Alaska's Sen. Ted Stevens indicted by federal grand jury  —  WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the U.S. Senate and one of the chamber's most powerful members, was indicted Tuesday in Washington, a result of a year-long investigation into corruption in Alaska politics.

Obama the Unknown  —  “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.

Earthquake rocks Los Angeles  —  LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — A magnitude-5.8 earthquake has struck just east of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  —  The quake's epicenter was about 2 miles southwest of Chino Hills and about 5 miles southeast of Diamond Bar, the USGS said.

Things I learned today about democracy  —  Here's what I learned today about democracy and ideology as a result of my debate with Ed Kilgore and having read the comments to the piece I wrote about targeting Blue Dogs:  — If you believe in the Fourth Amendment, an end to the Iraq War …

Pelosi: 'I'm trying to save the planet'  —  Just call her Nancy the Navigator.  —  “I have always loved longitude,” Nancy Pelosi says before breaking into laughter.  “I love latitude; it's in the stars.  But longitude, it's about time. ...  Time and clocks and all the rest of that have always been a fascination for me.”

It's The Aseity  —  Our modern metaphor for Republicans who wear their frustrations on their sleeve is Bob Dole, as Jonathan Martin points out.  Just what about John McCain's past two weeks are so irksome to the political class? … To be fair, McCain's campaign tried this …

What Do Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity And Michael Savage Have In Common?  —  digg it  —  Jim David Adkisson, the right wing terrrorist whose rampage left 2 dead and 7 wounded Knoxville, was a fan of all three.  —  The vitriol these three have hurled at progressives over the years is sickening.

Assessing the Impact of Obama's Trip  —  Americans, especially Republicans, critical of media's coverage of candidates  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Could John McCain benefit from Barack Obama's much-publicized foreign trip?  Several observations from the just-completed USA Today/Gallup poll suggest that this is a possibility.

Discussion: An Elite Backlash Against McCain's Tone? … A question from “Scott” in New York is just the start of it.  USA Today calls a new McCain ad “a marker on the path toward the kind of simplistic, counterproductive demonizing that many expect will poison the fall campaign.”

A Few Thoughts  —  I'm just back from a week's vacation.  A few thoughts by way of catching up:  —The best thing about Obama's Europe trip was the images, and that's because Obama is a politician of physical genius.  He looks great, moves with grace, and holds himself with a natural authority.

From the Fact Check Desk: Did Obama Say During the Debate Over the Surge That “There's No Doubt that Additional U.S. Troops Could Temporarily Quell the Violence?”  —  Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, on January 10 2007 predicted (watch HERE) that the surge of troops in Iraq would fail.

Sebelius, Kaine, Bayh, Biden  —  The following three Democrats are being vetted by Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy and there is independent evidence that Obama is taking a serious look at them:  —  Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Gov. Tim Kaine, Sen. Evan Bayh.  —  Additionally, allies …

Obamanomics Is a Recipe for Recession  —  What if I told you that a prominent global political figure in recent months has proposed: abrogating key features of his government's contracts with energy companies; unilaterally renegotiating his country's international economic treaties …

Toby Keith's Pro-Lynching Publicity Tour Hits Colbert, CBS, And More!  —  Despite his background as a comedian, Stephen Colbert is known by many of the authors who have appeared on his show as one of the toughest interviewers in the business.  But on July 28, when country music superstar Toby Keith stepped …

Officials: Al Qaeda's Mad Scientist Killed  —  CIA Drone Targeted Chemical Weapons Expert Abu Khabab Al-Masri On Afghanistan-Pakistan Border  —  (CBS) Written for CBSNews.com by Farhan Bokhari, reporting from Islamabad.  —  One of al Qaeda's top chemical and biological weapons experts …

House Majority Whip: Climate Change Hurts Blacks More  —  Clyburn says African-Americans ‘disproportionately impacted’; study recommends ‘fee, tax or allowance auction on polluters.’  —  Business & Media Institute  —  Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue.