House Dems turn out the lights but GOP keeps talking  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House, turned off the lights and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.  —  Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) …

Obama Aide Concedes ‘Dollar Bill’ Remark Referred to His Race  —  Obama Strategist Calls McCain's Attack Ad Insulting; McCain Camp Defends It  —  Sen. Barack Obama's chief strategist conceded that the Democratic presidential candidate was referring to his race when he said Republicans …

Exclusive: Al Qaeda No. 2 Injured?  —  Unverified Letter Obtained By CBS News Urgently Requests Doctor To Treat Ayman al Zawahiri  —  (CBS) Ayman al Zawahiri - the second most powerful leader in al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden's No. 2 - may be critically wounded and possibly dead …

Obama shifts, says he may back offshore drilling  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday he would be willing to support limited additional offshore oil drilling if that's what it takes to enact a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources.

Bush Family on Rush  —  The Bush family called in to the Rush Limbaugh show this morning.  Listen Here!  —  RUSH: What are...? (interruption) Interrupting for what?  —  THE PRESIDENT: Hello!  —  RUSH: Oh, jeez.  The president?  —  THE PRESIDENT: Rush Limbaugh?  —  RUSH: Yes, sir, Mr. President.

Anthrax Suspect Kills Self - How Conveeeeeeeenient...  Bruce Ivins, a bioweapons scientist at Ft. Detrick, Md. reportedly killed himself via overdose earlier this week.  He was about to be indicted in connection with the 2001 anthrax attacks (remember those?).

Obama camp responds: ‘sad...juvenile antics’  —  Barack Obama's campaign responded sharply to a new McCain webad depicting Obama as a parody of a biblical prophet.  —  “It's downright sad that on a day when we learned that 51,000 Americans lost their jobs, a candidate for the presidency …

Gallup Daily: Race Tied at 44%  —  Registered voters evenly split in their support for Obama versus McCain  —  PRINCETON, NJ — According to Gallup Poll Daily tracking from July 29-31, John McCain and Barack Obama are now tied at 44% in the preferences of national registered voters.

The nonpuzzle of the close election polls  —  The economy is going badly, Bush is unpopular, so why is Obama up only slightly in the polls?  This is the question that is (currently) puzzling the political world.  A quick answer: the economy isn't going so badly by historical standards …

McCain's Ad Formula Employs Lowest Common Denominator  —  In a celebrity-driven culture that has left little space for John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate has decided to go tabloid.  —  By featuring Paris Hilton and Britney Spears in an attack ad against Barack Obama …

Plouffe: McCain attacks ‘helped our campaign,’ moneywise  —  In a video sent to donors, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe says the campaign received 100,000 contributions yesterday, a third of them from first-time donors.  —  “I think John McCain has harmed himself in the last week …