President Bush regrets his legacy as man who wanted war  —  Tom Baldwin and Gerard Baker in Ljubljana  —  President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a “guy really anxious for war” in Iraq.  He said that his aim now was to leave …

Webb's rebel roots: An affinity for Confederacy  —  Barack Obama's vice presidential vetting team will undoubtedly run across some quirky and potentially troublesome issues as it goes about the business of scouring the backgrounds of possible running mates.  But it's unlikely they'll find …

Iraq Status-Of-Forces Agreement: Why It's A Really Bad Deal No Matter How You Look At It  —  In the end, how we leave and what we leave behind will be more important than how we came.  — AMBASSADOR RYAN CROCKER  —  Having royally screwed up just about everything else over the past seven-plus years …

Obama Admits Smoking Cigarettes in Last Few Months  —  ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Senator Barack Obama told reporters in St. Louis today that he has fallen off the wagon and smoked cigarettes in the last few months.  —  Watch the VIDEO HERE.  —  The presumptive Democratic nominee …

Some Buy a New Home to Bail on the Old  —  Fannie Plans Rules To Avoid Practice Described as Fraud  —  Next month, Michelle Augustine plans to walk away from her four-bedroom house in a Sacramento, Calif., subdivision and let the property fall into foreclosure.

Obama's best veep choice  —  Here's a hint: She's not Hillary!  Plus: Talk radio's paranoid delusions and a Brazilian diva Madonna could aspire to.  —  Shuddering, lurching and stumbling, the 2008 general election has finally, mercifully begun.  For a year and a half …

Ohio Guv Won't Run with Obama  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis and John Santucci Report: Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) was Shermanesque on Tuesday in saying that he would “absolutely not” be Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Ill., running mate even if asked to join the Democratic ticket.

A Vote for McBama  —  WASHINGTON — For the party faithful, this is a sweet moment.  They have their candidates and, whatever the obstacles, can still imagine victory in November.  But the rest of us ought to remember that the politics of winning and governing often collide.

Obama Says Faith Community to be a Priority of His Administration  —  Barack Obama privately met with religious leaders in Chicago today.  His spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on the campaign plane today: … He did it in South Carolina, here's his mailer(pdf).

Fred Hiatt's Concubine Speaks.  You Listen.  —  Republicans have started wracking their brains for clever ways to say, without appearing racist, that Obama's skin color is a reason not to vote for him.  Not so long ago we had Tony Blankley saying that not voting for someone because of their skin color …

Activists Preparing Against Use of ‘Brown Note’ at Dem Convention  —  Political activists planning protest rallies at the upcoming Democratic Convention in Denver have their stomachs in knots over a rumor about a crowd control weapon - known as the “crap cannon” - that might be unleashed against them.

STOP ALL “DISPARAGING REMARKS ABOUT GAYS AND HOMOSEXUALS,” as well as against the university professor and self-described “activis[t] for social justice issues” who filed a complaint against you: That's what the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission ordered Stephen Boisson …

The McCain Miracle  —  In the genuine historical miracle of Barack Obama — it was only 43 years ago, half a historical eye-blink, when African American voting rights remained unsecured — the political and personal miracle of John McCain has been largely overshadowed.

McCain Backtracks on Social Security Tax Hike  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis and Gregory Wallace Report: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., hammered Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on Tuesday for proposing higher Social Security taxes.  The presumptive Republican nominee neglected to mention, however, that he was open to a similar approach in 2005.

What should McCain do about Cheney?  —  He's a highly effective fundraiser in an election cycle where Republicans are starved for cash, a hero to the wing of the party that views John McCain with the most suspicion.  He has four decades of campaign experience, ranging from a short stint …