Obama Got Discount on Home Loan  —  Shortly after joining the U.S. Senate and while enjoying a surge in income, Barack Obama bought a $1.65 million restored Georgian mansion in an upscale Chicago neighborhood.  To finance the purchase, he secured a $1.32 million loan from Northern Trust in Illinois.

Believe Me, It's Torture  —  What more can be added to the debate over U.S. interrogation methods, and whether waterboarding is torture?  Try firsthand experience.  The author undergoes the controversial drowning technique, at the hands of men who once trained American soldiers to resist—not inflict—it.

McCain Travels South, Searching for Message  —  Why is John McCain in Colombia?  —  Is his commitment to free trade so deep that he needed not one foreign trip (to Canada last month) but two foreign trips to make that clear to people?  Is the issue of free trade so central to the outcome …

Schmidt takes control of day-to-day operation  —  Steve Schmidt is taking over the day-to-day operation of John McCain's campaign, according to multiple campaign sources.  —  At a staff meeting in the campaign's Arlington, Va., headquarters this morning, campaign manager Rick Davis made the announcement about Schmidt's new role.

Late-Period Limbaugh  —  At one time, Limbaugh did his program from a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper he dubbed, with tongue-in-cheek grandiosity, the Excellence in Broadcasting Building.  These days, he mostly broadcasts out of a studio in Palm Beach, Fla., which he calls the Southern Command …

Cochran recounts McCain dustup with the Sandinistas  —  GULFPORT —Notably mild-mannered Republican Sen. Thad Cochran shocked many earlier this year with comments about John McCain's volatile temper.  He has since mended fences with the GOP presidential nominee.

The Wrong Stuff  —  On the way back from Unity, N.H., Friday evening, Barack Obama's plane got diverted by bad weather.  Instead of landing at Reagan airport, it landed farther out at Dulles.  —  Before he got into his S.U.V., Senator Obama walked hesitantly toward the press, who were standing nearby.

Obama to lay out ambitious national service plan  —  (CNN) — Continuing his week-long focus on patriotism and national service, Sen. Barack Obama will lay out a plan Wednesday to create new volunteer and service opportunities to address some of the nation's most pressing challenges.

“Black national anthem” causes stir at Hick speech  —  As Denver dignitaries gathered Tuesday for Mayor John Hickenlooper's State of the City address, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.  —  But that's not what she did.

Hispanic Voters Solidly Behind Obama  —  Few demographic differences evident among Hispanics  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Hispanic registered voters' support for Barack Obama for president remained consistent and strong in June, with Obama leading John McCain by 59% to 29% among this group.

Busted  —  Wesley Clark has made the rounds of just about every talk show on television over the last 24 hours, repeating his attack on John McCain as lacking the executive experience needed to be President.  It's pretty funny, actually, if you listen to Clark, because whenever he describes …