JERUSALEM - Words are everything.

So what did President Bush have in mind today when he told the Israeli Knesset that some "seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals'' and likened them to an American who once said that talking with Hitler might have averted the invasion of Poland?

Was the Republican president evoking the remarks of Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democratic presidential candidate who has spoken of negotiating with the Iranians, for instance?

The president's remarks were "not specifically pointed to one individual,'' a spokesman here told the Tribune, but rather apply to a "broad group'' of people who advocate negotiations with implacable enemies.

Obama has specifically rejected the notion of talking with Hamas, the group which seized control of Gaza and does not recognize Israel, a group which Obama, like the Bush administration, calls a "terrorist organization.'' Obama previously has said: "We should not talk to them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence and are willing to abide by previous accords.''

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along,'' Bush said in an address to the Knesset today which drew repeated standing ovations for his commitment to stand by Israel against all enemies.

"We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is - the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.''

The "American senator" whom Bush quoted was William Borah, Republican of Idaho.

Obama this morning called Bush's remarks "a false political attack."

"It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel," Obama said in a written statement. "Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power - including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy - to pressure countries like Iran and Syria.

"George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists," Obama said, "and the president's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel."

Today's "struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is the ancient battle between good and evil,'' Bush said. "The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers...

"That is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel. That is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel, Death to America!" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the president of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map...

"We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.''

And his audience applauded.

George W. Bush is not much for "the Internets.''

So the Yahoo.com interview with the "Googler-in-chief'' this week made for some good fun.

Bush offered his own pinky-biting "Dr. Evil'' impression in this interview conducted by Mike Allen of Politico.com.

And asked who is the better impressionist - Will Farrell doing George Bush, or Dana Carvey doing Dad - Bush picked Carvey.

He also acknowledged that he gave up golf because of the war.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,'' the president says.

The president does not do e-mail on what he has called "the Internets,'' but he acknowledged that he occasionally does use "the Google:''

"Occasionally,'' the president allows, "one of the things I've used on the Google is to pull up maps.''

JERUSALEM - Every journey has its tourist value.

But Masada could be among the most sobering of all sites.

President Bush flew by helicopter this morning to Masada, the fortress atop a 1,500-foot-high plateau overlooking the Dead Sea valley built by Herod as a winter palace and hideout. A century later, when the Jewish rebellion against Rome broke out, Zealots took over the then-abandoned fortress, and Masada became the last rebel stronghold in Judea - and a site of massive sacrifice.

In 73 or 74, the Romans laid siege to Masada with 8,000 troops. After a few months, the Romans succeeded in building a ramp to the fortress wall and brought forward a battering ram. The rebels had constructed a wooden inner wall, but the Romans burned it.

With Masada's hopes diminishing, the rebel leader, Eleazar Ben Yair, "gave two speeches in which he convinced the leaders of the 960 members of the community that it would be better to take their own lives and the lives of their families than to live in shame and humiliation as Roman slaves," according to a Masada brochure.

They picked ten people by lot to kill the rest, cutting their throats. Those ten then cast lots again to decide who would dispatch them.

Eitan Campbell, director of the Masad National Park, led the president on a tour.

Only one person "actually committed the technical act of suicide, probably here in this room," Campbell said in the synagogue there. "He killed the nine and set everything afire, so there was nothing the Romans could use afterward, except for one storeroom which we left intact - they left intact - to show that it was not because of food...but rather not to fall into slavery."

The message here is not the promotion of suicide, he suggested.

"It's an individual thing,'' he said. "Everyone has his own Masada."

With thanks to John McKinnon of the Wall Street Journal for his pool reporting of the president's visit to Masada.

They said the first was an outlier. The second, a fluke. But after losing their third seat this year in a special election, House Republicans faced the possibility on Wednesday that if they don't repair their image with voters, they could be in for another rough November.

A Democratic pick-up streak that started with Rep. Bill Foster's upset victory in the March election to replace former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) crested Tuesday night, when Democrat Travis Childers won a solidly Republican open seat in Mississippi.

The GOP spent one-fifth of its available national party cash for House races on the Mississippi seat. Vice President Dick Cheney campaigned there. President George W. Bush and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain pitched in with automated phone calls. Their candidate lost anyway. Meanwhile, reeling House Republicans unveiled a new slogan this week--"Change you deserve" --only to watch Democrats gleefully note that it is already used to market an antidepressant.

