Housing Lenders Fear Bigger Wave of Loan Defaults  —  The first wave of Americans to default on their home mortgages appears to be cresting, but a second, far larger one is quickly building.  —  Homeowners with good credit are falling behind on their payments in growing numbers …

Bill Clinton Has Regrets on Campaign for Wife  —  Insists, ‘I Am Not a Racist,’ Despite Anger Over His S.C. Comments  —  In his first broadcast interview since his wife dropped out of the Democratic presidential race, former President Bill Clinton said he still has regrets, and insisted he's …

Rerouting McCain's Bus  —  Frustrations Lead Campaign To Limit Reporters' Access  —  KANSAS CITY While the traveling press corps was shipped off to a barbecue restaurant here, John McCain charmed his way through an interview with a local TV reporter.  Surae Chinn of KCTV posed such less …

Obama Leads, Pessimism Reigns Among Key Group  —  Democratic Sen. Barack Obama holds a 2 to 1 edge over Republican Sen. John McCain among the nation's low-wage workers, but many are unconvinced that either presidential candidate would be better than the other at fixing the ailing economy …

Additional key facts re: the anthrax investigation  —  (updated below)  —  It's perfectly possible that Bruce Ivins really is the anthrax attacker — that he perpetrated the attacks and did so alone.  Perhaps the FBI is in possession of mountains of conclusive evidence that, once revealed …

Obama's crime?  Acting too presidential  —  So the pundits' verdict is in: Obama is too confident.  It all would be funny if many people didn't seem to be inhaling this multimedia stink bomb as if it were fragrant truth.  —  America, meet Barack The Arrogant.

McCain likely to let Obama choose VP first  —  John McCain's extended circle is divided on whether he should announce his running mate in the immediate days ahead—but the Republican is more likely to wait for Barack Obama to announce his choice first, according to advisers.

Pelosi firm: No vote on offshore drilling  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday ruled out a vote on new offshore oil drilling even as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he might be open to a compromise that included it.  —  The scramble over expanded drilling …

Solzhenitsyn, Literary Giant Who Defied Soviets, Dies at 89  —  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, whose stubborn, lonely and combative literary struggles gained the force of prophecy as he revealed the heavy afflictions of Soviet Communism in some of the most powerful works of the 20th century, died late on Sunday at the age of 89 in Moscow.

How to Pick a V.P.  —  When you try to talk with McCain staffers about vice-presidential prospects, as I did last week, the normally garrulous become guarded and the usually talkative turn taciturn.  Still, here's what I was able to discern.  —  John McCain apparently intends to announce his pick after the Democratic convention.

Ridge Does Not Think McCain Would Have Abortion Litmus Test  —  ABC News Jan Simmonds reports: On ABC News' “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” former Pennsylvania Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge reaffirmed his pro-choice position on abortion, and said he did not …

The Phantom Session, Part II  —  Having thoroughly enjoyed their revival-style meeting on the House floor Friday, a group of Republican lawmakers plan to return to the chamber today to deliver more speeches on why they believe Congress should come back from its August break to vote on allowing more domestic and offshore oil drilling.

8 years later  —  George Walker Bush brought honor and dignity back to the White House — as he had promised on Aug. 3, 2000.  —  Today marks the 8th anniversary of Bush's acceptance speech.  2000 seemed to be a meaningless election between 2 privileged sons of Washington bowers.

The Race Issue Isn't Going Away  —  With polls showing the presidential contest between John McCain and Barack Obama getting closer, a question is now looming larger and larger.  Is skin color going to be the deciding factor?  —  Just last week, Sen. Obama warned voters that Sen. McCain's campaign …

An Israeli in Kosovo  —  Imagine what would happen to a handful of Jewish veterans of the Israel Defense Forces who tried to move from Tel Aviv to an Arab country to open a bistro and bar.  In only a few countries could they even get through the airport without being deported or, more likely, arrested.