On Jay Leno last night, Hillary Clinton opened with a riff on her "misspeaking" about the Bosnia sniper fire story. Then, speaking today on the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Clinton made no mention, as she did previously, of how King's contributions to society wouldn't have been possible without a president's signature.

It's like, suddenly, she knows all the right things to say. And not say.

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Barack Obama is an exciting candidate. Americans love the idea of a black president who believes in the power of the possibility of the audacity of hope.

But remember the last time there was a popular black reformer or an incredibly well-liked senator running for President? That didn’t end so well for Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

The New York Times asks the tough questions, namely is Barack Obama afraid of assassination?

I made a decision to get into this race. I think anybody who decides to run for president recognizes that there are some risks involved, just like there are risks in anything.

And in this way, running for president is a lot like bungee jumping.

RACISM IS SO PASSÉ An anti-MLK rally held in Jena, LA was the biggest failure since the Atlantic’s 150th Anniversary party. Four people showed up and the event ended two hours early. Even counter-demonstrators were bored. Dr. King would be proud. [Stereohyped]

• Breaking: Iraq is dangerous.

• Hey, you know what would be really awesome? If politicians stopped invoking Martin Luther King.

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Before Ira Glass became the big shot host of This American Life, he was a just a regular public radio nerd. At a lecture, we heard him recount a story he reported for NPR. A middle school teacher had taken his class to the Lincoln Memorial for Martin Luther King Day. He brought a recording of the famous “I Have A Dream” speech and played it from the stairs of the memorial. To Ira Glass, it seemed like a truly inspirational moment. To the kids, it was boring:

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Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

–Martin Luther King, Jr. (1964) via

They say that behind every great man stands a great woman, and nothing could be more true when describing the life of Coretta Scott King.

Sadly, the flag outside the King Center is waving at half-staff today, in honor of the passing of Mrs. King, who died peacefully last night in her sleep at age 78.

After her husband's assassination, Mrs. King stood alone, but with effort and passion continued the campaign for civil rights, as well as confronting issues such as violence and hunger.

"I'm more determined than ever that my husband's dream will become a reality," King said soon after his slaying, a demonstration of the strong will that lay beneath the placid calm and dignity of her character.

Normally, we wait for the New York Times obituary to run, but since former mayor Andrew Young oddly broke the news on the Today Show this morning, we guess the Times will have to wait until tomorrow.

It is our hope that senators, mayors, and other political figures will find it possible to hold their crazy tongues for a few days, and not use this event to throw around words like "plantation" "chocolate city" or "delicious drink" in the days to come.

Coretta Scott King, 78, Dies [Errin Haines, AP News]