Several House Republicans say the losses reveal a voter disconnect with their party, rooted in dissatisfaction with Bush, which GOP candidates will have to repair district-by-district this fall. Some, including McCain and several members of the Illinois congressional delegation, appear to believe that to "re-brand" the Republican Party, they must first distance themselves from it.

Read the full story in today's Chicago Tribune.

Freshman Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) likened the climate to 2006, when Democrats surged to control of the House and Senate. "There's a lot of dissatisfaction with the direction of the country," he said. "No incumbent should underestimate the attitude of the American people, Republican or Democrat."

The parties share power in Washington. Polls show Bush and Congress faring dismally in voter approval ratings, driven by anxieties from a slowing economy and continued dissatisfaction with the Iraq War. But politicians and analysts say it appears, at least at this point in the campaign, that voter frustration is hurting Republicans more.

Chalk up part of that to recruiting, analysts say. The three House seats to flip to Democratic this spring all lie in districts Bush carried in 2004. The Democrats who won them all ran as moderate agents of change who support troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Foster opposed his own party's budget proposal on Wednesday and said in a press release it "unfairly places a hefty tax burden on the backs of hard-working middle-class families." Childers and Don Cazayoux, the Democrat who won a formerly GOP seat in Louisiana this month, both favor gun rights and oppose legalized abortion--making them "Republicans in all but title," Cole said.

Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report, said Republicans need to run better candidates to better fit their districts. "Democrats have learned how to win in conservative districts by running conservative candidates," he said.

Democrats suggest something larger as well: a link in voters' minds between GOP candidates, economic struggle and an unpopular war.

"After all their setbacks, I realize the Bush Republicans are depressed these days," Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the House Democratic Caucus chairman, said in a taunting press release, "but before they turn to medication, they ought to join us in our effort to bring real change."

House Republicans say they expect a chilly electoral climate this fall. To weather it, several touted their abilities to work across--or transcend--party lines. McCain, in events across the Pacific Northwest this week, took a similar approach to the presidential race, emphasizing his break from the Bush administration on global warming.

"The critical challenge before both parties is to articulate a 21st Century agenda," said Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who faces a high-profile challenge from Democrat Dan Seals in a district that voted for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in the 2004 election.

After Tuesday's GOP loss, Kirk said several Republicans began inquiring about his "suburban agenda," a bipartisan package of health care, environmental, education and other measures. Other Republicans take heart in the belief that voters still share their ideals, including low taxes, strong defense and limited government.

"Our party could have gotten the message out better," said Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), "but all of us go home and get the message out.... What we have to do is tell people our vision for the future and how we're going to solve our problems."

Several Republicans stressed that November elections don't always follow the results of special elections, which analysts say tend to draw far fewer voters and typically reflect the enthusiasm of the most committed partisans on either side.

Turnout will be higher--and the playing field more level--come November, said David Wasserman, House editor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report in Washington.

"The good news for Republicans," he said, "is that this is rock bottom."

Tribune correspondent Whitney Blair Wyckoff contributed to this report.

JERUSALEM - President Bush, addressing the Israeli parliament at a time celebrated by Israelis and mourned by Palestinians, today will remind Israelis that Americans rose first to the recognition of the new independent state of Israel 60 years ago and now remain "Israel's closest ally and best friend in the world.''

Bush also will denounce the aims of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, as well as Hezbollah, which Israel has battled within Lebanon - both groups backed by Iran and Syria. The delineation between the tenets of democracy in Israel and the practice of terrorism by its enemies, he will say, frame the debate of the times in the Middle East, a struggle between freedom and tyranny.

"We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace,'' Bush will say. "So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.''

The president, while holding out hope that Palestinians and Israelis will live side-by-side in peace 60 years from now, will avert any talk about the details of talks under way now between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

"He's focused on the long-term goal, what the region will look like 60 years from now,'' says Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council. "It's not about the nitty gritty.''

"Unless you are optimistic about the future, then you have no hope that this will succeed,'' Johndroe says. "If you don't set out a goal for what the region should look like, then what's the point of anyone sitting down to talk at all.?''

In this month of celebrations in Israel, today is the day that Palestinians mark as their own loss of a homeland at Israel's creation -- the Nakba, or catastrophe.

Bush's remarks on this journey are aimed squarely at Israel's anniversary, and its future - while holding out hope for the creation of an independent Palestine state. He has pushed for an agreement on the contours of a new state by the end of his term, though this appears unlikely in the context of continuing violence here and political turmoil within the governments.

