GOP's celeb-Obama message gains traction  —  Barack Obama's critics laid down the foundations of the strategy months ago: The Republican National Committee started the “Audacity Watch” back in April, and Karl Rove later fueled the attack by describing the first-term Illinois senator as “coolly arrogant.”

US judge: White House aides can be subpoenaed  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush's top advisers are not immune from congressional subpoenas, a federal judge ruled Thursday in an unprecedented dispute between the two political branches.  —  House Democrats called the ruling a ringing endorsement …

Suggesting the race card and then denying it  —  Obama's camp recognizes there is both promise and peril in accusing McCain and the GOP of racially-tinged attacks.  Yes, it energizes the Democratic base (black and white) while also raising the antennae of suburban swing voters.

Clinton Supporter Angered By ‘Other Women’ Obama VP Talk  —  ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: A longtime friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton said it's “incomprehensible” that Sen. Barack Obama would choose another woman to be his vice-presidential candidate over Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Exxon posts record $11.68 billion profit  —  World's largest publicly traded oil firm makes $1,485.55 a second in the quarter, but misses forecasts.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Exxon Mobil once again reported the largest quarterly profit in U.S. history Thursday, posting net income …

On Having Your (Political) Heart Broken  —  The e-mail came when I was in Mexico, at a fitness resort that — in pursuit of wellness — confines BlackBerry use to guests' rooms.  —  “Need to chat briefly with you regarding John Edwards and the effects of this scandal on his future political career.”

Obama's Veep Vetting Enters New Stage  —  Barack Obama's vice presidential vetting process has moved into a new stage in which a larger than previously reported group of candidates is being exposed to a “deeper dig” into their backgrounds — in the words of a source familiar with the process.

From ‘straight talk’ to smear campaign  —  The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter.  Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism.

New Premises in Iraq  —  Prospects for Withdrawal Have to Be Viewed Through the Lens of Progress  —  The U.S. presidential campaign has been so long and so intense that it seems to operate in a cocoon, oblivious to changes that should alter its premises.  A striking example is the debate over withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

FL, OH, PA Polls  —  The new Quinnipiac polls for Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania are mostly encouraging for John McCain.  How can that be? you might ask.  McCain trails in all 3 states according to Q. Here's why - Barack Obama has lost ground in these 3 states.  —  First of all, I do not believe Obama is leading in Florida.

Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayor's Home, Kill His 2 Dogs  —  A police SWAT team raided the home of the mayor in the Prince George's County town of Berwyn Heights on Tuesday, shooting and killing his two dogs, after he brought in a 32-pound package of marijuana that had been delivered to his doorstep, police said.

PFC LaVena Johnson Was Raped, Beaten, Set On Fire And Worse - Army Calls It Suicide  —  Nicole and I have both written posts about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of PFC LaVena Johnson, and Democracy Now! had a heartbreaking interview with her family last week.

A ‘Dead Zone’ in The Gulf of Mexico  —  Scientists Say Area That Cannot Support Some Marine Life Is Near Record Size  —  The “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, an area on the seabed with too little oxygen to support fish, shrimp, crabs and other forms of marine life, is nearly the largest …

Homeward Bound: Recent Immigration Enforcement and the Decline in the Illegal Alien Population  —  Monthly data collected by the Census Bureau through May 2008 shows a significant decline in the number of less-educated, young Hispanic immigrants in the country.