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.

Things I learned today about democracy  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  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:

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.

Huck compares McCain to Dole  —  Mike Huckabee, speaking a bit more freely in his new capacity as a Fox News contributor, used a “Hannity & Colmes” appearance last night to offer a candid assessment of McCain's performance last week.  —  Huck used two words that dare not speak their name in McCainworld: “Dole” and “anger:”

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.

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.

As a Professor, Obama Enthralled Students and Puzzled Faculty  —  CHICAGO — The young law professor stood apart in too many ways to count.  At a school where economic analysis was all the rage, he taught rights, race and gender.  Other junior faculty dreamed of tenured positions; he turned them down.

10 Things to Scratch From Your Worry List  —  For most of the year, it is the duty of the press to scour the known universe looking for ways to ruin your day.  The more fear, guilt or angst a news story induces, the better.  But with August upon us, perhaps you're in the mood for a break …

Gallup Daily: Obama 47%, McCain 41%  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama's lead over John McCain, having reached a nine percentage point margin a few days ago, has been reduced for the second Gallup report in a row, and is now at a 6-point, 47% to 41%, margin among registered voters in Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted July 26-28.

McCain Spokesman: John McCain Doesn't Know What He's Talking About On Social Security  —  On Sunday, ABC's George Stephanopoilos asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) about his plans to fix social security.  McCain said repeatedly that “everything has to be on the table” regarding possible reforms — including a payroll tax increase:

Sad State of the RNC  —  A few minutes ago, I received an email alert from the Republican National Committee with the following title:  —  ***MEDIA ADVISORY***  —  RNC Launches New Web Video: “Obama TV Ad In Berlin”  —  Curious, I clicked through to watch the video …