"This is a bold vision,'' Bush will say of the "two-state solution'' that he has articulated for several years now, "and some will say it can never be achieved. But think about what we have witnessed in our own time.''

The president, a born-again Christian who reveres this place as not only a strategic U.S. ally but also as the Holy Land, will strike a decidedly religious tone with his address to the Knesset about one hour from now.

"The alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty,'' the president will say. "It is grounded in the shared spirit of our people, the bonds of the Book, the ties of the soul. When William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, he quoted the words of Jeremiah: 'Come let us declare in Zion the word of God. The founders of my country saw a new promised land and bestowed upon their towns names like Bethlehem and New Canaan. And in time, many Americans became passionate advocates for a Jewish state.''

"We have been deeply moved by the celebrations of the past two days,'' Bush plans to say, according to remarks released by the White House this morning, "And this afternoon, I am honored to stand before one of the world's great democratic assemblies and convey the wishes of the American people.''

"It is a rare privilege for an American president to address the Knesset,'' he will say. "Although the prime minister told me there is something even rarer - to have just one person in this chamber speaking at a time.

"My only regret is that one of Israel's greatest leaders is not here to share the moment. He is a warrior for the ages, a man of peace, and a dear friend. The prayers of all Americans are with Ariel Sharon.

" We gather to mark a momentous occasion. Sixty years ago in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel's independence, founded on the "natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate." What followed was more than the establishment of a new country. It was the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham, Moses, and David - a homeland for the chosen people in Eretz Yisrael.

"Eleven minutes later, on the orders of President Harry Truman, the United States was proud to be the first nation to recognize Israel's independence,'' Bush will say, an historical note that he also struck in a 60th anniversary celebration gala last night at a convention center that had the air of an Academy Awards ceremony. "And on this landmark anniversary, America is proud to be Israel's closest ally and best friend in the world.

"The alliance between our governments is unbreakable, yet the source of our friendship runs deeper than any treaty,'' the president will say. "It is grounded in the shared spirit of our people, the bonds of the Book, the ties of the soul. When William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower in 1620, he quoted the words of Jeremiah: "Come let us declare in Zion the word of God." The founders of my country saw a new promised land and bestowed upon their towns names like Bethlehem and New Canaan. And in time, many Americans became passionate advocates for a Jewish state.

"Centuries of suffering and sacrifice would pass before this dream was fulfilled. The Jewish people endured the agony of the pogroms, the tragedy of the Great War, and the horror of the Holocaust - what Elie Wiesel called "the kingdom of the night." Soulless men took away lives and broke apart families. Yet they could not take away the spirit of the Jewish people, and they could not break the promise of God. When news of Israel's freedom finally arrived, Golda Meir, a fearless woman raised in Wisconsin, could summon only tears. She later said: "For two thousand years we have waited for our deliverance. Now that it is here it is so great and wonderful that it surpasses human words."

"The joy of independence was tempered by the outbreak of battle, a struggle that has continued for six decades. Yet in spite of the violence, in defiance of the threats, Israel has built a thriving democracy in the heart of the Holy Land. You have welcomed immigrants from the four corners of the Earth. You have forged a free and modern society based on a love of liberty, a passion for justice, and a respect for human dignity. You have worked tirelessly for peace. And you have fought valiantly for freedom.

"My country's admiration for Israel does not end there. When Americans look at Israel, we see a pioneer spirit that worked an agricultural miracle and now leads a high-tech revolution. We see world-class universities and a global leader in business, innovation, and the arts. And we see a resource more valuable than oil or gold - the talent and determination of a free people who refuse to let any obstacle stand in the way of their destiny.

"I have been fortunate to see the character of Israel up close. I have touched the Western Wall, seen the sun reflected in the Sea of Galilee, and prayed at Yad Vashem. Earlier today, I visited Masada, an inspiring monument to courage and sacrifice. At this historic site, Israeli soldiers swear an oath: "Masada shall never fall again." Citizens of Israel: Masada shall never fall again, and America will always stand with you.

"This anniversary is a time to reflect on the past. It is also an opportunity to look to the future. As we go forward, our alliance will be guided by clear principles - shared convictions rooted in moral clarity and unswayed by popularity polls or the shifting opinion of international elites.

"We believe in the matchless value of every man, woman, and child. So we insist that the people of Israel have the right to a decent, normal, and peaceful life, just like the citizens of every other nation.

