1) Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have been on their best behavior for the past week, figuring out, obviously, that personal attacks were turning off voters. But the race is so tight now that it wouldn't take much to restart the catfight. Clinton's pushing an intense series of debates, and it's a good bet that Clinton campaign operatives are already looking for ways to bait Obama in those meet-ups and get him to feel defensive and go negative. And Obama doesn't look good when he on the defensive.

2) CNN commentators were saying this morning that Democratic voters say they'll be happy with either candidate. But the Associated Press report seems closer to the truth: that only half of her supporters, and only half of his, say they'll be satisfied with the other candidate.

I much prefer Obama, but if Clinton's the Dems' nominee, I'll vote for her, for sure. And the pouting supporters on both sides need to remember that there are stark differences between the two Democrats and any of the Republicans. They need to listen to the Republicans' comments about staying in Iraq, for instance. And they need to keep in mind that the next president could appoint more than one new Supreme Court justice.

Both candidates will have to figure out how to heal the wounds. And that'll be particularly hard if this race continues to the end of primary season. In that case, the nominee could be chosen at the Democrats' convention. My hunch is that Clinton would get the nomination - courtesy of the super-delegates. The super-delegates are predominantly insider Dems - pols - and the Clintons have spent years creating ties to them.

These connections, in part, are what Obama is talking about when he promises change. It won't be a good thing, for the Democratic Party or the country, if the super-delegates settle this race.

3) Can somebody tell me why conservatives don't think John McCain is one of them? He's anti-choice, pro-Iraq war - conservative on every issue I can think of.

He has incensed Lou Dobbs and that mob, of course, on the issue of immigration, but I hadn't heard that ordinary conservatives are heartless. And the idea of seeking out, rounding up, and deporting all of the undocumented immigrants would be both police-state scary and fantastically expensive. In addition, small-business people are among the most ardent opponents of the Dobbs-type immigration crackdown.

The far-right loudmouths are also upset that McCain joined with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold to push campaign-finance reform. There are legitimate concerns about the McCain-Feingold bill, certainly, but this country has got to find a way to protect free speech and also not have money play the part it plays in elections. That, too, should be something that true conservatives embrace.