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McCain Says Obama Plays Politics on Iraq — Some Fellow Republicans Question Tactics — In his most direct challenge yet of his Democratic presidential rival's Iraq policy, Sen. John McCain suggested yesterday that Sen. Barack Obama had crafted a war strategy designed to further his own political advancement.
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FIRST THOUGHTS: ANALYZE THIS — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** Analyze this: We've now crossed the 100-day mark before Election Day, and the chattering class is going to obsessed with two things this week: 1) over-analyzing the veepstakes and 2) over-analyzing any overseas bounce for Obama.

Be Afraid. Please. — Life is full of disappointments. — Early Friday, I went to the Real Clear Politics Web site, as I do every morning, for my fix of political news and commentary. I perked up when I saw the third entry on the list of that day's notable articles — “No. 44 Has Spoken.”


Police: Accused shooter hated liberals, expected to be killed — 4-page letter outlines frustration, hatred of ‘liberal movement’ — Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
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Neighbors: Accused shooter everyone's friend, questioned Christianity

Several people shot at gay affirming church in Knoxville
Discussion:
protein wisdom, Pam's House Blend, Orcinus, pandagon.net, WBIR-TV, Scared Monkeys, The Moderate Voice and Wake up America

Police: Man shot churchgoers over liberal views
Discussion:
Sweetness & Light


Go take a hike, injured vets tell nervy Cheney — WASHINGTON - Vice President Cheney's invitation to address wounded combat veterans next month has been yanked because the group felt his security demands were Draconian and unreasonable. — The veep had planned to speak to the Disabled American Veterans …

Bush Justice officials broke law: DOJ IG — Monica Goodling and D. Kyle Sampson, key aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, violated federal law and departmental policy by considering political affiliation and other improper factors in Justice Department hiring decisions …
Discussion:
The Crypt's Blogs
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Democrats Try to Break Grip of the Senate's Dr. No — WASHINGTON — Congress has dealt for decades with catchall bills known as omnibus legislation. Now, for the first time, comes the Tomnibus. — A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, michellemalkin.com, Reason Magazine, The Caucus and Unqualified Offerings
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TOO HARD FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND. — For reasons that I try not to speculate on before 9am, the media likes to make policy disputes sound incredibly complicated. Much too complicated for mortals to understand, or base electoral behavior on. Take this Time article on the various tax plans floating around the election.
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Closer Than He Should Be — In the contest for president, Barack Obama is a magnetic candidate supported by a disciplined, well-organized campaign. John McCain seems wooden, with a campaign that appears to be in shambles. Yet Obama's lead in the polls over McCain is fragile because he so far …


Funds for Highways Plummet As Drivers Cut Gasoline Use — An unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the funds available to rebuild the nation's aging highway system and expand mass-transit options, underscoring the economic impact of high gasoline prices.
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com, Outside The Beltway, Eschaton, The Impolitic, Don Surber, On Deadline and The American Mind


Record deficit expected in 2009 — WASHINGTON — The White House has increased its estimate for next year's deficit to nearly $490 billion, a record figure that will saddle the next president with deepening budget problems in his first year in office, a report due out Monday shows.
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Federal Deficit Grows After Three Years of Decline
Discussion:
dallasmorningviewsblog …

For Obama, Hurdles in Expanding Black Vote — MACON, Ga. — Amanda Bass, a volunteer for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, had already tried once to get Wilmer Gray to register to vote. But when she glimpsed him in a black T-shirt and White Sox cap again on a recent weekday …

Robert Novak Hospitalized — Robert Novak was admitted yesterday to a Boston hospital where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In a written statement given to his publisher, Novak said: — “On Sunday, July 27, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I have been admitted to Brigham …
Discussion:
TIME.com

Docking Paychecks for Politics — The mighty Service Employees International Union (SEIU) plans to spend some $150 million in this year's election, most of it to get Barack Obama and other Democrats elected. Where'd they get that much money? — That's a question the Departments of Labor …

U.S. Headed for ‘Heightened Alert’ Stage — Exclusive: Major Events on the Horizon Prompt a Surge in Anti-Terror Efforts — Government officials have been quietly stepping up counterterror efforts out of a growing concern that al Qaeda or similar organizations might try to capitalize …


Bonnie Fuller on Team Obama's Tabloid Strategy — Portraying Barack and Michelle as Brangelina Is Working — It's official. The Obamas are just like us. With their latest PR move — being photographed as a family for this week's People magazine cover story titled “The Obamas At Home” …


Romney's Effect On the Map — If Bob Novak is circulating internal polls showing Mitt Romney helping John McCain in Michigan, you can be pretty sure that the Republican establishment is behind the idea of making Romney McCain's VP. It's easy enough to understand why.