"We believe that democracy is the only way to ensure human rights. So we consider it a source of shame that the United Nations routinely passes more human rights resolutions against the freest democracy in the Middle East than any other nation in the world.

"We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society. So we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms - whether by those who openly question Israel's right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them.

"We believe that free people should strive and sacrifice for peace. So we applaud the courageous choices Israel's leaders have made. We also believe that nations have a right to defend themselves and that no nation should ever be forced to negotiate with killers pledged to its destruction.

"We believe that targeting innocent lives to achieve political objectives is always and everywhere wrong. So we stand together against terror and extremism, and we will never let down our guard or lose our resolve.

"The fight against terror and extremism is the defining challenge of our time. It is more than a clash of arms. It is a clash of visions, a great ideological struggle. On one side are those who defend the ideals of justice and dignity with the power of reason and truth. On the other side are those who pursue a narrow vision of cruelty and control by committing murder, inciting fear, and spreading lies.

"This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is the ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.

"That is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel. That is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel, Death to America!" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the president of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.

"There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain their words away. This is natural. But it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century.

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is - the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

"Some people suggest that if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of our enemies, and America rejects it utterly. Israel's population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because America stands with you.

"America stands with you in breaking up terrorist networks and denying the extremists sanctuary. And America stands with you in firmly opposing Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. Permitting the world's leading sponsor of terror to possess the world's deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

"Ultimately, to prevail in this struggle, we must offer an alternative to the ideology of the extremists by extending our vision of justice and tolerance, freedom and hope. These values are the self-evident right of all people, of all religions, in all of the world because they are a gift from Almighty God. Securing these rights is also the surest way to secure peace. Leaders who are accountable to their people will not pursue endless confrontation and bloodshed. Young people with a place in their society and a voice in their future are less likely to search for meaning in radicalism. And societies where citizens can express their conscience and worship their God will not export violence, they will be partners for peace.

"This fundamental insight, that freedom yields peace, is the great lesson of the 20th century. Now our task is to apply it in the 21st. Nowhere is this work more urgent than here in the Middle East. We must stand with the reformers working to break the old patterns of tyranny and despair. We must give voice to the millions of ordinary people who dream of a better life in freedom. We must confront the moral relativism that views all forms of government as equally acceptable and thereby consigns whole societies to slavery. Above all, we must have faith in our values and ourselves and confidently pursue the expansion of liberty as the path to a peaceful future.

"That future will be a dramatic departure from the Middle East of today. So as we mark 60 years from Israel's founding, let us envision the region 60 years from now. This vision will not arrive easily or overnight, and it will encounter violent resistance from our enemies. But if we and future Presidents and Knessets maintain our resolve and have faith in our ideals, here is the Middle East we can see:

"Israel will be celebrating its 120th anniversary as one of the world's great democracies, a secure and flourishing homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved - a democratic state that is governed by law, respects human rights, and rejects terror. From Cairo and Riyadh to Baghdad and Beirut, people will live in free and independent societies, where a desire for peace is reinforced by ties of diplomacy, tourism, and trade. Iran and Syria will be peaceful nations, where today's oppression is a distant memory and people are free to speak their minds and develop their talents. And al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas will be defeated, as Muslims across the region recognize the emptiness of the terrorists' vision and the injustice of their cause.

"Overall, the Middle East will be characterized by a new period of integration and tolerance. This does not mean that Israel and its neighbors will be best friends. But when leaders across the region answer to their people, they will focus their energies on schools and jobs, not on rocket attacks and suicide bombings. With this change, Israel will open a hopeful new chapter in which its people can live a normal life, and the dream of Herzl and the founders of 1948 can be fully and finally realized.

"This is a bold vision, and some will say it can never be achieved. But think about what we have witnessed in our own time. When Europe was destroying itself through total war and genocide, it was difficult to envision a continent that six decades later would be free and at peace. When Japanese pilots were flying suicide missions into American battleships, it seemed impossible that six decades later Japan would be a democracy, a lynchpin of security in Asia, and one of America's closest friends. And when waves of refugees arrived here in the desert with nothing, surrounded by hostile armies, it was almost unimaginable that Israel would grow into one of the freest and most successful nations on Earth.

"Yet each one of these transformations took place. And a future of transformation is possible in the Middle East too, so long as a new generation of leaders has the courage to defeat the enemies of freedom, make the hard choices necessary for peace, and stand firm on the solid rock of universal values.

