Media stars will accompany Obama overseas  —  WASHINGTON: Senator John McCain's trip to Iraq last spring was a low-key affair: With his ordinary retinue of reporters following him abroad, the NBC News anchor Brian Williams reported on his arrival in Baghdad from New York …

Breaking: What Else Jesse Jackson Said on That FNC Tape  —  Exclusive: TVNewser has been sent the transcript of what Jesse Jackson said Sunday morning July 6, as he prepared for an interview on Fox & Friends Weekend.  Below is the partial transcript we received in our tips box …

Take Your Paws off the Presidency!  —  DOES THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAVE A SECRET SUCCESSION ORDER THAT BYPASSES CONGRESS?  —  Suppose the worst happens, and the next terrorist attack hits Washington hard, taking out the president and the vice president.  What happens next?

Why the Race is Tied  —  After almost six weeks of a constant Obama lead, generally in the five- to seven-point range, Scott Rasmussen's daily tracking poll records two consecutive days of a tie race (July 12-13) and a one-point Obama lead on July 14.  What happened to the Democrat's lead?

US plans to station first diplomats in Iran since 1979  —  Washington move signals thaw in relations  —  The US plans to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years as part of a remarkable turnaround in policy by President George Bush.

U.S., Afghan Troops Leave Combat Outpost After Deadly Clash  —  After suffering significant setbacks in the fight against insurgents in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. and Afghan troops have pulled out of a combat outpost where nine American soldiers were killed in a pitched battle with Taliban fighters Sunday.

Reporters Spar With McCain Press Aides Nicolle Wallace, Brooke Buchanan (VIDEO)  —  Clearly not all reporters are enamored with John McCain's press operation.  —  Early Wednesday, the Fox affiliate in St. Louis posted video of an awkward, testy exchange between several reporters …

Hunter: This conservative activist is backing Obama  —  I'm a lifelong Republican - a supply-side conservative.  I worked in the Reagan White House.  I was the chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for five years.  In 1994, I helped write the Republican Contract with America.

McCain Surrogate Fiorina Meets With Clinton Supporters  —  Christopher Cooper and John Emshwiller report on the presidential race.  —  The McCain campaign dispatched its top female surrogate Tuesday to meet with about 25 disaffected supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton in Westchester, N.Y.

In Iraq, Affection for Obama ... but His Proposal?  —  BAGHDAD — A tough Iraqi general, a former special operations officer with a baritone voice and a barrel chest, melted into smiles when asked about Senator Barack Obama.  —  “Everyone in Iraq likes him,” said the general, Nassir al-Hiti.

McCain Aide: Obama Is Stubborn Like Bush  —  Is Barack Obama an extension of George W. Bush's foreign policy?  Aides to John McCain made the argument today in a conference call meant to tout the Senator's own record.  —  Describing Obama's plan as dangerously rigid and ideological …

Dem leaders pressure CEOs to buck GOP  —  The Senate Democratic leadership summoned the chiefs of 17 major trade associations to the Capitol on Wednesday to send a subtle but unmistakable message: If you want our help on your issues, stop helping the Republicans block our bills.

THE DEMOCRATS' PERVERSE ENERGY POLICIES...  ...are neatly summed up by Michael Ramirez; click to enlarge:  —  To comment on this post go here.

Michelle O's stimulus package: $600 earrings  —  Actually, Michelle Obama has a point here: the $600 stimulus package tax rebate is kind of a gimmick.  But she chose a typically Obamesque way of expressing the thought, complete with an implication that taxpayers are wastrels who will just blow their money on luxuries:

Comments  —  Just a quick announcement: From now on, one of the Atlantic's crack interns will be going through the comment threads at the end of every business day, deleting any comments that run afoul of our comments section's terms of service, which state that “By using this service you agree …

Obama warns against ‘fighting the last war’ … WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama warned Wednesday about the danger of “fighting the last war” as he pledged to focus on emerging nuclear, biological and cyber threats if elected president.  —  Two goals of his administration …