DNC Chairman Howard Dean.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Democratic Party on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Federal Elections Commission seeking to force the group to investigate whether John McCain has violated federal spending limits for his primary campaign.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court in Washington, is the latest move by the Democratic National Committee that seeks to prove the Arizona senator locked himself into campaign spending limits earlier this year when he used the prospect of $6 million in federal matching funds as collateral for a December bank loan to his campaign.

The DNC first filed a complaint with the FEC in February, arguing then that McCain should be forced to accept the matching funds — and the spending limits that come with it.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean said that McCain not only used the prospect of the funds as loan collateral, but he also accepted automatic ballot access in every state — an advantage given to those who accept federal matching funds. (Those who do not accept federal matching funds are forced to gain ballot access themselves — a task that can cost millions of dollars.)

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Hillary and Bill Clinton.

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton wants her husband to quit talking about her trip to Bosnia in 1996, the former president said Friday.

"Hillary called me and said, "I misstated it, you said I misstated it, but you got to let me handle it because you don't remember it either'…I said 'Yes ma'am," Clinton said while touring the fire damage of a campaign office in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The comments follow those he made in Boonville, Indiana Thursday, when he strongly defended his wife over the recent coverage surrounding her 1996 Bosnia trip claims, saying the media acted as if she'd "robbed a bank."

"I got tickled the other day, a lot of the way this whole campaign has been covered has amused me, but there was a lot of fulminating because Hillary, one time late at night when she was exhausted, misstated and immediately apologized for it, what happened to her in Bosnia in 1995. Did y'all see all that? Oh, they blew it up," he said.

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Earlier: Bill Clinton says media overreacted to Bosnia flap

A McCain-Rice ticket could carry New York, a new poll says.

(CNN) – Condoleezza Rice has said she has no desire to be John McCain's running mate, but a new poll out Wednesday suggests that duo could beat the Democratic ticket in the bluest of states.

In a new poll conducted by Marist College and WNBC, a McCain-Rice ticket would beat a ticket that includes both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in New York — a state that reliably votes for the Democratic candidate. (In 2004, John Kerry beat President Bush there by nearly 20 points. In 2000, the margin between Al Gore and Bush was an even higher 25 points.)

But should McCain and Rice team up, the poll suggests the two Republicans would carry New York, defeating a Clinton-Obama ticket by 3 points (49-46 percent) and an Obama-Clinton ticket by 5 points (49-44 percent.)

The poll comes days after a leading Republican strategist suggested Rice, contrary to her own public statements, is engaging in a behind-the-scenes campaign to land a spot on McCain's ticket. Former Bush administration official Dan Senor made the suggestion on ABC Sunday, noting Rice's recent appearance at the weekly meeting of Americans for Tax Reform — a leading organization of Republican insiders — as evidence she is attempting to cozy up to the conservative elite.

That suggestion immediately had Beltway insiders speculating on the potential advantages Rice would deliver, especially in light of the fact the Democratic presidential ticket will either feature a woman or an African-American for the first time in American history.

Rice herself attempted to put the speculation to rest Tuesday, saying, "I very much look forward to watching this campaign and voting as a voter — I have a lot of work to do and then I'll happily go back to Stanford."

But with polls like this, it's likely some Republicans hope she reconsiders.

Watch: The Best Political Team ponders a McCain-Rice ticket

Van Hollen is chairman of the DCCC.

(CNN) — The top Democrat charged with helping his party maintain control of the House in 2008 warned Tuesday congressional candidates could suffer if the Democratic presidential race turns overly negative.

Speaking at a press briefing with reporters, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen predicted the Democrats will pick up House seats in November, but said the ongoing contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remains a "variable."

"We've seen the energy and excitement in the early Democratic primaries, and the only thing that could hurt or cut back on that is if the Democratic primary gets so divisive that it's difficult to patch it up and heal the wounds in time to be together in November," said Van Hollen, who has not endorsed either candidate.

