More Fun in Obamaconspiracyville: In Which Larry Sinclair Gets Arrested  —  I blogged a few weeks back about a convicted criminal, Larry Sinclair, who'd been begging the media to cover his wild allegations about Barack Obama.  Today Sinclair trotted into the National Press Club to air …

Obama Remarks on Detainees and Afghanistan  —  Good afternoon.  We just finished the first meeting of my new Senior Working Group on National Security.  We had a productive discussion about the challenges facing our nation, and I'm grateful that these distinguished men and women will be advising me in the months to come.

House, Bush reach deal on war supplemental  —  The House will vote on an emergency supplemental spending bill Thursday after Republican and Democratic leaders struck a deal with the White House late Wednesday, aides said.  —  The deal did not include the Senate, but House leaders were to present …

Cindy McCain Presses Obama Patriotism Case  —  ABC News' Ed O'Keefe Reports: Laura Bush may be ready to give Michelle Obama the benefit of the doubt when it comes to her patriotism but Cindy McCain may not.  —  “I don't know why she said what she said,” Mrs. McCain explains in an interview …

Obama: NAFTA not so bad after all  —  The Democratic nominee, in an interview with Fortune, says he wants free trade “to work for all people.”  —  WASHINGTON (Fortune) — The general campaign is on, independent voters are up for grabs, and Barack Obama is toning down his populist rhetoric - at least when it comes to free trade.

Good news: Another Democrat calls for nationalizing the oil industry  —  Submitted for your disapproval, in case you were wondering what the opposition had in mind as a counterpoint to McCain's proposal for 45 new nuclear reactors.  It's Maurice Hinchey, whom longtime HA readers will recall as someone brimming with sound theories.

Specter of 2000 could haunt Obama  —  Until 2000, it hadn't happened in more than 100 years, but plugged-in observers from both parties see a distinct possibility of Barack Obama winning the popular vote but losing the Electoral College — and with it the presidency — to John McCain.

Deals With Iraq Are Set to Bring Oil Giants Back  —  BAGHDAD — Four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations this month on contracts that will return them to Iraq, 36 years after losing their oil concession to nationalization as Saddam Hussein rose to power.

SUBPOENA BLITZ PUTS HEAT ON AL  —  IRS SEEKS INFO FROM TOP DONORS  —  The probe into the Rev. Al Sharpton's finances intensified this week, with the IRS sending out a flurry of subpoenas to his most generous corporate donors, The Post has learned.  —  Anheuser-Busch, the brewer of Budweiser …

Michelle on The View  —  Okay, I watched it.  Or I tried.  It was hard to pay attention, frankly, because it was the same twaddle as always, which is why it never occurs to me to watch The View.  Kathryn has captured perfectly the essential banality of Michelle Obama's appearance …

The Obama Smear Merchants Keep On Smearin'  —  Here comes the torrent of bulls**t.  —  Yesterday morning Floyd Brown and Co. sent out a press release and e-mail announcing the Barack Obama's brother had acknowledged he was raised Muslim — something that Obama himself has denied.

Rumsfeld repays McCain; declines to back candidate  —  Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently declined to answer whether he will support Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president.  —  McCain, the GOP presidential standard-bearer, has been one of Rumsfeld's harshest critics.

Issa Invokes Russert to Push for Offshore Drilling  —  California Congressman Darrell Issa (R) said Wednesday that Tim Russert, the recently deceased host of “Meet the Press,” would reveal “the truth” about the offshore oil drilling ban if he were still alive.