Sources say Harvey Weinstein threatened to cut contributions to congressional Democrats.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Hillary Clinton supporter Harvey Weinstein threatened to cut off contributions to congressional Democrats unless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi embraced his plan to finance revotes in Florida and Michigan, three officials familiar with their conversation said.

Weinstein and Pelosi talked on the phone late last month, the sources said.

The three officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the conversation.

They said Weinstein, a top supporter of Clinton's presidential campaign, appeared determined to buy Clinton more time in her battle against Sen. Barack Obama by pushing for the revote. He was also pressing Pelosi to back off her previous comments that superdelegates should support the candidate who's leading in pledged delegates in early June, the sources said.

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Over the course of the campaign American's views of the top three candidates have changed some. According to a Gallup poll done in late April, here are some of the qualities associated with each:

John McCain-he's "too old, he's a "good man–likable," he would give the country more of the same-be another George Bush, and he has a "good military background." And the number of people who view him favorably are about equal to the number who don't like him.

When it comes to Hillary Clinton, the most common perceptions are that she is dishonest or not trustworthy, past scandals or baggage associated with her husband, the former president, that she is qualified, capable, and strong.

But the number of people who have a negative view of her-55 percent is almost twice the number that view her favorably–30 percent. Barack Obama is viewed slightly more positively than negatively-42 percent to 39 percent.

To read more and contribute to the Cafferty File discussion click here

Watch Michelle Obama's comments with Suzanne Malveaux.

BOONVILLE, Indiana (CNN) — Michelle Obama said Wednesday that her husband's move to distance himself from his controversial former minister has been "painful," but that she's pleased with the way he's handled the situation.

"I was proud of the statement he made yesterday," she said in an interview with CNN's Suzanne Malveaux. "It was a tough thing for him to do — it's a painful situation to be in."

On Tuesday, Obama said he was "outraged" by comments the Rev. Jeremiah Wright made to the National Press Club in Washington on Monday. The candidate said he was "saddened by the spectacle" of what Wright said.

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Former UNC center Eric Montross was a big backer of John Edwards' White House bid.

(CNN) — The pageantry, the emotion, the packed gymnasiums — basketball fanatics in Indiana and North Carolina have seen it all before.

Democrats in both primary states are beaming about their newfound roles in this extended nomination contest, but long after the bumper stickers and campaign buttons are packed away, and when the awkward sports metaphors are nothing but distant memories, Hoosiers and Tar Heels will always have that familiar sound of sneaker-on-hardwood to fall back on.

Still, with politics and hoops now crossing paths, a handful of basketball icons have become caught in the moment, stepping off the court to endorse presidential candidates this cycle.

Here's a quick look at which basketball celebrities from North Carolina and Indiana have weighed in on the 2008 race, according to Federal Election Commission data and news reports.

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ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) - Hillary Clinton touted her commander-in-chief credentials across North Carolina Thursday, again bringing along a delegation of retired military officers to testify on her behalf.

"If she has to pull the trigger, General Shelton and I know she'll pull it," Brigadier General John Watkins told a boisterous crowd in Asheville, a liberal enclave in more conservative western North Carolina.

Native Tar Heel and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Hugh Shelton made his debut campaign appearance on behalf of Clinton saying he had a "deep and abiding concern" for members of the military.

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Clinton has seen an influx in campaign cash since winning the Pennsylvania primary.

NEW YORK (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton's Pennsylvania victory seems to be helping her regain ground financially against rival Barack Obama, who has outraised her by tens of millions of dollars.

The day that followed Clinton's Pennsylvania win was the biggest day in the history of her campaign, according to Terry McAuliffe, her campaign chairman.

The New York senator raised $10 million through the Internet and had 80,000 new donors, he said.

Compare that to two months ago, when Clinton could not afford to pay staffers and even lent her campaign $5 million from her own pocket.

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Former White House hopeful Mike Huckabee is writing a book that will be released November 18.

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) — Two weeks after the next president is elected, Mike Huckabee will publish a book sharing details on his failed bid for the White House and offering his vision for remodeling the conservative movement.

Sentinel, a conservative imprint of Penguin Group (USA), said Wednesday it will publish the former Arkansas governor and one-time Republican presidential hopeful's next book, to be released November 18.

The book, not yet titled, will offer an insider's view of Huckabee's campaign and also offer his vision for the future, publishers said Wednesday.

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(CNN) — Nicole Wallace, the former communications director for President Bush's reelection campaign, has signed on with John McCain.

