What Bush hath wrought  —  FEW AMERICANS, whatever their political persuasion, will mourn George W. Bush's departure from office.  Democrats and Republicans alike are counting the days until the inauguration of a new president will wipe the slate clean.  —  Yet in crucial respects, the Bush era will not end Jan. 20, 2009.

Obama to expand Bush's faith based programs  —  CHICAGO - Reaching out to religious voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is announcing plans to expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups and — in a move sure to cause controversy …

Obama's Money Class  —  Barack Obama sells the Democratic Party short.  He talks about his fund-raising success as if his donors were part of a spontaneous movement of small-money enthusiasts who cohered around himself.  In fact, Democrats have spent years building their donor network.

BARACK BLASTS MOVEON  —  HITS LEFTY PALS OVER ‘GENERAL BETRAY US’  —  By CHARLES HURT in Washington, DC, and CARL CAMPANILE in NY  —  Barack Obama yesterday landed a right hook on one of his biggest left-wing supporters yesterday - blasting MoveOn.org for labeling Gen. David Petraeus “General Betray Us.”

The South Will Fall Again  —  THE interim between the primaries and the parties' nominating conventions is, according to ancient writ, a fertile period for presidential campaigns to talk about how they plan to expand the political map in the fall.  This year is no different.

Ex-Agent Says CIA Ignored Iran Facts  —  A former CIA operative who says he tried to warn the agency about faulty intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs now contends that CIA officials also ignored evidence that Iran had suspended work on a nuclear bomb.  —  The onetime undercover agent …

Pentagon Official Warns of Israeli Attack on Iran  —  U.S. Offical Sees Two ‘Red Lines’ That Could Prompt Strike  —  Senior Pentagon officials are concerned that Israel could carry out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities before the end of the year, an action that would have enormous security …

Evidence Faulted in Detainee Case  —  In the first case to review the government's secret evidence for holding a detainee at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a federal appeals court found that accusations against a Muslim from western China held for more than six years were based on bare and unverifiable claims.

Obama's sister helps reach out to Asian-Americans  —  SAN FRANCISCO - The throng of Asian-American donors drew closer, drinks in hand, to hear Barack Obama's sister describe the wide arc of his life: beyond politics and Chicago, into his childhood in Indonesia and Hawaii.

We Can Lower Oil Prices Now  —  Although most experts agree that financial speculation was not responsible for the surge in the global prices of food and energy, many people remain puzzled about the source of these remarkable price rises.  Economics offers a simple supply-and-demand explanation …

Obama and “False Rumors”  —  In a story reporting that Obama “fiercely” defended his patriotism in his Independence, Missouri speech yesterday, Washington Post reporters Jonathan Weisman and Michael Shear write: … I keep seeing the flag-pin issue included among the alleged falsehoods about Obama.

Obama's Ricochet Pander  —  No doubt the Obama campaign is aggressively courting evangelicals because it thinks it can erode the GOP's traditional dominance there.  If Obama can cut the 80-20 Bush-Kerry split among evangelical voters to 60-40—something an evangelical PR-man connected …

Americans Worry McCain Would Be Too Similar to Bush  —  About half are concerned Obama would go too far in changing Bush policies  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A recent USA Today/Gallup poll finds about two in three Americans concerned that John McCain would pursue policies as president that are too similar to what George W. Bush has pursued.

Obama's real patriotism problem  —  He sees an America in which the cup is half-empty.  Is his America the same one most Americans think of as they wave flags and celebrate the Fourth of July?  —  Barack Obama has a patriotism problem that even Monday's flag-waving trip to Independence, Mo., can't squelch.

Obama rejects proposed California gay marriage ban  —  Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A3  —  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who previously said the issue of gay marriage should be left up to each state, has announced his opposition to a California ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriages.