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.

All Hail ‘McBama’  —  John McCain needs to wake up and smell the Arabic coffee.  —  I know this is not an easy time for him.  When you have been beaten up for four years because of your support for the Iraq war, and then you get something big right — your support for the surge — you want to be able to savor that for a while.

So Presidential.  So Supremely Confident.  So Confidently Striding.  The Jacket...  The New York Times critic Alessandra Stanley, last mentioned in the Corner for her assertion that Rev. Jeremiah Wright “revealed himself to be the compelling but slightly wacky uncle who unsettles strangers …

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 …

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 …

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:

GOP candidate to meet with Jindal  —  WASHINGTON — Mystery continues to surround Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's plans to interrupt a tour of battleground states today for a visit to New Orleans and a meeting with Gov. Bobby Jindal.  —  Campaign officials confirm that McCain …

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:

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 …

Rangel to file complaint against self — first official grievance since 2004  —  Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday will formally ask the House ethics committee to investigate allegations that he misused his congressional office.  —  Aides to the powerful chairman of the Ways …

Lieberman Compares Hagee To Moses, Says Bloggers Would Have Attacked Him Too  —  Lieberman Compares Hagee To Moses, Says Bloggers Would Have Attacked Him Too  —  Yesterday, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) spoke at the controversial pastor John Hagee's Christians United For Israel Washington-Israel Summit.

Obama Ignorance Watch (A Very Special Edition!)  —  As you know, Barack Obama is still trotting across the globe, sinking three pointers, ignoring military counsel and healing the occasional leper.  Amidst all the hullabaloo, these Obama comments regarding Israel and terrorism have been sadly overlooked:

Tales From The JV Squad: No Press Avail  —  WILKES-BARRE, PA — The one scheduled McCain press conference of the week has just been canceled, we are told.  No word as to why.  Grumble, grumble.  —  Why?  Scheduling.  Which is like answering “food” to “what did you eat for breakfast.”

Excuse Me While I Get My Gun  —  Washington, D.C. defies the Supreme Court's Second Amendment ruling  —  Last month the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the District of Columbia had violated the Second Amendment by making armed self-defense in the home impractical and banning the most popular weapons used for that purpose.