Forced servitude in America?  —  The U.S. already has high rates of volunteerism, but that's apparently not good enough for our presidential candidates.  —  There's a weird irony at work when Sen. Barack Obama, the black presidential candidate who will allegedly scrub the stain of racism from the nation …

Adding up the cost of Obama's agenda  —  Some budget analysts say the Democrat's proposals for funding tens of billions of dollars in programs may not be enough.  —  WASHINGTON — In more than a year of campaigning, Barack Obama has made a long list of promises for new federal programs costing tens …

Former CIA Agent in Iran Comes In from the Heat  —  Going public for the first time in an article and podcast on Pajamas Media, an Iranian who infiltrated Iran's Revolutionary Guard for the CIA accuses the mullahs of orchestrating — among other things — the 1988 explosion of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Mr. Obama on Iraq  —  BARACK OBAMA has taken a small but important step toward adjusting his outdated position on Iraq to the military and strategic realities of the war he may inherit.  Sadly, he seems to be finding that the strident and rigid posture he struck during the primary campaign …

A Clintonian at Fox  —  Howard Wolfson, who was a top strategist for the presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, is going where some Democrats were unwilling to go during the early days of the election season: the Fox News Channel.  —  The network is expected to announce …

Risky Business  —  The waiters were still clearing the breakfast dishes yesterday when John McCain's most prominent adviser raised the subject of erection enhancement.  —  Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief who is now the Republican National Committee's “Victory Chairman,” …

Lurching With Abandon  —  In one of the numbers from “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tevye sings, with a mixture of emotions: “We haven't got the man ... we had when we began.”  —  Back in January when Barack Obama pulled off his stunning win in the Iowa caucuses, and people were lining up in the cold …

America's special grace  —  To ascribe a special grace to America is outrageous, as outrageous as the idea of special grace itself.  Why shouldn't everyone be saved?  Why aren't all individuals, nations, peoples and cultures equally deserving?  History seems awfully unfair …

Internal Politics Heat Up at McCain Campaign  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain's campaigns have long been defined by internal squabbling and power plays, zigzagging lines of command and a penchant by the candidate for consulting with former advisers without alerting current ones, always a recipe for disquiet.

Put War Powers Back Where They Belong  —  THE most agonizing decision we make as a nation is whether to go to war.  Our Constitution ambiguously divides war powers between the president (who is the commander in chief) and Congress (which has the power of the purse and the power to declare war).

$40 Million Health Care Campaign Will Target Some Dems  —  A consortium of progressive groups, think tanks, trade unions and activists are set to launch a $40 million health care campaign to prepare the ground for the next president to sign expanded care early in 2009.

Clinton's Convention Role Being Negotiated  —  Democrats Weigh Putting Her Name Into Nomination  —  Hillary Clinton won a hefty 1,600 convention delegates in six months of primaries.  A big question now is whether to let them vote at the Democratic convention.

Pet owners prefer McCain over Obama  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — If the presidential election goes to the dogs, John McCain is looking like best in show.  —  From George Washington's foxhound “Drunkard” to George W. Bush's terriers “Barney” and “Miss Beazley,” pets are a longtime presidential tradition …

White House sorry about Berlusconi bio gaffe  —  TOYAKO, Japan—Sorry about that, Silvio.  —  An embarrassed White House apologized on Tuesday for an “unfortunate mistake” — the distribution of less-than-flattering biography of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi at the Group of Eight summit.

PREVIEW: Access Exclusive - Barack Obama & Family Chat With Maria Menounos  —  In an Access Hollywood exclusive interview, Senator Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, along with daughters Malia, 10 and Sasha, 7 open up about rules, what it is like for friends to meet dad, communicating on the trail …