senate campaign.

EAGAN, Minnesota (AP) — Senate candidate Al Franken wants to talk about jobs, health care and global warming. Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb wants to talk about Franken's failure to pay all his income taxes on time.

Guess what everyone is talking about?

From the kitchen table in his tranquil suburban neighborhood, Brodkorb for the last year has used his blog "Minnesota Democrats Exposed" to launch a furious political assault on Franken. He's labeled the former comedian and liberal commentator a "mean-spirited and un-Minnesotan" candidate who's running a "desperate and ridiculous" campaign.

That's routine stuff in the world of political blogging, but in the last two months Brodkorb has scored two direct hits that have the Franken campaign reeling. Brodkorb scooped the traditional media by detailing extensive bookkeeping problems in New York and California that ultimately prompted Franken, this week, to pay about $70,000 in back taxes to 17 states.

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A group of black ministers has announced support for Sen. Obama in the wake of the Wright controversy.

CHICAGO (AP) — About two dozen black ministers from the Chicago area say they're behind Barack Obama despite his split from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The ministers said Friday they're speaking out because they believe media attention on Wright has detracted from important issues in the presidential race.

The pastors refused to answer reporters' questions about Wright. They only mentioned that the rift between Wright and Obama has been a distraction ahead of Tuesday's critical Democratic primary in Indiana.

Over the past week, Wright has characterized criticism of his fiery anti-government sermons as an attack on the black church.

Obama has denounced Wright's comments as "divisive and destructive."

Cindy McCain appeared on Leno Wednesday night.

BURBANK, California (AP) — John McCain wants to take the helm of the country. Just don't let him take the wheel of the car.

His wife, Cindy McCain, confided to Jay Leno on Wednesday that the former Navy fighter pilot is a not exactly Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the freeways.

"He's not the best of drivers," she said on "The Tonight Show" on NBC. "I drive most of the time."

Even Leno joked about the Republican presidential candidate's command of the roads.

"If he was elected president, he would be the only president ever to do a burnout in my Corvette," Leno said.

McCain has faced questions about his age throughout the campaign — if elected in November, he'd be 72 and the oldest man to become president. But his wife said the Arizona senator is so vigorous he plans to hike in the Grand Canyon with his sons this summer.

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NEW YORK (AP) — New York Cardinal Edward Egan says Rudy Giuliani should not have received Holy Communion during the pope's visit because he supports abortion rights.

Egan says he had "an understanding" with the former presidential candidate and New York mayor that he is not to receive the Eucharist. The Catholic church opposes abortion.

The cardinal said Monday that Giuliani broke that understanding when he received the Eucharist during Pope Benedict XVI's visit.

Egan says he will be seeking a meeting with Giuliani "to insist that he abide by our understanding."

Giuliani's spokesman says she is preparing a response.

Rep. Ron Paul addressed the Nevada Republican Party's convention Saturday.

RENO, Nevada (AP) — Outmaneuvered by raucous Ron Paul supporters, Nevada Republican Party leaders abruptly shut down their state convention and now must resume the event to complete a list of 31 delegates to the GOP national convention.

Outnumbered supporters of expected Republican presidential nominee John McCain faced off Saturday against well-organized Paul supporters. A large share of the more than 1,300 state convention delegates enabled Paul supporters to get a rule change positioning them for more national convention delegate slots than expected.

"I've seen factions walk out. I've never seen a party walk out," said Jeff Greenspan, regional coordinator for the Paul campaign.

Delegates cheered earlier in the day as former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney urged support for McCain. Later, though, Paul got even louder applause as he delivered his message of individual freedom and fiscal responsibility.

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CORAL GABLES, Florida (AP) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday called Democratic rival Barack Obama insensitive to poor people and out of touch on economic issues.

The GOP nominee-in-waiting rapped his Democratic rival for opposing his idea to suspend the tax on fuel during the summer, a proposal that McCain believes will particularly help low-incom people who usually have older cars that guzzle more gas.

"I noticed again today that Sen. Obama repeated his oppositionto giving low-income Americans a tax break, a little bit of relief so they can travel a little further and a little longer, and maybe have a little bit of money left over to enjoy some other things in their lives," McCain said. "Obviously Sen. Obama does not understand that this would be a nice thing for Americans, and the special interests should not be dictating this policy."

The Arizona senator deflected questions about his record on the Bush administration's tax cuts — he initially opposed them but now supports extending them — by again criticizing Obama.

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Sen. Obama was 1-for-2 in his impromptu baskbetball shots at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

NEW CASTLE, Indiana (AP) — A basketball fanatic, Barack Obama on Saturday visited one of the shrines at the heart of hoops country, touring the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame with a real star at his side and a whimsical view of his own abilities.

"I definitely would not qualify for any hall of fame," said Obama, who uses the game for exercise and describes himself as not bad for a 46-year-old guy. "I've already said we're taking out the bowling alley at the White House and putting in a basketball court."

Touring the Indiana Hall of Fame with Obama was George McGinnis, who played pro basketball with the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. He pointed with pride to the state championship his high school team won in 1969.

"Who's the best player you ever saw?" Obama asked. The answer was Julius Erving, or Dr. J.

Obama also got tested at one exhibit, where he was challenged to make a shot. His first shot was an air ball, but his second hit nothing but net.

Obama then autographed a basketball, but with a note of modesty.

"You don't have to put it out unless I become president," he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush poked fun at his potential successors Saturday night, expressing surprise that none of them were in the audience at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner.