"We need to make sure that both candidates stay positive so you don't leave lasting wounds that will depress in anyway that kind of energy and enthusiasm," he added. "I don't think we are at that point. I do think there is a danger of reaching that point."

At the same briefing, Clinton backer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Chuck Schumer sounded a less dire tone, saying the hotly-contested race will benefit the party come November.

“Each is getting to refine their message and battle test their campaigns in this primary," he said. "I don't think any damaging blows have been landed by one or the other, and damaging to the general election, and I think both are very strong candidates."

Rice said Tuesday she's not interested in being McCain's running mate.

(CNN) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed rumors on Tuesday she is angling to be John McCain's running mate, telling reporters she plans to head back to Stanford University.

"I very much look forward to watching this campaign and voting as a voter," she said. "I have a lot of work to do and then I'll happily go back to Stanford."

Rice served as Provost at Stanford from 1993-1999, and remains a tenured professor there.

"Senator McCain is an extraordinary American," Rice also said of the presumptive Republican nominee. "A really outstanding leader and obviously a great patriot."

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Obama is gaining ground in Pennsylvania, according to several polls.

(CNN) — Barack Obama continues to chip away at Hillary Clinton's lead in the crucial state of Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll out Tuesday shows.

The New York senator's lead over Obama now stands at 6 points in the new poll, 50-44 percent. That compares to the 9 point lead Clinton held in a similar survey released 5 days ago, and an 11 point lead in a Quinnipiac survey late last month.

Specifically, Clinton has lost ground among white voters and men: She now holds an 18 point lead among whites, down from a 25 point gap in last week’s poll, and trails Obama by 4 points among males. Last week, the two drew equal support from men.

But Clinton continues to remain strong with her core voting bloc of older voters and white women, and likely Pennsylvania Democratic voters rate her more favorably than Obama — 71 percent for Clinton and 67 percent for Obama.

With the latest Quinnipiac poll, CNN's poll of several recent surveys show Clinton's lead over Obama in Pennsylvania now averages 6 percentage points. That gap is 1 point less than Monday’s poll of polls and 5 points less than a CNN poll of polls on Friday.

What's behind the shift?

"Obama has outspent Hillary Clinton three to one just on television advertising in Pennsylvania. He spent more than $3 million trying to get his name out and his message out to Hillary Clinton's $1 million," said Mark Preston, a CNN political editor.

The Illinois senator has also heavily benefited from the Service Employees International Union, which according to recently filed FEC reports has spent well over $700,000 on get-out-the-vote-efforts there.

Watch Clinton speak on CNN's American Morning.

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton predicted on Tuesday the recent controversy surrounding her top advisor's meeting with the Colombian government wouldn't prove damaging to her campaign, and suggested she dealt with the matter more definitively than Barack Obama did when he faced a similar situation.

"I don't think [it will hurt], because I think people want to know where I stand," Clinton said on CNN's American Morning, reiterating her opposition to a free trade agreement with the Colombians.

"I find it kind of curious, we took action, and I think it was appropriate," she continued. "Contrast that to Senator Obama's campaign where, as far as I know, nothing was ever done when one of his top economic advisers representing the campaign, unlike Mr. Penn who was not representing the campaign, but Mr. Obama's representative told the Canadian government basically not to pay any attention to what Senator Obama was saying about NAFTA."

The comments are in reference to her campaign's former chief strategist, Mark Penn, who resigned that post over the weekend after news surfaced he had met with the Colombian ambassador in his role as CEO of a P.R. firm to promote a free trade bill Clinton sharply criticizes.

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Clinton had a tough time bowling on the Ellen show.

(CNN) — Hillary Clinton is lucky Barack Obama didn't bite on her April Fools Day wager.

Appearing on the talk show Ellen Monday, the New York senator showed her bowling skills may be every bit as lacking as those of her chief rival. On a makeshift bowling alley on the show's set, Clinton missed the pins entirely on her first try, and only knocked out one on her second and final attempt.