CNN's Dana Bash reports Wallace will help craft the Arizona senator's message and begin May 1.

Watch Obama discuss his Pennsylvania primary loss on CNN Radio Wednesday.

(CNN) — Barack Obama said Wednesday he has a problem appealing to senior voters.

Assessing his loss in Pennsylvania, the Illinois senator said Tuesday's primary result was not primarily due to how working class Democrats voted — a voting bloc that has long supported Clinton over Obama — then with the decisions of older voters.

"I have to say if you look at and I know my staff has talked about this: If you look at the numbers, our problem has less to do with white working class voters, the problem is, to the extent there is a problem is with older voters," Obama told reporters. "They are very loyal to sen Clinton. And I think part of that is they've got a track record of voting for not just Sen. Clinton but also her husband."

"We need to make sure on issues that are important to them — like prescription drugs or pension and retirement security — that I've got a strong track record on those issues and very specific plans to make sure that they are getting the kinds of help that they need," he also said. "And if we do that effectively, which you know we have tried to do it in all the states."

Voters over 65 are among the most reliable members of Clinton's base, though exit polls out of Pennsylvania indicate Obama may be making inroads into this demographic.

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Sen. Hillary Clinton addresses supporters following her win in Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed victory in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, beating out Sen. Barack Obama after a bruising six-week campaign.

"It's a long road to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and it runs right through the heart of Pennsylvania," she told supporters in Philadelphia.

"I'm in this race to fight for you … You know you can count on me to stand up strong for you every single day in the White House."

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Hillary Clinton's campaign said that as of 11:30 p.m. ET Tuesday night, they had raised nearly $2.5 million since the state was called for the New York senator – what they called their "best night ever" — with 80 percent of that money coming from new donors.

Her campaign Web site is using her victory in a fundraising appeal that calls for $5 donations.

Clinton is launching a new ad that includes images of Osama bin Laden

(CNN) — With only one day left until voters in Pennsylvania head to the polls, Hillary Clinton launched a television ad there that includes images from the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Osama Bin Laden.

"It’s the toughest job in the world," a narrator states in the 30-second spot. "You need to be ready for anything – especially now, with two wars, oil prices skyrocketing, and an economy in crisis.

"Harry Truman said it best – if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Who do you think has what it takes?"

That comment appears to echo Clinton's recent criticisms of Obama for expressing disapproval of the ABC News debate last week during which the Illinois senator was asked several pointed questions.

“Being asked tough questions in a debate is nothing like the pressures you face inside the White House,” Clinton said Friday. “In fact, when the going gets tough, you just can’t walk away because we’re going to have some very tough decisions that we have to make. I think we need a president who can take whatever comes your way.”

Bill Clinton also weighed in last week, saying, "This is contact sport if you don't want to play keep your uniform off."

In a conference call with reporters, Clinton strategist Geoff Garin characterized the new spot as a positive one.

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PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) – Joining wife Hillary Clinton at a campaign rally on the eve of the Pennsylvania primary, former President Bill Clinton argued that if Democratic candidates were awarded delegates the same way as Republicans, his wife would be beating Barack Obama in the race for the 2,025 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination.

“If we were under the Republican system, which is more like the Electoral College, she'd have a 300 delegate lead here,” Clinton told the Washington Post. “I mean, Senator McCain is already the nominee because they chose a system to produce that result, and we don't have a nominee here, because the Democrats chose a system that prevents that result.”

Overall, Obama leads Hillary Clinton by 144 delegates — 1,648 to 1,504 — according to CNN's delegate count. However, Clinton still has 24 more superdelegates than Obama, leading 254 to 230.

Many states in the Republican primary race award delegates on a winner-take-all basis, whereas every state on the Democratic side uses a proportional system.

The former president has been shuttling back and forth between eastern and western Pennsylvania over the past few days, shoring up votes for his wife in this crucial primary contest.

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(CNN) — Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, is tangling with John McCain’s campaign again – this time in a war of words with the candidate himself.

In an interview on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, the presumptive Republican nominee told George Stephanopoulos that Elizabeth Edwards had taken a “cheap shot” at him by saying that he had enjoyed government healthcare for his entire life – and that all Americans should be able to choose from the same insurance options available to members of Congress and military personnel.

“It’s a cheap shot but I did have a period of time where I didn’t have very good healthcare, I had it from another government,” said McCain, referring to the years he spent as a prisoner of war. “Look, I know what it’s like not to have healthcare.”

And when laying out his policy disputes with Democrats over the issue, he added, “in all due respect to Elizabeth Edwards.”

