GOP won't let go of its new tire-gauge toy  —  Atrios asked this morning, “Does anyone understand why Obama suggesting that people keep their tires properly inflated is some sort of hilarious gaffe?”  —  I've been trying to figure out the same thing for days.

House GOP's oil-drilling protest resumes  —  Scores of Republican House members will return to the Hill today, despite Congress being on recess, to engage in legislative guerrilla tactics meant to turn the screws on Speaker Nancy Pelosi who has so far refused to allow a vote on domestic oil drilling …

Rasmussen has Obama and McCain in a tie.  This is troubling.  —  (NOTE FROM JOHN: I've added my thoughts to the end of joe's post.)  —  The trend of the tracking polls hasn't been good of late.  Rasmussen, which is a quite reputable poll, has Obama and McCain tied today — and with leaners …

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 …

Sun-Times political columnist Robert Novak retires  —  FROM SUN-TIMES STAFF REPORTS  —  Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement following the diagnosis of a brain tumor, a prognosis the Sun-Times' political columnist describes as “dire.”  —  “The details are being worked …

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 …

What Is a ‘Windfall’ Profit?  —  The “windfall profits” tax is back, with Barack Obama stumping again to apply it to a handful of big oil companies.  Which raises a few questions: What is a “windfall” profit anyway?  How does it differ from your everyday, run of the mill profit?

THE PLIGHT OF POLITICO — AND EVERYONE ELSE.  —  The success of Politico actually seems like an incredibly discouraging sign for the media.  Here you have this forward-thinking, primarily virtual venture to create a political news organization that marries old-school reporting values …

Additional key facts re: the anthrax investigation  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  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 …

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.

Firebombings at Homes of 2 California Researchers  —  SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The police and federal authorities are investigating firebombings at the homes of two researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  —  The attacks, which the university described as “antiscience violence …

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 …

New book: Obama a lefty, not a reformer  —  The first serious negative biography of Senator Barack Obama casts the Democratic nominee as a fake reformer and a real liberal.  —  “The Case Against Barack Obama,” by National Review's David Freddoso, blasts Obama for failing to take on the Chicago machine …