Kaine in ‘Serious’ Talks With Obama  —  Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has told close associates that he has had “very serious” conversations with Sen. Barack Obama about joining the Democratic presidential ticket and has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background, according to several sources close to Kaine.

Bradley says No to Obama VP.  What about Clinton?  Not her.  Him!  —  Just in case you're keeping score, yet another Democratic politician has said he would decline to be the vice presidential running mate of Sen. Barack Obama.  —  This one was a surprise too because, to be honest …

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.

Is Anything Sacred?  —  Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv was lambasted for printing the note that Obama placed in the Western Wall, allegedly stolen by a Yeshiva student.  “Notes which are placed in the Western Wall are between the person and his Maker; Heaven forbid that one should read them or use them in any way …

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.”

Supremely Screwed Up  —  A do-over for the High Court?  —  The Supreme Court ended its term this year by making a mistake in one of its most controversial cases—the case in which it held unconstitutional a Louisiana law authorizing capital punishment for the rape of a child under 12 years of age.

Reid plan splits Dems  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has split the Democratic front opposed to drilling with a plan that would open new areas for exploration.  —  Reid's proposal was meant to insulate Senate Democratic candidates from public anger over gas prices.

Check Point: A Canceled Obama Visit, and the Story Behind It  —  John McCain has sought to keep alive a story about Barack Obama calling off a visit to troops recuperating from wounds in Germany.

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 …

Budget-Gap Estimates Balloon To Some $500 Billion  —  Economic Strain Threatens to Snarl Candidates' Plans  —  Projections suggest the federal budget deficit could exceed $500 billion next year, complicating the debate between Barack Obama and John McCain over how to strengthen the economy while not worsening the nation's finances.

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.