CLINTON, OBAMA ADS SPAR OVER GAS TAX

On the eve of today’s Indiana and North Carolina primaries, senators Clinton and Obama rolled out dueling television advertisements on Mrs. Clinton’s proposal for a summertime “holiday” from the 18 cents a gallon federal gas tax.

“What has happened to Barack Obama?” the narrator of Mrs. Clinton’s ad asks. “He is attacking Hillary’s plan to give you a break on gas prices because he doesn’t have one.”

Mr. Obama’s spot faults the New York senator for her tactics. “What does Hillary Clinton offer us? More of the same old negative politics,” the announcer says. The ad also shows a New York Times editorial complaining about the way Mrs. Clinton procured her win in Pennsylvania. “Her hometown newspaper says she’s taking the low road — her attacks do nothing but harm.”

CORZINE: RACE EVEN IF CLINTON WINS IN N.C., INDIANA TODAY

One of Senator Clinton’s top surrogates, Governor Corzine of New Jersey, said yesterday that her race with Senator Obama will be effectively tied if Mrs. Clinton prevails today in North Carolina and Indiana. “I think that gets down to about a level-playing field going forward,” Mr. Corzine said Monday on CNBC. He said he expected the superdelegates, almost all of whom are federal lawmakers, governors, and Democratic Party insiders, to base their ultimate decisions about whom to support on electability and not on measures such as the pledged delegate or popular vote tallies.

ARAB, MUSLIM LEADERS BLAST MCCAIN OVER FUND-RAISER’S OUSTER

Arab and Muslim leaders in Michigan are criticizing the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator McCain of Arizona, for removing a member of his state finance committee, Ali Jawad, who is a founder of a Lebanese-American group. Court records indicate that an Ali Jawad pleaded guilty in 1997 to an insurance fraud charge, but Arab groups complained that Jawad was removed because of allegations of connections to Hezbollah published by a blogger, Debbie Schlussel.

“We do not want a president who makes a decision … based on false information,” the president of the Arab-American Political Action Committee and publisher of the Arab American news, Osama Siblani, told the Associated Press. “This is an insult to every Arab-American and Muslim-American in the country.”

The AP said Mr. McCain’s campaign did not respond to a query about the episode, but Ms. Schlussel’s blog quoted a Republican National Committee spokesman, Daniel Diaz, as saying Jawad was not taking part in a fund raiser today, despite the appearance of his name on an invitation. “Ali Jawad is no longer participating in efforts … on behalf of McCain Victory 2008,” Mr. Diaz said, without further explanation.

OBAMA PICKS UP 3 SUPERDELEGATES, CLINTON: ONE HALF

Three supredelegates threw their support behind Senator Obama yesterday. “I have been inspired by what he represents,” the chairman of Maryland’s Democratic Party, Michael Cryor, declared at a news conference, according to the Washington Post. The vice chairwoman of the state party, Lauren Glover, also moved to Mr. Obama. His campaign also announced the backing of a Native American leader who is a member of the Democratic National Committee, Kalyn Free of Oklahoma.

Mrs. Clinton’s camp said she won the support of a delegate selected through the group known as Democrats Abroad, Theresa Morelli of Milan, Italy. The overseas contingent sends twice as many as people than its allotment of delegates permits, so each is given half a vote at the party convention.

MICHELLE OBAMA: HONORED BY ONASSIS TALK, DRAWN TO EARS

In an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” Michelle Obama said she was flattered by the comparisons some have made between her style and that of Jacqueline Onassis.

“It is an honor. You know she was not just beautiful and stylish but she was smart and compassionate,” Mrs. Obama said. She also praised Onassis’s ability to raise her children well despite the glare of being in the public eye. “If I can come close, that’s a real feat,” she said.