Her bowling performance follows that of Obama, who scored only a 37 at a Pennsylvania bowling alley earlier this month. Obama later called that score "terrible," and joked, "My economic plan is better than my bowling," to which a fellow bowler quipped, "It has to be."

Clinton herself later ribbed Obama for the display, challenging him to a "bowl-off" for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"A bowling night. Right here in Pennsylvania. The winner take all," she said. "I'll even spot him two frames." Clinton quickly revealed that was an April Fools Day joke.

She told reporters later on her campaign plane she even has her own bowling ball, bag, and shoes from her days in the White House, though acknowledged she hasn't bowled since those days.

A leading GOP strategist says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may want to run with Sen. John McCain.

(CNN) — John McCain said Sunday night he hasn't personally seen signals Condoleezza Rice is interested in running as vice president, following a report the Secretary of State is angling for the No. 2 spot on the Republican presidential ticket.

"I missed those signals," McCain told reporters on his campaign plane. "I think she’s a great American, I think there’s very little that I can say that isn’t anything but the utmost praise for a great American citizen, who served as a role model to so many millions of people in this country and around the world."

The Arizona senator's comments come after Dan Senor, a leading Republican strategist, suggested on ABC Sunday that Rice is mounting a behind-the-scenes campaign to be McCain's running mate.

"Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this," Senor, a former Bush administration official said. Senor cited Rice's recent appearance at the weekly meeting of Americans for Tax Reform — a leading organization of Republican insiders led by Grover Norquist — as evidence she is attempting to cozy up to the conservative elite.

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The race appears to be narrowing in Pennsylvania.

(CNN) — The Democratic presidential race is tightening in the key state of Pennsylvania, according to a new CNN analysis of recent polls there.

In the latest CNN "poll of polls," Hillary Clinton now holds a 7 point lead over Obama, 49 percent to 42 percent. Nine percent remain unsure of their vote.

That gap is 4 points narrower than a similar CNN poll of polls conducted Friday. In that average, Clinton held an 11 point lead, 51 percent to 40 percent.

The most recent poll of polls included recent surveys from the American Research Group, Muhlenberg College, and Quinnipiac University.

A decisive win in Pennsylvania's April 22 primary vote is seen as crucial for Clinton as she seeks to finish the primary season with enough momementum to convince the party's undecided superdelegates to give her the nomination.

Rendell, left, criticized Penn Sunday over his meeting with the Colombian government.

(CNN) — A key backer of Hillary Clinton's White House bid gave her top strategist Mark Penn a less than ringing endorsement Sunday, following news Penn had met with the Colombian ambassador to promote a free trade agreement the New York senator opposes.

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell didn't exactly give the longtime Clinton pollster a vote of confidence.

Asked directly if the campaign should cut ties with Penn, Rendell said, "Well there are a lot of issues in which you can raise that question."

"Yeah, I think you've got to make it very clear for someone who is a consultant, who you are representing and who you are not representing and I would hope that Mr. Penn when he talked to the Colombians made that clear," Rendell also said. "And it doesn't sound to me like he did and that's something the campaign should take into question."

Late last week it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that Penn had met with the Colombian ambassador on Monday to promote a free trade agreement that Hillary Clinton has sharply criticized on the campaign trail. Penn's P.R. firm Burson-Marsteller had a contract with Colombia to promote the agreement, though a spokesman for Colombia's president told the paper he didn't know if Penn was representing Clinton or his P.R. firm in the meeting.

On Friday, Penn said he was acting in his role as CEO of Burson-Marsteller and called the meeting a "error in judgment." Upset with that characterization, the Colombian government cut ties with Penn's firm on Saturday.

Obama campaigned in North Dakota Friday.

(CNN) — John McCain criticized Barack Obama Saturday for not denouncing comments from a speaker at a North Dakota Democratic Party event calling the Arizona senator a "warmonger."