"Senator McCain's not here," Bush said of GOP nominee-in-waiting John McCain. "He probably wanted to distance himself from me a little bit. You know, he's not alone. Jenna's moving out too."

Bush then referred to scandals that have dogged the campaigns of the two remaining Democratic candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, in explaining their absence: "Hillary Clinton couldn't get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama's at church."

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Watch Sen. Obama play some basketball in Indiana Friday night. (AP Photo)

KOKOMO, Indiana (AP) — For Barack Obama, figuring out how to cap a long campaign day in basketball-crazy Indiana was a no-brainer — you shoot some hoops.

After a noisy campaign rally, he donned sweat pants and a "USMC" shirt for a little action on the courts, with no ordinary companions. His 3-on-3 team included Alison Bales, a member of the
WNBA's Indiana Fever.

Some area high-schoolers also took part.

He kept up with the younger competitors, but at one point joked with medics standing by that they might be needed.

And he proved to be effective, scoring four baskets that included a nifty left-handed three-pointer. He grabbed four rebounds and stole a couple.

His team won 15-5.

The Philadelphia crowd was Obama's largest of the campaign.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Barack Obama was greeted by the largest crowd of his campaign Friday night in Philadelphia. Some 35,000 people jammed into Independence Park to see the Democratic presidential candidate, four days before this state's crucial April 22 primary.

Frank Friel, director of security at the Independence Visitor Center, made the official estimate.

The crowd exceed the 30,000 who greeted Obama and Oprah Winfrey in December in Columbia, S.C.

Obama told the crowd the United States is at a crucial moment in its history, much like what the founding fathers faced in Philadelphia.

"It was over 200 years ago that a group of patriots gathered in this city to do something that no one in the world believed they could do," Obama said. "After years of a government that didn't listen to them, or speak for them, or represent their hopes and their dreams, a few humble colonists came to Philadelphia to declare their independence from the tyranny of the British throne."

The Illinois senator called Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton a "tenacious" opponent but said it was time to move beyond the politics of the 1990s.

"Her message comes down to this: We can't really change the say-anything, do-anything, special interest-driven game in Washington, so we might as well choose a candidate who really knows how to play it," Obama said.

PHILADELPHA (AP) — Hillary Clinton is hoping the "Colbert bump" will help propel her to victory in Pennsylvania.

The Democratic presidential hopeful is making her first appearance on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" on Thursday. Both Clinton and Colbert have come to Pennsylvania ahead of the
state's hard-fought Democratic primary on April 22.

Clinton rival Barack Obama also is in Pennsylvania — but he is declining Colbert's invitation. Obama's wife, Michelle, will appear on the show Tuesday.

News of Clinton's visit was divulged Monday night in Philadelphia by MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews. He blurted it out backstage during taping of the show at the University of Pennsylvania's Zellerbach Theater. The news was confirmed by a person close to the satirical news program who insisted on anonymity because the visit has not been officially announced.

Democrats appearing on the show have sometimes enjoyed increases in fundraising afterward.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Party officials want a federal judge to order an investigation into whether Sen. John McCain violated election laws by withdrawing from public financing, saying federal regulators are too weak to act on their own.

A lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, to be filed Monday in U.S. District Court, questions the agency's ability to enforce the law and review McCain's decision to opt out of the system. The Republican presidential candidate, who had been entitled to $5.8 million in federal funds for the primary campaign, decided earlier this year to give up that money so he could avoid strict spending limits between now and the GOP's national convention in September.

During a conference call with reporters Sunday, DNC officials said the FEC is unable to act because four of its six seats are vacant. They want a judge to either order the FEC to begin an immediate review, or allow the Democratic Party to file a lawsuitagainst McCain's campaign challenging his decision.

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Obama's former pastor preached a sermon at a Virginia church Sunday but did not mention the Illinois senator.

NORFOLK, Virginia (AP) — Barack Obama's retired pastor has made his first public appearance since the furor over his remarks criticizing the United States. He said nothing about the Democratic presidential candidate or the uproar itself.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright preached Sunday at a Baptist church in Norfolk, Va., where his late uncle had been the pastor.

He delivered a sermon on the topic of overcoming trouble.

Wright never mentioned Obama, who worships at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, where Wright had been the longtime pastor.

Wright touched on the controversy just briefly when he told the Virginia congregation that reporters sneaked into a private funeral service on Saturday in Chicago, where he delivered the eulogy.

Watch Elton John greet the Clintons.

NEW YORK (AP) –Experience is central to Democrat Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, and Wednesday night she tapped one of pop music's most venerable rockers to help fill her campaign coffers with $2.5 million.

Elton John, who has sold records and filled arenas for four decades, played a benefit concert for Clinton at Radio City Music Hall.

"I've always been a Hillary supporter," John, 61, said before launching into his 1970 breakthrough hits, "Your Song" and "Border Song." "There is no one more qualified to lead America."

The English singer, composer and pianist added: "I'm amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them …. I love you Hillary, I'll be there for you."

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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Voters in southeastern Louisiana chose party candidates Saturday for congressional races in two conservative-leaning districts, including a contest in which Democrats are mounting a strong challenge for a seat held by Republicans for 32 years.

Saturday's voting was in party runoff races in special elections. The winners and independent candidates face off in general elections May 3.

The Republican and Democratic front-runners won their respective races for the 6th Congressional District, setting the stage for a combative general election for a district that covers Baton Rouge and the surrounding Old South plantation country.

On the Republican side, Woody Jenkins, a 61-year-old community newspaper editor aligned with the Christian right, captured 62 percent of the vote to defeat lobbyist Laurinda Calongne.

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