The Morning Read: Friday, June 29, 2007

The Democrats debated at Howard University.

In the Post’s African American focus groups, Hillary Clinton won, 27-2.

John McCain dismissed as “ridiculous” the notion that he might be considering whether to drop out of the presidential race.

Charlie Bagli declares the Vito Lopez-tweaked affordable housing tax break bill a “flop.”

Meanwhile, the Sun discovers that affordable housing developers are exempt from the City Council’s new campaign finance regulations.

Someone’s been making mysterious polling calls about a Michael Bloomberg presidential campaign.

Bloomberg is losing his closely guarded privacy.

The Post thinks he leaked the news about his heart surgery himself.

An attempted terror attack in London last night could have caused “carnage.”

Governor Spitzer called for new, cleaner power plants.

He met with some jeers at a public event on Long Island.

Malcolm Smith wants PBA chief Patrick Lynch to run for Republican Frank Padavan’s state senate seat, the Post reports.

It was a lightning strike that caused that blackout on Wednesday.

Polls give the Democratic Congress low marks for its performance so far.

The key opinion in yesterday’s Supreme Court desegregation case is the one written by Anthony Kennedy, says Linda Greenhouse.

Al Baker writes a fine requiem for the police sawhorse.

Greg Oden goes #1, Kevin Durant goes #2, Jeff Green goes #5. Sigh—bye Jeff.