McCain: I 'Don't See How It Matters' That I Don't Know The Price Of Gas  —  In a telephone interview with the Orange County Register earlier this week, John McCain acknowledged he was unaware of the price of gas.  The OC Register's Martin Wicksol reports:

PREPARING THE BATTLEFIELD  —  The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran.  —  L ate last year, Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to current and former military, intelligence, and congressional sources.

A Win by McCain Could Push a Split Court to Right  —  For much of its term, the Supreme Court muted last year's noisy dissents, warmed to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.'s vision of narrow, incremental decisions and continued a slow but hardly steady move to the right.

The baseless, and failed, “Move to the Center” cliche  —  Republican Nancy Johnson of Connecticut was first elected to Congress in 1982, and proceeded to win re-election 11 consecutive times, often quite easily.  In 2004, she defeated her Democratic challenger by 22 points.

'It's Over, Lady!'  —  UNITY, N.H.  —  Unity was spared the banality of unanimity.  —  Carmella Lewis, with her Hillary T-shirt and Hillary placard, came all the way from Denver to make sure there would be plenty of ambiguity, duality and ferocity in Unity.

‘Obama’ Hate Messages, Graffiti Cover 60 Orlando City Vehicles  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — Vandals spray-painted “Obama Smokes Crack” and other hate messages on 60 city vehicles parked across the street from City Hall in downtown Orlando.  —  Investigators said the vandals painted the messages …

OBAMA THE CANDIDATE OF ‘CHANGE MY MIND’  —  It's back and forth for Barack Obama.  —  The candidate of change has changed some of his own positions in recent weeks, raising the risk he'll be labeled a flip-flopper on hot-button issues that look as if they will play a central role in the general election.

Gallup Daily: Obama 46%, McCain 42%  —  Race had been precisely tied in last three reports  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking presidential trial heat, based on July 25-26 and 28 interviewing, finds Barack Obama moving slightly ahead of John McCain, 46% to 42%.

Anxious in America  —  Just a few months ago, the consensus view was that Barack Obama would need to choose a hard-core national-security type as his vice presidential running mate to compensate for his lack of foreign policy experience and that John McCain would need a running mate who was young and sprightly to compensate for his age.

Army's History of Iraq After Hussein Faults Pentagon  —  A new Army history of the service's performance in Iraq immediately after the fall of Saddam Hussein faults military and civilian leaders for their planning for the war's aftermath, and it suggests that the Pentagon's current …

Iran ready to strike at Israel's nuclear heart  —  Iran has moved ballistic missiles into launch positions, with Israel's Dimona nuclear plant among the possible targets, defence sources said last week.  —  The movement of Shahab-3B missiles, which have an estimated range of more than 1,250 miles …

Zimbabwe Faces Wider Sanctions Under Bush Plan  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush called Saturday for an international arms embargo against Zimbabwe in the wake of last week's “sham election,” and announced that the United States is drafting new economic sanctions that, for the first time …