Bin Laden's Former Driver Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years  —  Hamdan Receives Credit for Time Served, Could Be Released in 5 Months  —  A former driver for Osama bin Laden was sentenced today to 5 ½ years in prison for his material support for terrorism, a relatively light sentence that means …

Obama: “America is no longer what it once was”; Update: Rush reacts  —  When presidential candidates answer questions from children about why they want the job, most will give an answer that uplifts the child and the candidate.  Not Barack Obama.  At a campaign stop in Elkhart, Indiana …

Obama condemns ad against Jewish candidate  —  Nikki Tinker race baits Steve Cohen.  @ Yahoo! Video  —  Obama — in his de facto new role as leader of the Democratic Party — just put out a statement condemning Nikki Tinker's attack on Stephen Cohen, which has been widely interpreted …

Exxon [Hearts] Obama  —  As we close up a week wherein Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, on the stump and in a TV ad accused rival Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., of being “in the pocket of big oil,” and doing the industry's bidding — not to mention a week during which the Democratic National Committee launched …

Suskind Revisited  —  Thursday, August 7th in War by Philip Giraldi  —  An extremely reliable and well placed source in the intelligence community has informed me that Ron Suskind's revelation that the White House ordered the preparation of a forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda …

He Who Disassociates  —  Barack Obama's Gallery of Shady Former Associates is getting very crowded.  —  (Hat tip: Penetrating Insights into the Obvious.)

WPRI Poll: Barack Obama Leads John McCain in the Presidential Race  —  Senator Barack Obama holds a 44% to 38% lead in Wisconsin over Senator John McCain in the presidential race.  Senator Obama leads the race primarily because of a combination of the most important issues on the minds …

Let's Chat  —  I want to thank everyone for joining me here today for our live chat.  I'm so grateful to all of my online friends for the amazing support you continue to show me.  Your kind words mean so much to me, and you have been instrumental in working to help retire our campaign debt.

John McCain: My Pop-Culture Favorites  —  The presumptive Republican presidential nominee talks to EW about his picks in movies ("Viva Zapata!," Indiana Jones), TV shows ("Seinfeld," “The Wire"), singers (Roy Orbison, Usher), and a fictional president he admires

Man held in Fla. for threatening Obama's life  —  Suspect held without bail Thursday after a brief court hearing  —  MIAMI - A man who authorities said was keeping weapons and military-style gear in his hotel room and car appeared in court Thursday on charges he threatened to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

TPMTV: DAZED AND CONFUSED  —  To me, the presidential race reached a turning point last week when John McCain opted for a campaign of denigration employing racial stereotypes, sexualized talking points for surrogates (Obama as “internet date") and copious ridicule.

Rice says surge helps McCain, Obama  —  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she understands some of the questions Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) raised about the surge policy in Iraq, but she says today's conditions in the war zone would be only “wishful thinking” without it.

Win Points for McCain!  —  Spread John McCain's official talking points around the Web — and you could win valuable prizes!  —  That, in essence, is the McCain campaign's pitch to supporters to join its new online effort, one that combines the features of “AstroTurf” campaigning with the sort …

The Gang of 10: Obama's Checkmate?  —  I try and avoid using grandiose rhetoric of this kind.  But there is a potential checkmate scenario sitting on the board for Barack Obama, and it involves the ‘Gang of 10’ energy compromise bill currently being floated by a bipartisan group of ten senators.

Leaked McCain Memo: Paint Obama As A “Job Killing Machine”  —  John McCain was widely ridiculed several weeks ago for fielding reporter's questions in the cheese aisle of a grocery store.  But the location of the impromptu press conference was hardly random.

Schumer: ‘Hit McCain Harder’  —  One of the Democratic Party's leading electoral street fighters, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, said that Barack Obama should respond to John McCain's personal attacks with an equally personal slap.  —  “I would not be afraid to attack back,” said Schumer …

Obama's Democratic Platform Includes New Governance Planks, Emphases On Women, Fatherhood  —  Here it is — the draft of the 2008 Democratic National Committee platform.  You're looking at it the version that was sent to platform committee members this morning.  They'll amend and ratify it before the convention.