With his first question, host Angelo Cataldi took the conversation right into the gutter - as in gutter balls.

"What can I tell you?" the Democratic presidential candidate replied. "First of all, no excuses. I don't believe in excuses. I was terrible."

But then Obama added, with a bit of a deadpan delivery: "I only bowled five or six frames. I would have had at least a 60 by the time this thing was all over. That's been misreported and badly distorted in the press."

After Obama spoke about 76ers legend Julius Erving's having been a boyhood idol of his, Cataldi asked whether Obama would rather be the president or Dr. J in his prime.

"The Doctor," Obama said, drawing laughs. "I think any kid growing up, if you got a chance to throw down the ball from the free-throw line, that's better than just about anything."

Before and after the interview, Cataldi said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has also been invited to be on WIP but had not yet accepted.

- Peter Mucha

Dean seeks way to seat Fla. delegates

Dean met with Florida lawmakers to discuss ways of allocating delegates and to prepare for the fall campaign in the battleground state.

The party stripped Florida and Michigan of their national-convention delegates because they ignored party rules and moved their primaries to January.

"We believe we will seat a delegation from Florida," Dean said. But it is critical, he said, that Obama and Clinton are "comfortable with the compromises that have to be worked out." The two campaigns did not have representatives at the meeting.

Dean also said that discussions were continuing over Michigan and that he was optimistic its delegates would be seated. - AP

Judge: Can't force Clinton to testify

The conservative group Judicial Watch has been seeking the former first lady's deposition since 1996. It sued over the Clinton White House's acquisition of hundreds of FBI files on Republican appointees in the White House during previous administrations.

In a brief order Monday, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth denied the request to put Clinton under oath. He said he would issue an opinion soon explaining his decision. Clinton's lawyer had no comment yesterday, and a campaign spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment. - AP

McCain has long running-mate list

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Sen. John McCain said he was in the "embryonic stages" of selecting a running mate and hoped to announce his choice before the Republican National Convention.

"It's every name imaginable," he said yesterday of his list-in-the-making, about 20 in all. He disclosed no names and declined even to identify the individuals he has approached to supervise the vice-presidential vetting.

In expressing his hope to announce his choice before the September convention, McCain, 71, added: "I'm aware of enhanced importance of this issue because of my age." - AP