George Bush's latest powers, courtesy of the Democratic Congress  —  CQ reports (sub. req.) that “a final deal has been reached” on FISA and telecom amnesty and “the House is likely to take up the legislation Friday.”  I've now just read a copy of the final “compromise” bill.  It's even worse than expected.

My Mom's White!  And I'm From America!  —  I feel like Barack Obama's new general election ad is a bit unsubtle.  —  The campaign says they're running it on a very aggressive 18 state play that includes Alaska, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Virginia.

U.S. says exercise by Israel seemed directed at Iran  —  WASHINGTON: Israel carried out a major military exercise earlier this month that American officials say appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.  —  Several American officials …

Williams Gets the Call for “Meet the Press”  —  Six days after Tim Russert's death, his replacement on “Meet the Press” has been named — at least for this Sunday.  —  Brian Williams, the NBC anchor and Russert's longtime friend, will fill the moderator's chair for the discussion of presidential politics and whatever else pops up.

EXCLUSIVE: Hezbollah Poised to Strike?  —  Officials Say “Sleeper Cells” Activated in Canada  —  Intelligence agencies in the United States and Canada are warning of mounting signs that Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is poised to mount a terror attack against “Jewish targets” somewhere outside the Middle East.

McCain and Obama tied in Georgia  —  A New InsiderAdvantage / PollPosition survey conducted June 18 of registered likely voters in the November presidential contest shows Sen. John McCain leading Sen. Barack Obama by a single point in Georgia, making the race in Georgia a statistical tie.

Obama apologizes to Muslim women; apology accepted  —  Sen. Barack Obama today called the two Muslim women who were barred from sitting behind him at his Detroit rally to apologize, one of the women and two other sources said.  —  “Sen. Obama called himself and he apologized to each of us …

WE MADE HIM DO IT!  —  Barack Obama has announced that he will go back on his pledge to accept public financing for the general election, and instead spend whatever he is able to raise.  Obama thus becomes the first major-party candidate to opt out of the Nixon-era public financing system.

Don't Miss the Zohan  —  If you've seen the trailer for Adam Sandler's new movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan, it may be tempting to write it off as yet another low-brow comedy aimed at fifteen-year-old boys and best avoided by everyone else.  But wait.  After Hollywood's recent spate …

In with the Old  —  Barack Obama has never been shy about comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln.  He did so when he announced his candidacy at the Illinois state capitol, where both he and Lincoln served in the legislature.  “The life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us …

It's a delicate dance, and John McCain is ‘liable to break a hip’  —  Long-time readers know that I've been emphasizing John McCain's dozens of major policy flip-flops for months now, hoping that this would a) catch on as a campaign issue; and b) undermine McCain's unearned reputation for principled stands on the issues.

General who probed Abu Ghraib says Bush officials committed war crimes  —  WASHINGTON — The Army general who led the investigation into prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison accused the Bush administration Wednesday of committing “war crimes” and called for those responsible to be held to account.

Iowa Flooding Could Be An Act of Man, Experts Say  —  As the Cedar River rose higher and higher, and as he stacked sandbags along the levee protecting downtown Cedar Falls, Kamyar Enshayan, a college professor and City Council member, kept asking himself the same question: “What is going on?”

FOX News Poll: Americans Proud to Have Obama, McCain as President  —  Whether John McCain or Barack Obama wins in November, a majority of Americans say they will be proud of the new president, according to a FOX News poll released Thursday.  —  About two-thirds would be at least somewhat proud …

Taking On McCain for a Comment on the War  —  The political action committees of the liberal political group MoveOn and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees together paid more than $500,000 to run this advertisement this week in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, and on CNN and MSNBC.