The comments in question came Friday evening at an event in North Dakota where Barack Obama also spoke. Radio talk show host Ed Schultz addressed the crowd, during which he criticized McCain's support of the Iraq war and called him a "warmonger." Obama was not present for Schultz's comments and spoke later at the event.

"I hope that in keeping with the spirit of Sen. Obama, that they condemn, that Sen. Obama will condemn such language since it was a part of his campaign," McCain said. "But that kind of language is unnecessary for this campaign. I think its very clear how I feel about war and my experiences with it."

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Saturday McCain should not have been described that way.

"John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such. He's a supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes should have never been authorized and never been waged," she said.

Obama's campaign also notes Schultz is not an official supporter of the campaign and was asked to speak by the North Dakota Democratic Party, not the Obama campaign.

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Mark Penn is a chief strategist for the Clinton campaign.

(CNN) – The Colombian government severed ties with Clinton strategist Mark Penn and his public relations firm Saturday, unhappy Penn referred to a recent meeting with the Colombian ambassador as an "error in judgment."

"Mr. Mark Penn, President and CEO of Burson Marsteller, responded to claims by Union representatives who questioned his relationship with the Colombian Government by declaring that it was an 'error in judgment' to meet with his client the Colombian Ambassador on March 31. The Colombian government considers this a lack of respect to Colombians, and finds this response unacceptable," a statement from the Colombian embassy said.

Penn's comments came Friday after it was reported he had met with the Colombian ambassador in his role as CEO of his P.R. firm to promote a free trade agreement with the country that Hillary Clinton has sharply criticized on the campaign trail.

"The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it," Penn said in an issued statement. "The senator's well known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed," Penn said in a statement.

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McCain marked the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's death Friday. (AP Photo)

(CNN) — Speaking at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, John McCain said Friday he was wrong to initially oppose a government holiday in memory of the civil rights leader.

"We can be slow as well to give greatness its due, a mistake I made myself long ago when I voted against a federal holiday in memory of Dr. King," McCain said during the rainy Memphis speech. "I was wrong and eventually realized that, in time to give full support for a state holiday in Arizona. We can all be a little late sometimes in doing the right thing, and Dr. King understood this about his fellow Americans."

The comments were met with audible boos in the audience, though the Arizona senator did draw applause at other moments in the speech.

McCain, then a first-term congressman, voted against creating a government holiday for King in 1983. On Thursday, he suggested he was unaware of King's legacy at the time.

"I voted in my first year in Congress against it and then I began to learn and I studied and people talked to me," he told reporters. "And I not only supported it but I fought very hard in my home state of Arizona for recognition against a governor who was of my own party."

McCain was a chief backer of a successful 1992 Arizona ballot referendum to mark the holiday.

In 2000, McCain said of his initial opposition was due to the fact that "it cost too much money, that other presidents were not recognized.”

  

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from the Best Political Team.

(CNN) — Clinton releases years of tax returns and CNN's Brian Todd gives you the highlights, in the latest edition of CNN=Politics Daily.

Also, the presidential candidates mark the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death. CNN's Candy Crowley reports on how Clinton and Obama spent the day while Sean Callebs tracks McCain.

Bill Schneider takes a look at the latest poll numbers on the economy and analyzes how they may affect the presidential race.

Finally, a podcast exclusive: CNN's Jennifer Mikell brings you the week's most memorable moments on the campaign trail.

Click here to subscribe to CNN=Politics Daily

Mark Penn is a chief strategist for the Clinton campaign.

(CNN) — Clinton campaign strategist Mark Penn said Friday it was an "error in judgment" for him to meet with the Colombian ambassador to advocate for a free-trade agreement Hillary Clinton has said she opposes.

"The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it," Penn said in an issued statement. "The senator's well known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed."