"Sixty years ago, on the eve of Israel's independence, the last British soldiers departing Jerusalem stopped at a building in the Jewish quarter of the Old City. An officer knocked on the door and met a senior rabbi. The officer presented him with a short iron bar - the key to Zion Gate - and said it was the first time in 18 centuries that a key to the gates of Jerusalem had belonged to a Jew. His hands trembling, the rabbi offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God, "Who had granted us life and permitted us to reach this day." Then he turned to the officer, and uttered the words Jews had awaited for so long: "I accept this key in the name of my people."

"Over the past six decades, the Jewish people have established a state that would make that humble rabbi proud. You have raised a modern society in the Promised Land, a light unto the nations that preserves the legacy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And you have built a mighty democracy that will endure forever and can always count on America to stand at its side. May God bless Israel.''

Good morning.

Here are a few Washington events of note for Thursday, May 15.

President Bush is addressing the Israeli Knesset.

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) is holding a briefing on "Hate in the Information Age."

The Cato Institute is hosting a discussion on "Whatever Happened to Medicare Reform?"

Congressional Republicans are agonizing over their third consecutive special election loss, Minority Whip Roy Blunt sees a silver lining to the victories this month of conservative Democrats Don Cazayoux and Travis Childers.

"The one thing that - if you looked at both of these elections, in Mississippi and Louisiana, you saw - the candidates - both candidates ran on what Republicans are for," the Missouri Republican told reporters today. "So we know now that the message works."

Cazayoux in Louisiana and Childers in Mississippi overcame Republican attempts to link them with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, presidential contender Barack Obama and other national Democrats to win seats long held by the GOP.

To Blunt, the Democrats' message sounded familiar.

"Yesterday, you had the winning candidate saying repeatedly that he didn't know Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama," he said. "You had him talking about cutting taxes, having less spending, being pro-gun and pro-life. That's the guy that won.

"Actually," he added, "the guy that lost was also for all that stuff."

"Six months ago," he said, "Rudy Giuliani was the front- runner in the Republican contest to be president and Barack Obama didn't have a chance."

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said today there was room in the Democratic party for the Childers, Cazayoux and those with similar beliefs.

"Our party is a broad‐based party," the Maryland Democrat said. "It has always been a broad‐based party, unlike the Republican Party that has had a much narrower base historically, and frankly now we are a very diverse party. ...

"Childers ran on kitchen‐table issues, on pocketbook issues for people in the First Congressional District of Mississippi. That is what he ran on. I will tell you that every member of the Democratic Caucus essentially believes those are the issues, which are our issues."

by Christi Parsons

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama tonight at a campaign event in Grand Rapids.

The endorsement comes more than three months after Edwards dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination, asking the two remaining candidates to make poverty a central issue of the general election.

As the race between Obama and rival Hillary Clinton has dragged on, Edwards in recent days had said publicly that he wasn't sure if he'd endorse or that it would matter if he did.

But last week, David Bonior, Edwards' campaign manager, came out in support of Obama.

And now, as Obama prepares to court voters in Michigan, Edwards joined him to announce his endorsement.

Before he dropped out of the race, Edwards won 19 pledged delegates. He has the power to release his delegates and encourage them to vote for Obama, which could widen the Illinois senator's lead by a sizable chunk.

HIllary Clinton doesn't intend to be "pushed out," she tells Brian Williams in an interview airing tonight on NBC Nightly News.

That's because "until it's over, it's not over," she tells FOX News Channel's Major Garrett.

It's a media-blitz day for Clinton, who is telling just about every new show that will listen that she is in this thing until the last primary voter has voted.

"(F)or me, it's a privilege and a joy to travel around our country to make my case to people from one coast to the other and to continue to, you know, work as hard as I can to win this nomination," Clinton tells Williams, according to a rush transcript of the interview. "And that's what I intend to do. And, you know, we'll get to June the 4th after the last votes are cast on June the 3rd. And I think we'll have a better idea about where we stand."

Barack Obama thinks he has a pretty good idea where things stand, but Clinton challenges the notion in both interviews, according to advance highlights:

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Senator, what is the chance that the Democrats go into their convention without a clear nominee? Are we still going to be talking about this at the convention?

