Barack Obama did an interview with MTV yesterday and discussed subjects a lot more important than whether he wears boxers or briefs.

And when it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, he wears his heart on his sleeve.

Speaking to a group of vets on the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, Mr. Obama promised more aid for their emotional and mental health issues.

But when Army veteran Ernest Johnson of Connecticut asked if the candidate might help soldiers -- who can fight for their country at the age of 18 -- get a beer, Mr. Obama demurred.

"I know it drives you nuts," he said. "But I'm not going to lower the drinking age."

There was one wardrobe question. Where was the green tie for St. Patrick's Day?

"This is embarrassing," he said. "I sort of lost track" of the actual date.

So he nabbed a green tie from one of his staffers.

"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace has launched a weekly update on how long it's been since Mr. Obama promised to appear on his show.

"It has now been 730 days, 13 hours, 53 minutes and nine -- no, 10 seconds and counting since Obama agreed to be a guest on 'Fox News Sunday,'" Mr. Wallace told viewers.

Hillary Clinton has been on twice during that time, and John McCain has made six appearances.

Mr. Obama's staff pointed out that the candidate has done a number of Fox News interviews. He just hasn't gotten around to the Sunday show yet.

Sir Elton John has signed on to help Mrs. Clinton's campaign with a solo concert April 9 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

"I'm not a politician, but I believe in the work that Hillary Clinton does," the Rocket Man said.

Tickets for the "Elton and Hillary: One Night Only" performance go on sale tomorrow. Prices start at $125 for mezzanine seats, $250 for seats near the orchestra.

Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee, the lone Republican senator to vote against the Iraq war, calls Mrs. Clinton one of the "Democratic Bush enablers" who failed to stand up to the president.

In a new book, Mr. Chafee, who is backing Mr. Obama, skewers Mrs. Clinton and other Democratic White House hopefuls who said they were duped into voting for the war.

"Being wrong about sending Americans to kill and be killed, maim and be maimed, is not like making a punctuation mistake in a highway bill," the former Rhode Island senator writes. "They argue that the president duped them into war, but getting duped does not exactly recommend their leadership. Helping a rogue president start an unnecessary war should be a career-ending lapse of judgment, in my view."

Former President Bill Clinton called the notion that he unfairly criticized Mr. Obama, "a total myth and a mugging."

"They made up a race story out of that," Mr. Clinton said of the news media, calling the story "a bizarre spin."

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention in Denver says it has $23 million in cash contributions, short of its $28 million goal for the date. But spokesman Chris Lopez said the committee had commitments for the other $5 million.

In other words, the check is in the mail.

The convention will be Aug. 25-28.