Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice and former CIA officer Bruce Reidel held a conference call yesterday to address what they consider the Bush Administration's failed approach toward Pakistan and toward the recently reported safe havens that exist there for Al Qaeda operatives. A McCain Administration, they said, would...

CHICAGO -- Like a mythical beast haunting the imagination, in recent years the Illinois Green Party has re-emerged on election day to the consternation of local Democratic party officials. Though as is often the case in Illinois, the Democratic challenger, (who now happens to be the city's homestate senator Barack...

This week OffTheBus is rolling out introductory columns by some of our star contributors, who will now be writing regular dispatches on their "beats." In her column, "Dateline: Obama's Chicagoland," Windy City resident Christine Escobar covers the national campaign from Obama's hometown, reporting on strategic and cultural developments at Obama...

The news media in Chicago is obsessed with R. Kelly's child pornography trial. The Chicago Tribune tantalizes readers today with its "Gavel to Gavel" coverage featuring "5 things you never knew about R. Kelly" including important morsels like Kelly's love of the movie "Space Jam."

But...

MOMocrats-- punditry from a motherly perspective dedicated to putting a Democrat in the White House-- today unveiled their exclusive interview with Barack Obama on issues close to the hearts and minds of American families.

The 23 contributors to MOMocrats, including myself, an OffTheBus member, hail from across the...

The fireball that has erupted over a comment made at a fund raiser has knocked me off my feet. Over the past few days, what amounts to a standard, though creatively written account of another political event/fund raiser by a citizen journalist has become the fuel for an insane amount...

Last Thursday over 30 Democrat challengers publicly presented their support for "The Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq," assembled from existing congressional legislation by national security experts, retired generals, and Congressional candidate Darcy Burner. As of today, the number of Democrat endorsees of the plan has risen...

The uncertainties abound. Obama leads, with Clinton, some say not far behind. We look now to Pennsylvania and unbelievably April 22nd. Could it come down to Puerto Rico as the Clinton campaign hopes? What will happen in Colorado this summer? It's not a season ending cliffhanger, it's the Democratic...

The Center for Responsive Politics gave voters a lovely Valentine's Day gift on February 14 when they released this report on contributions made by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to politicians who are now some of the very men and women who could decide the Democratic nomination. Analysis quickly...

From a Barack Obama campaign mailer sent to Chicago supporters this week:

"We know the battle ahead will be long. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation "false hope." But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now that major media outlets are asking what when wrong in their coverage of the primaries over the past week, you've got to wonder will they learn their lesson between now and February 5th?

Some disagree that the media even goofed at all. Take for example, MSNBC's Chuck Todd...

Davenport, Iowa -- It's 1:30 p.m. on Caucus Day, and Joe Biden enters Mojo's coffee shop in downtown Davenport to chants of "Joe is Right! Joe is Right!" Students, families with kids and older people pack the large room. They look eager to see him. As he introduces his brother,...

I'm just in from Chicago having traveled I-80 and the flat snowscape that is western Illinois. I've finally arrived in Iowa City, just in time to catch the end of John Edwards' talk with caucus goers at the downtown Capanna Coffee and Gelato. I'm not sure if I'll get in,...

While John Edwards announced this weekend that he will ban corporate lobbyists and foreign government lobbyists from his White House, Barack Obama has stepped up criticism of Edwards on everything from his populist views to Iowa ads about Edwards by an independent organization backed by union members.

With...

The following piece was produced by HuffPost's OffTheBus.

Friday night on the northside of Chicago, and it's a cold one: mid 20's to be exact. I arrive at the old Riviera Theater an hour early to survey the scene before Barack Obama's Change Rocks concert....

The following piece was produced by HuffPost's OffTheBus.

Sunday I spoke with Elizabeth Edwards about homeschooling and education in the U.S. I was curious if their experience homeschooling their young children, Jack and Emma Claire, had shaped their views on education and had any impact on John's education...

The following piece was produced by the HuffPost's OffTheBus.

The aroma of pulled pork BBQ filled the River Music Experience for Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley's kickoff "Bruce, Blues and BBQ" fundraiser, featuring Senator Hillary Clinton as the headlining speaker.

Several volunteers for the Braley and Clinton campaigns were...

The following piece was produced by the Huffington Post's OffTheBus project.

With less than 100 days until the Iowa caucuses, groups of Obama and Edwards supporters in Illinois and Wisconsin are taking advantage of proximity to muster Iowa support face to face and seek out new caucus goers for...

The following piece was produced through OffTheBus, a citizen journalism project hosted at the Huffington Post and launched in partnership with NewAssignment.Net. For more information, read Arianna Huffington's project introduction. If you'd like to join our blogging team, sign up here If you're interested in other opportunities,...

Although intended for union members and their families, I received a ticket given out by the John Edwards campaign to supporters and attended the AFL-CIO Presidential Forum at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago Tuesday night. The forum featured 7 of the Democratic candidates. The only democratic candidate missing in the...