HILLARY CLINTON: I think we'll have a nominee. I really believe that. But again, we'll know a lot more on June 4th. And maybe I just have more patience than the average person these days. But for me, it's a privilege and a joy to travel around our country to make my case to people from one coast to the other and to continue to, you know, work as hard as I can to win this nomination. And that's what I intend to do. And, you know, we'll get to June the 4th after the last votes are cast on June the 3rd. And I think we'll have a better idea about where we stand.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: People who haven't been along with you on the campaign trail or watched it, say, on C-SPAN, may not have a good feel for the number of times in the average day your supporters do come up to you, those who believe in you absolutely passionately and tell you to keep going, tell you not to get out. But with the math against you in all of those categories I guess a lot of people are wondering, some of them out of complete frustration, why stay in? Is it an act of God or an emergency of some sort that you're counting on?

HILLARY CLINTON: No. It's because I really believe I would be the stronger candidate. And we're near the end of what's been a long process. I don't believe in quitting. I don't believe in being pushed out. I feel I have a bond with the nearly 17 million people who have voted for me, and the million more who have expressed support for me or contributed to me or come out to see me. And I think that having a nominee is something we will get to. We're not, you know, we're not going to miss that opportunity. We will have a nominee, but only after everyone has had a chance to vote.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Senator, you lost out on the endorsement today of NARAL, the National Abortion Rights Action League. They went with Senator Obama. It's fair to say you were almost present at the creation of NARAL. You've been extraordinarily close to that organization for so many years. That had to hurt.

HILLARY CLINTON: Well, obviously, I've-- I am disappointed because of the work that I've done for so many years. I'm proud to have the support of, you know, many other groups that-- share my-- views and my commitment to issues. But we're going forward. And we're gonna see where this process-- finally-- resolves. And-- we'll have a nominee. And then we'll all be united.

And from FOX:

* On a possible run for Vice President:

"I'm not entertaining that either because I am so focused on getting up every morning, doing what I can to try to get the nomination. That's what I believe I need to do and until the buzzer sounds and there is a nominee, that's what I'm going to do every day."

* On the superdelegate math:

"Well, the delegate race is still very close. And people forget, superdelegates are not bound to do anything. They don't have to make a decision. They can wait and watch. They can wait until the convention. They can change their mind a dozen times between now and the convention.

"We're going to see this through in terms of all of the contests yet to be voted on. We're going to see what happens when both Michigan and Florida are seated. The number of delegates you have to get is 2,210."

* On changing "goalposts" of her delegate math:

"It's 2210 including our newly elected Democratic congressman from Mississippi, which was a great victory. The Rules and Bylaws Committee has said they're going to resolve Michigan and Florida on May 31st. I think that's exactly what needs to be done. I wish it had been done earlier because we can't go to a convention and have a nominee only representing 38 states. Especially two states we have to win. The rules were that we wouldn't compete."

* On the superdelegate count recently shifting in Senator Obama's favor:

"Well, but this is a numbers calculation. Nobody has the numbers yet. So are we in the last two minutes of a game that you don't think one or the other can win? You go to the buzzer, maybe it goes into overtime. We don't know, Major.

"And until it's over, it's not over. As I said the other night, quoting from an e-mail that a young woman sent me, "it's not over 'til the lady in the pantsuit says it's over." I'm going to compete in these upcoming contests. I'm going to make the case that Michigan and Florida should seat their delegates.

"And then we'll see where we are."

* On speculation Clinton is remaining in the race to act as a "spoiler" for Senator Obama:

"I would say we're going to have a nominee based on one of us getting to 2,210 delegate votes. That's what it takes to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. Once that happens, we will close ranks.

"I will work my heart out to make sure we elect the Democratic nominee president, because this is not just an exercise in who becomes the nominee, this is supposed to lay the groundwork for us to take back the White House. That is what is most important to me. That is what I'm totally intent upon doing.

"But we don't have a nominee yet. And until we do, I'm going to be making my case."

* On a federal gasoline tax holiday:

"I made my case for it. I don't have the votes for it. I'm not the president. If I were the president, I would have the votes for it and we would be working very hard to implement it. So I have supported other people's ideas. That's the way the Senate works. Sometimes your ideas are supported, sometimes they're not."

Earlier today, the pro-choice group NARAL endorsed Barack Obama for president, a surprising development given that longtime abortion-rights advocate HIllary Clinton is still in the race.

Now fires back Ellen R. Malcom, president of EMILY's List, which tries to elect pro-choice Democratic women to office.

"I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton . . . to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process," Malcom says. "It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them."

Clinton, she writes, "held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B," and also "spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade."

NARAL president Nancy Keenan said earlier today that her group is going with the candidate they think "will secure the Democratic nomination and advance to the general election."

"That candidate is Sen. Obama," she said.