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.

Webb: McCain Should ‘Calm Down’ on Using Military Service  —  Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) waded into the debate over John McCain's military service Monday to say that the Republican should avoid using military service in politics.  —  Webb, a Barack Obama supporter, was on MSNBC's “Countdown” …

Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups  —  ZANESVILLE, Ohio — With an eye toward courting evangelical voters, Senator Barack Obama presented a plan here on Tuesday to expand on President Bush's program of investing federal money in religious-based initiatives that are intended to fight poverty and perform community aid work.

Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman's hat  —  A postcard featuring a cute puppy sitting in a policeman's hat advertising a Scottish police force's new telephone number has sparked outrage from Muslims.  —  Tayside Police's new non-emergency phone number …

Obama's Pro-Gay Flyers  —  Barack Obama may be talking up his Christian faith like he's doing today in Ohio and trying his best to appeal to Evangelicals with a “new kind of politics,” but he's got a problem.  Many of his positions are the same liberal positions that have turned off Evangelicals for years.

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 …

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 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.

Iran must avoid ‘provocative’ nuclear talk: Khamaenei aide  —  TEHRAN (AFP) A top advisor to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Tuesday against “provocative” remarks on Tehran's nuclear crisis which tend to be associated with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Clay Felker, Magazine Pioneer, Dies at 82  —  Clay Felker, a visionary editor who was widely credited with inventing the formula for the modern magazine, giving it energetic expression in a glossy weekly named for and devoted to the boisterous city that fascinated him — New York — died today at his home in Manhattan.

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.

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.