Edwards – now a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress –responded Monday in a post on the Wonk Room blog.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) — Former White House press secretary Tony Snow will join CNN as a conservative commentator beginning Monday.

CNN president Jon Klein announced that Snow, a long-time political observer with a longstanding news background, will contribute to CNN as the network continues to broadcast winning political coverage.

Snow most recently served as press secretary to President Bush. For 10 years, beginning in 1996, he appeared on Fox News Channel as the host of Fox News Sunday, Weekend Live with Tony Snow and other programs. Before joining Fox, Snow served as a substitute "From the Right" co-host for CNN's Crossfire.

Snow has also been a newspaper writer, radio host and columnist, and a speechwriter in the administration of the first President Bush.

The candidates will appear on WWE Monday.

(CNN) – The road to the White House apparently runs through WWE Monday Night Raw.

All three presidential candidates are scheduled to make taped appearances on tonight's episode, hoping to tap into the show's approximately 5 million weekly viewers. The messages will also come on the eve of the crucial Democratic presidential primary in Pennsylvania.

WWE says the appearances follow an invitation both Clinton and Obama to appear live on the show to settle the prolonged Democratic presidential race in the wrestling ring. This is not the first time the WWE has waded into politics: it unsuccessfully challenged Al Gore and George Bush to agree to an arm wrestling match in 2000. It has also launched a voter registration drive called Smackdown Your Vote.

Read what Clinton, aka "Hill-Rod," and Obama will say tonight after the jump. (The McCain campaigns have not released their scripts.)

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(CNN) – Barack Obama has spent more than $8 million on Pennsylvania campaign spots over the past month – more than twice what Hillary Clinton has – as ad spending this year continues its record pace.

The Illinois senator’s presidential campaign had spent $8.1 million in the four-week period ending April 16, half of that in the critical – and pricey – Philadelphia ad market, according to an analysis conducted by TNS Media Intelligence/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on political advertising spending.

He is spending $400,000 a day, on a pace to exceed $10 million in ad spending – more than double Clinton’s $3.3 million in ad buys.

“Senator Obama’s campaign has done an excellent job of putting their fundraising advantage to work with record Pennsylvania ad buys, forcing Senator Clinton to spend valuable time and money in a state where she had a double-digit lead in the polls only a few weeks ago,” said Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of TNSMI/CMAG.

“If her own message connects with voters and pays off, it could be a big moral boost for the Clinton campaign. If not: the Obama strategy has paid off.”

Obama is also dominating the airwaves in upcoming primary states, spending $1.4 million in North Carolina and $1.8 million in Indiana, and has ads on the air in Oregon, according to the analysis. Clinton has made smaller buys in North Carolina and Indiana, and has not yet begun airing ads in Oregon.

ERIE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -– In what seems to be a continuing battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over who is more "in touch" with the average American, the Illinois senator made a stop outside a Pennsylvania beer distributing company Friday and tried to made clear his fondness for the fermented alcoholic beverage.

"We like beer," Obama told a group that had gathered outside, according to a media pool report.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey was in tow, as well. The two of them had just left a tour of the Erie Bolt Company, and noticed a crowd of about 30 people congregating in front of the Erie Beer Company.

"The steel was interesting, but beer!" Obama exclaimed.

He continued, asking the group, "What's selling best right now?"

"Bud Light!" most people responded.

The two men did not sample any brews on this visit.

On Monday, the Illinois senator mocked Clinton for taking a shot of whiskey in front of TV cameras. But it's not that Obama hasn't made attempts to connect with voters in a bar, as well — On a bus tour stop on March 28, Obama had a few sips of beer with Casey in front of the press. He did not finish the beer.

(CNN)–Rep. Andre Carson of the Indiana's seventh Congressional District has endorsed Barack Obama — the first of the state's five member Democratic congressional delegation to make a primary season endorsement.

Saint Colman Catholic Church sits along a busy street in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Of all the critical factors in the November election, pay special attention to Catholics voters. They have an astounding track record, picking the winner in eight of the last nine presidential elections.

There are nearly 70 million Catholics in the United States, about 20 percent of the electorate, and they can tip the balance in a close contest.

They will be listening closely for guidance from Pope Benedict XVI during his first U.S. visit.

"Benedict XVI is not a superdelegate riding into town to deliver a key endorsement," noted John Allen, CNN's senior Vatican analyst. "On the other hand, I think it would also be terribly naive to think there's no political subtext to the Pope's presence in the United States."

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