Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ) took starkly different positions (NYT) on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow detainees at Guantanamo challenge their detention in court. Obama praised the court’s decision, calling the ruling “an important step toward re-establishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law, and rejecting a false choice between fighting terrorism and respecting habeas corpus.” McCain, meanwhile, said the ruling concerned him. “These are unlawful combatants; they’re not American citizens,” he said.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) ended his bid (AP) for the Republican nomination on Thursday.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed his support (WashPost) for McCain’s presidential candidacy on Thursday.