A dose of discipline for McCain's campaign  —  The Sergeant has been promoted.  —  Whenever Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) needed an answer to a political question during long days on buses and planes with reporters during the GOP primary, he would turn to a linebacker of a campaign adviser.

Hostage Rescue Is Happy Coincidence for McCain in Colombia  —  Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, and his wife, Cindy, visited a Colombian Navy drug interdiction boat off Cartagena on Wednesday.  Mr. McCain cited both progress and work to be done in stemming the flow of drugs into the United States.

Justice Dept. Admits Error in Not Briefing Court  —  WASHINGTON — In a highly unusual admission of error, the Justice Department acknowledged on Wednesday that government lawyers should have known that Congress had recently made the rape of a child a capital offense in the military …

Can Barack Buy the Presidency?  —  On the money front, how do Sens. Obama and McCain stack up?  No contest, it seems.  Since the campaign began, Mr. Obama has raised a staggering $295-plus million, versus Mr. McCain's almost $122 million.  But that's misleading.  —  Mr. Obama spent a lot to win the nomination.

Judge Rejects Bush's View on Wiretaps  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge in California said Wednesday that the wiretapping law established by Congress was the “exclusive” means for the president to eavesdrop on Americans, and he rejected the government's claim that the president's constitutional authority …

YOU AND YOUR CELL....All modern cell phones are equipped with GPS capability that allows your location to be tracked within a few meters at all times.  Question: does the federal government have access to this tracking information without a warrant?  The ACLU filed a Freedom of Information request …

CNBC Contributor Blasts Limbaugh Deal: ‘What Are These People Smoking?’  —  Vanity Fair media columnist says popular host will be ‘oddity,’ claims ‘rise of conservatism’ ‘coming to an end.’  —  Business & Media Institute  —  It's time to short-sell Clear Channel Communications stock …

Panel Questions State Dept. Role in Iraq Oil Deal  —  Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that ran counter to American policy and undercut Iraq's central government, a Congressional committee has concluded.

Losing the mullet, angling for veep  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has a shot at being John McCain's No. 2 — and it's not just because of the snazzy new haircut.  —  Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty speaks to Republicans on behalf of John McCain during the Michigan GOP Convention in Grand Rapids on Feb. 10, 2007.

White House, Candidates Plan Smooth Transfer of Power  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration and the two major presidential campaigns are beginning an unprecedented attempt to prevent the transfer of power in January from disrupting defense and counterterrorism efforts.

(Updated) Why Are Right-of-Center Bloggers So Silent On Torture?  —  As you know if you are a reader of this or any number of other blogs, The New York Times broke a biggie yesterday in reporting that the Pentagon knowingly employed torture techniques that the Communist Chinese used …

Bullets Can't Stop Beutler From Cracking Wise  —  Funny thing about being a journalist: your job is to write about people and mayhem and trauma, but let any of those touch you directly, and it becomes a different game.  With that caveat, allow me to recount my brief visit today with my colleague …

America's Days Aren't Numbered  —  I have a simple request.  As we celebrate the birth of the American Republic, can we all stop predicting its death?  It's getting depressing.  —  The last time I strolled through the local Barnes & Noble, there were so many books announcing the end of American power …

Iraq Hints at Delay in U.S. Security Deal  —  BAGHDAD — Declaring that there will not be “another colonization of Iraq,” Iraq's foreign minister raised the possibility on Wednesday that a full security agreement with the United States might not be reached this year, and that if one was, it would be a short-term pact.

A Shortage Of Troops in Afghanistan  —  Iraq War Limits U.S. Options, Says Chairman of Joint Chiefs  —  The nation's top military officer said yesterday that more U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan to tamp down an increasingly violent insurgency, but that the Pentagon does …

Lieberman Favs Shellacked  —  Running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in 2006, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman did his best to avoid irritating the Democratic base in order to win at least some of their votes in November.  Now, having so publicly backed John McCain …