Breaking: Novak cited after hitting pedestrian  —  Syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak was cited by police after he hit a pedestrian with his black Corvette in downtown Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning.  —  A Politico reporter saw Novak in the front of a police car with a citation in his hand …

Obama incorrectly claims membership of Senate committee  —  (CNN) - Responding to an Israeli reporter's question Wednesday on his commitment to protect the Jewish state, Barack Obama pointed to a bill “we passed” in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that tightens sanctions and authorizes divestment from Iran.

NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama keeps lead over McCain  —  Voters see Democrat as riskier pick, but rival has negatives of his own  —  WASHINGTON - A majority of Americans think Barack Obama is a riskier choice for the presidency, but he maintains a six-point lead over Republican John McCain …

McCain to counterprogram Obama in Germany with visit to Gulf Coast oil rig  —  While Barack Obama is speaking about international affairs in Germany before thousands of fans tomorrow, John McCain will be talking about a pressing domestic issue with an equally striking if very different backdrop.

McCain Defends Anbar-Before-Surge Scenario  —  “Yesterday,” a reporter asked McCain, “you suggested that the surge in Iraq predated the Anbar rebellion, and actually the Anbar rebellion came a couple of months previously.  Did you misspeak, or did you have something else in mind?”

Olympic Deal Sealed: Obama Makes $5 Million Buy  —  Candidate's Package Includes National Network, Cable  —  WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) — It's official.  Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be among the TV sponsors of NBC Universal's Olympics coverage.  In the first significant network-TV buy …

Obama In Berlin  —  Yes, of course the Hitler comparisons are absurd, but I'd really like to know which genius on the Obama campaign thought it would be a good idea to have their candidate conduct a major campaign rally in Europe with three months to go till the election and their candidate …

Iraq Veteran Takes On McCain In New Ad  —  The independent group, VoteVets, will begin running a new television ad this week that features an Iraq war veteran who asserts that if elected, Senator John McCain “would occupy Iraq indefinitely,” against the wishes of the Iraqi people.

Why the Press Is Ignoring the Edwards “Love Child” Story  —  A DOUBLE STANDARD IS AT WORK.  —  Everybody had a good laugh last August when Roll Call broke the story about Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, getting arrested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for playing footsies in a toilet stall.

Abizaid: Iran Is Not a Suicide State; Deterrence Will Work.  The Iraqis Have Moved Beyond the US Political Debate  —  Monday evening at a meeting of the Pacific Council, retired General John Abizaid, the former commander of the US Central Command for Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003-2007 …

Edwards: The Agony of the MSM  —  PLEASE DON'T MAKE US TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED.  —  “Get it first, but first get it second.”  The old Newsweek rule!  I hope that's the rule the MSM is following.  If so, here's an MSM mention!  And here.  Business Week is what, chopped liver?

Hey, Barack Obama Exists After All  —  The latest news from the Obama Conspiracyverse is the first third-party proof of Obama's birth in Hawaii.  It's a birth announcement from a 1961 issue of the Honolulu Advertiser that was dug up, ironically enough, by Lori Starfelt, who's working on an anti-Obama documentary for pro-Clinton PUMAs.

Obama politically and physically fit: Merkel  —  BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is an admirer of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama — even though she has not yet met him in person.  —  Asked at a news conference on Wednesday what she thought of Obama, Merkel responded …

David Gregory: NBC's Lame-Duck?  —  On the morning of Sunday, July 20, NBC News paterfamilias Tom Brokaw was wrapping up Meet the Press, where he has been anchor since the sudden and untimely death of Tim Russert.  —  The weekly round table had ended, and it was time to say goodbye to his guests …

Newt on Veep: No more boring white guys  —  My colleague Ken Vogel has Newt's advice on who McCain should not pick as veep:

Election 2008: Florida Presidential Election  —  Florida: Obama Ahead by One  —  Barack Obama has caught up to John McCain in Florida.  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds Obama with a statistically insignificant one-point advantage over his rival, 46% to 45%.