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 …

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.

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.”

Justice Officials Repeatedly Broke Law on Hiring, Report Says  —  Former Justice Department counselor Monica M. Goodling and former chief of staff D. Kyle Sampson routinely broke the law by conducting political litmus tests on candidates for jobs as immigration judges and line prosecutors …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

The Washington Post editorial page's latest rule of law sermon  —  (updated below)  —  Jackson Diehl, Deputy Editor of the The Washington Post's Editorial Page, has an Op-Ed today that contains a stirring defense today of “the rule of law.”  Diehl righteously complains the …

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 …

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 …

Bomb Attacks in Baghdad and Kirkuk Leave Dozens Dead  —  BAGHDAD — Female bombers struck Kurdish political protesters in Kirkuk and Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad on Monday morning, leaving at least 48 people dead and 249 wounded in one of the bloodiest sequences of attacks in Iraq this year.

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 …