In a town hall meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, on Thursday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said he would not negotiate with Hamas or Hezbollah unless they “renounce terror, recognize Israel’s right to exist, and abide by past agreements.”

Both Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) returned to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to vote in favor of a war-funding bill (WashPost) that expands education benefits for veterans. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) did not attend the vote, and opposes the bill because, he says, it could reduce military retention rates. The bill passed.

Clinton on Thursday voted to override President Bush’s veto of the Farm Bill. Obama did not vote. McCain was not present (Reuters) for the vote, but has expressed support for Bush’s veto.