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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

Russert's Son Sounds a Theme of Unity at Funeral  —  WASHINGTON — In death, Tim Russert did on Wednesday what no living journalist has accomplished this campaign season: he got Barack Obama and John McCain to sit together and talk, quietly.  —  Specifically, it was Mr. Russert's son, Luke …

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.

Dodd and CT residents speak out  —  By WTNH Chief Political Correspondent Mark Davis, on Jun 18, 2008  —  (WTNH) _ Senator Chris Dodd's nearly 28 years as Connecticut's United States Senator is being seriously tested.  He says he thought the VIP treatment he got from Countrywide Financial …

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.

Americans drive 1.4 billion fewer highway miles  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Americans drove 1.4 billion fewer highway miles in April than they did in April 2007, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday.  —  That marks the sixth consecutive monthly drop and coincides with record gas prices …

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 …

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.

Obama rejects public financing  —  In a widely expected decision, Sen. Barack Obama announced this morning that his Democratic presidential bid will reject public financing, abandoning an earlier pledged to participate in the system if his Republican challenger agreed to do the same.

Obama's Campaign Tightens Control of Image and Access  —  At a rally for Senator Barack Obama in Detroit on Monday, two Muslim women said they were prohibited from sitting behind the candidate because they were wearing head scarves and campaign volunteers did not want them to appear …

Israel's Truce With Hamas Is a Victory for Iran  —  Proponents of an Israeli-Palestinian accord are praising the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that went into effect this morning.  Yet even if the agreement suspends violence temporarily — though dozens of Hamas rockets struck Israel yesterday …