WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton got a rapturous response from a mostly female audience at a fundraiser on Wednesday evening. Many in the audience urged her to stay in the race for the Democratic White House nomination against rival Barack Obama. 

But at least two demonstrators dissented, standing and interrupting her speech before being led out of the room. 

Clinton, a senator from New York, was not thrown off.  “I welcome that,” she said, saying strong opinions were part of the American birthright. “It’s who we are.” 

The former first lady, who disclosed earlier that she loaned another $6.4 million to her campaign, said she hoped the protestors made another kind of contribution in addition to disrupting her remarks.  “I hope they paid to come.”

NEW YORK - The waiting is over.
 
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said he will be running for president of the highest office of the land with a guy from “The Office.”
 
At a taping of the Daily Show in New York on Wednesday, the Arizona senator gave presenter Jon Stewart the scoop on his vice presidential pick.
 
“You heard it here first, Dwight Schrute.”
 
Dwight Schrute is a fictional character on NBC’s sleeper hit “The Office,” portrayed by actor Rainn Wilson, who plays a salesman at a paper goods distribution company.
 
The character is an assistant to the regional manager with ideas above his station. He longs to lord it over others and relishes any minor task given to him.
 
Stewart shot back that he had a better idea. 
 
“You know who your running mate should be if you want to win this election? Senator Hillary Clinton … Don’t you think that’s a great idea?”
 
McCain was unimpressed.
 
“It’s one I’ve never contemplated.”