Michelle Obama Looks for a New Introduction  —  Michelle Obama's eyes flicker tentatively even as she offers a trained smile.  As her campaign plane arcs over the Flathead Range in Montana, she is asked to consider her complicated public image.  —  Conservative columnists accuse …

Hey, Associated Press: You owe me at least $132,125!  —  The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press's heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious.  Now, it's time to turn the tables.  If your blog or blog commenters …

Bush Will Seek to End Offshore Oil Drilling Ban  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush, reversing a longstanding position, will call on Congress on Wednesday to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, according to White House officials who say Mr. Bush now wants to work with states to determine where drilling should occur.

McCain Campaign Makes ‘Sept. 10’ Argument About Obama, Clarke Calls It the ‘Big Lie’  —  The campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain are engaging in an angry exchange today over Obama's remarks to Jake Tapper yesterday in which he talked about the role of law enforcement in combating terrorism.

Mr. Zebari's Message  —  SEN. BARACK OBAMA told Iraq's foreign minister this week that he plans to visit the country between now and the presidential election.  We think that's a good thing, not because Sen. John McCain has been prodding the candidate to do it but because it will give …

Reuters/Zogby Poll: Obama Leads McCain, But Wins No Big Bounce  —  Defeating Hillary Clinton and locking up the Democratic Party nomination fails to propel Obama forward  —  UTICA, New York - Democrat Barack Obama holds an edge over Republican John McCain in the race for U.S. President …

Vulgarian at the Gate  —  In the razor-close and nationally important Senate race in Minnesota, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is presented with a unique political problem.  Should he raise in his ads the issue of comedian Al Franken's offensive vulgarity?

Hil and Obama, together again: First joint appearance to rally her donors  —  Hil and Obama, together again  —  Hillary Clinton will join Barack Obama for a joint appearance in Washington next week to persuade her donors to begin giving to the Democrats' nominee, the Daily News has learned.

Obama's Shifting Positions on Iraq: A Rezko Connection?  —  The time line of Obama's flip-flops on Iraq just happens to correlate to his friend's business dealings in that country.  —  Barack Obama's position on Iraq has shifted significantly over the last six years.

Easing of laws that led to detainee abuse hatched in secret  —  WASHINGTON — The framework under which detainees were imprisoned for years without charges at Guantanamo and in many cases abused in Afghanistan wasn't the product of American military policy or the fault of a few rogue soldiers.

A Disconnect  —  What Obama promises.  How Washington really works.  —  I went to a party last Sunday night given by a friend, a well-known journalist, who is well connected in Washington and friends with various movers and shakers, particularly in the legal world.

Mr. Bush v. the Bill of Rights  —  In the waning months of his tenure, President Bush and his allies are once again trying to scare Congress into expanding the president's powers to spy on Americans without a court order.  —  This week, the White House and Democratic and Republican leaders …

Documents confirm U.S. hid detainees from Red Cross  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military hid the locations of suspected terrorist detainees and concealed harsh treatment to avoid the scrutiny of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to documents that a Senate committee released Tuesday.

Here's Your Bounce: Obama Up In PA, FL, OH  —  Bounce-obsessives can calm themselves: Quinnipiac's out with surveys of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania this morning showing Obama gains in each state as compared to the last time Q-PAC polled.  The sample sizes are huge — more than 1,400 likely votes …

DISTRICT BRIEFING  —  A 44-year-old Maryland man pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Washington to charges of loan sharking in connection with lines of credit he extended to a schoolteacher, authorities said.  —  Darren Jenkins of District Heights admitted that he had made 11 loans totaling …