Lawmakers Reach Deal To Expand Surveillance  —  WASHINGTON — After more than a year of partisan acrimony over government surveillance powers, Democratic and Republican leaders have agreed to a bipartisan deal that would be the most sweeping rewrite of spy powers in three decades.

Obama to Break Promise, Opt Out of Public Financing for General Election  —  In a web video to supporters — “the people who built this movement from the bottom up” — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, announced this morning that he will not enter into the public financing system, despite a previous pledge to do so.

Angelo's Angel  —  Give Senator Christopher Dodd credit for nerve.  On Tuesday, the very day he finally admitted knowing that Countrywide Financial regarded him as a “special” customer, the Connecticut Democrat also announced that he was bringing to the Senate floor a housing bailout sure to help lenders like Countrywide.

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.

Obama and McCain Spout Economic Nonsense  —  Barack Obama and John McCain are busy demonstrating that in close elections during tough economic times, candidates for president can be economically illiterate and irresponsibly populist.  —  In Raleigh, N.C., last week, Sen. Obama promised …

Rating Confusion: Is Obama a Liberal?  —  It's a line you'll hear many times from Sen. John McCain over the next five months: “In just a few years in office, Sen. Obama has accumulated the most liberal voting record in the Senate.”  —  But McCain's campaign also pointed out recently that Barack …