TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

With so many voters protesting the exclusionary two-party system by becoming independents, the Parties get more desperate. Here's the latest on Virginia and Idaho open primaries:

• Virginia GOP Gets Strict on Voting-Demand for Loyalty Pledge at Primary Targets Crossovers, Independents (Washington Post)
• Bar at the ballot-Court closes voters out of candidate selection (Daily Press - VA)
• Judge rejects lawsuit seeking to close Idaho primary (The Oregonian)
• Loyalty Oaths? (Rocktown Weekly VA)
• Loyal sheep (Tricities.com - VA)
• Federal judge chucks lawsuit seeking to close Idaho GOP primary (Montana's News Station-KPAX)
• Editorial: The GOP accepts no presidential dissent-where's a third party when you need one? (Roanoke Times)

Race and gender in 2007:

• Democrats seek to quell racial tensions in state Senate contest (By Jo Mannies, St. Louis Post Dispatch)
• Race, gender come to forefront of presidential race-Many black women debate voting for Clinton vs. Obama (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Obama coming to Harlem (Politics on the Hudson)

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