Kaine ‘very, very high’ on VP shortlist  —  As Senator Barack Obama turns to the choice of his running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has emerged as one of the campaign's potential finalists, sources familiar with conversations in Richmond and in Chicago said.

Paper, rapped for outing Obama note, claims campaign pre-approved leak  —  What initially seemed to be a journalistic scoop of dubious moral propriety now seems to be a case of an Israeli paper being played by the Barack Obama campaign.  Maariv, the second most popular newspaper in Israel …

Gains for McCain in latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll  —  Republican presidential candidate John McCain moved from being behind by 6 points among “likely” voters a month ago to a 4-point lead over Democrat Barack Obama among that group in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

‘I Hope He Lingers and Goes Slow and Hard!’  —  J$P Audio!  Blue blogs express their sympathy for Bob Novak:

A Canceled Obama Visit, and the Story Behind It  —  WASHINGTON — For four days, Senator John McCain has sought to keep alive a story about how Senator Barack Obama called off a visit to American troops recuperating from war wounds at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

Bush Praises Pakistan Just Hours After U.S. Strike  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday praised Pakistan's commitment to fighting extremists along its deteriorating border with Afghanistan, only hours after an American missile strike destroyed what American and Pakistani officials described …

Transcript: ‘Response ... will be a positive one’  —  Ahmadinejad welcomes ‘new behavior’ from United States, if sincere … WILLIAMS: Mr. President, I know you wanted to begin with a statement.  —  AHMADINEJAD: In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful, a prayer for the emergence of the 12th imam.

How Important Was the Surge?  —  Ten Iraq experts weigh in on the effectiveness of the surge.  —  The past few weeks have been momentous for the national conversation about Iraq.  Nouri al-Maliki's explicitly stated insistence on a timetable for American withdrawal was transformative.

Monster: Who Really Killed the Knoxville Unitarians?  —  I'd say that Unitarians were God's thoughtful people, but they make no particular claims about God.  In some parts of the country that takes real courage.  —  My first wife and I joined a Unitarian church in suburban DC and raised our kids there.

Known Unknowns About Obama  —  “Just tell me one thing Barack Obama has done that you admire,” I asked a prominent Democrat.  He paused and then said that he admired Obama's speech to the Democratic convention in 2004.  I agreed.  It was a hell of a speech, but it was just a speech.

The Greatest Scandal  —  The profound failure of inner-city public schools to teach children may be the nation's greatest scandal.  The differences between the two Presidential candidates on this could hardly be more stark.  John McCain is calling for alternatives to the system; Barack Obama wants the kids to stay within that system.

On Obama's Message  —  Pundits have criticized the McCain campaign as disorganized, undisciplined, and directionless.  These are valid critiques.  His camp occasionally reminds one of the incoherent Dole, Gore, and Kerry campaigns.  —  Meanwhile, the Obama campaign is the opposite of this.