McCain Meltdown  —  John McCain said this today in Rochester, New Hampshire: … This is the ninth presidential campaign I've covered.  I can't remember a more scurrilous statement by a major party candidate.  It smacks of desperation.  It renews questions about whether McCain has the right temperament for the presidency.

Mr. Obama in Iraq  —  THE INITIAL MEDIA coverage of Barack Obama's visit to Iraq suggested that the Democratic candidate found agreement with his plan to withdraw all U.S. combat forces on a 16-month timetable.  So it seems worthwhile to point out that, by Mr. Obama's own account …

Obama tour staged for political pop  —  JERUSALEM - Democrat Barack Obama doesn't travel light.  —  Halfway around the world, the Obama campaign machine appears as sprawling and seamless as it is on its home turf.  As the presumptive Democratic nominee tours five countries in five days …

What did Bush say at Olson Fundraiser?  —  The President's folks didn't let the press in, but we got some exclusive video of POTUS talking up a storm at Pete Olson's fundraiser on July 18th.  Click and take a look. transcript below the video.  —  What President Bush said:

Obama Campaign Prints German-language Flyers for Berlin Rally  —  This is pretty extraordinary.  A candidate for the American Presidency is using flyers printed in German to turn people out for his campaign rally in Berlin on Thursday.  This flyer can be found on a bilingual page on BarackObama.com advertising the event:

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS CAUGHT WITH MISTRESS AND LOVE CHILD!  —  Vice Presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards was caught visiting his mistress and secret love child at 2:40 this morning in a Los Angeles hotel by the NATIONAL ENQUIRER.  —  The married ex-senator from North Carolina …

HALPERIN'S TAKE: What John McCain Needs to Win  —  What McCain needs to win:  —  Stuff he can't control:  —For Obama to make a substantive mistake on his overseas trip that changes the vector direction of the coverage — especially while he is in Israel.

The Fannie Mae Gang  —  Angelo Mozilo was in one of his Napoleonic moods.  It was October 2003, and the CEO of Countrywide Financial was berating me for The Wall Street Journal's editorials raising doubts about the accounting of Fannie Mae.  I had just been introduced to him by Franklin Raines …

VIDEO BUMBLING OBAMA: “RECOGNIZING THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE”  —  Difficulties??? — like securing enough sweets to welcome home a child brain basher?  Difficulties getting past checkpoints to blow up and murder Jews?  —  I have loaded the speech in three parts.

Five Dems at risk of losing in November  —  Week after week, the news just seems to get worse for House Republicans: There isn't enough money in GOP campaign coffers; lackluster candidates fail to gain traction; once-safe incumbents suddenly find themselves endangered by ethical entanglements …

Hip-hop star Nas protests FOX News ‘Obama smears’  —  New York rapper Nas has joined a protest against FOX News.  —  Citing what he calls “race baiting” and “Obama smears” by FOX, Nas will join ColorOfChange.org and MoveOn.org to deliver more than 620,000 petition signatures demanding …