The meeting, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, occurred Monday. Penn appears to have been acting in his role as chief executive of the international communications and lobbying firm, Burson-Marsteller Worldwide. The Colombian Embassy hired the firm to help achieve congressional approval of a bill allowing free trade with the country — a proposal Clinton has sharply criticized.

Earlier Friday, Clinton spokesperson Mo Elleithee said the New York senator "remains steadfast against the Colombian Trade Bill," and maintained Penn's meeting was "not in any way done on behalf of the campaign."

Clinton has sharply criticized America's free trade agreements as she campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination, and was particularly critical of rival Barack Obama in February when it was reported that one of his chief foreign policy advisors had suggested to a Canadian official that the Illinois senator was not as anti-free trade as he was claiming to be on the trail.

"I don't think people should come to Ohio and tell the people of Ohio one thing and then have your campaign tell a foreign government something else behind closed doors," Clinton said then. "That's the kind of difference between talk and action and that I've been pointing out in this campaign."

"I would ask you to look at that story, substitute my name for Senator Obama," she also said. "If some of my advisers had been having private meetings with foreign governments and basically saying ignore what I'm saying because it's only political rhetoric … I think it raises serious questions."

Earlier: Campaign: Penn wasn't representing Clinton in trade meeting

 

Watch Clinton on Leno Thursday night.

(CNN) — It was a gaffe that caused the Clinton campaign a serious headache two weeks ago, but in an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Thursday night, the New York senator was all smiles about it.

As she walked out on stage, Clinton told Leno she almost didn't make the interview.

"I was pinned down by sniper fire at the Burbank airport," Clinton said laughing.

The comments were in reference to the recent revelation that Clinton was not forced to make a dangerous landing and cover herself from sniper fire during a 1996 trip to Bosnia, despite her repeated claims to the contrary.

"You know this has been such a mismatch of words and actions," Clinton also told Leno. "I was thinking about it, because obviously I've been so privileged to represent our country in, gosh, more than 80 other countries, lots of war zones and all the rest of it — I wrote about this in my book and obviously I just had a lapse."

The New York senator also took aim at her husband in the interview, telling Leno that “He's doing a great job for me but he does get a little carried away sometimes."

And when Leno asked what she thought of her daughter, Chelsea, telling crowds on the campaign trail that she thinks her mother would be a better president than her father, Clinton responded, “Oh, you know, she’s such a smart young woman.”

Rhodes has been suspended.

(CNN) – The liberal radio network Air America suspended one if its most popular radio talk show hosts Thursday after a video clip surfaced on the Internet in which she used derogatory language to describe Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro.

The comments came during a San Francisco appearance in late march sponsored by a local Air America affiliate. During the event, Randi Rhodes referred to both Clinton and Ferraro as "f—ing whores."

Video of the comments surfaced earlier this week. Air America issued a statement Thursday saying it had suspended Rhodes for "abusive language."

"Air America encourages strong opinions about public affairs, but does not condone such abusive, ad hominem language by our hosts," the statement said.

Speaking with the liberal Web site Huffingtonpost.com, Rhodes said she is upset with the radio network.

"They are in breach of my contract and have damaged my hard won excellent reputation in the broadcast industry…" she said. Rhodes also said she had originally received praise from representatives of the network for her appearance at the event.

(CNN) – A Clinton campaign spokesman said Friday senior adviser Mark Penn's recent meeting with the Colombian ambassador to discuss a free-trade deal does not reflect Hillary Clinton's staunch opposition to the proposal.

"She remains steadfast against the Colombian Trade Bill," said spokesman Mo Elleithee, adding that the meeting was "not in any way done on behalf of the campaign."

The meeting, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, occurred Monday. Penn appears to have been acting in his role as chief executive of the international communications and lobbying firm, Burson-Marsteller Worldwide. The Colombian Embassy hired the firm to help achieve congressional approval of the trade deal.

Clinton has said she is against the trade bill, and has sharply criticized America's free trade agreements as she campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination.