Poll: Trouble Signs in Obama's Lead  —  After two weeks of sharpened attacks between the campaigns, Barack Obama is maintaining a narrow 5% lead over John McCain in the race for the White House, a new TIME poll shows.  Overall, the poll shows Obama leading McCain 46% to 41% when undecided voters …

THE PHOTOS EVERYONE'S BEEN WAITING FOR!  —  The NATIONAL ENQUIRER is releasing the photograph that the world has been waiting for - the first-ever picture of John Edwards and his love child!  —  The stunning “spy photo” shows the former presidential contender holding his infant daughter Frances Quinn Hunter …

Sen. Hillary Clinton Seeks Democratic Convention Voice  —  Sen. Hillary Clinton Not Ruling Out Having Name Put Up for Vote in Denver  —  Sen. Hillary Clinton told a gathering of supporters last week that she's looking for a “strategy” for her delegates to have their voices heard and …

FBI/DOJ Briefing on the Case Against Bruce Ivins Oh, PS: Ivins was a Registered, Real, Vote-in-Every-Primary Democrat; Lefty Blogs Begin Doubting His Guilt Based on This  —  An NPR report details evidence already mentioned.  —  Some highlights from the briefing:  —  * “Sole suspect” in investigation

Justice Department Subpoenas Its Former Lawyers In Civil Rights Probe  —  A federal grand jury has subpoenaed several former senior Justice Department attorneys for an investigation into the politicization of the Department's own Civil Rights Division, according to sources close to the investigation.

Nasty Attack Ad Hits Jewish Dem Congressman For Visiting “Our Churches”  —  This brutal new attack ad from House candidate Nikki Tinker, who is challenging liberal Tennessee Rep. Steven Cohen in tomorrow's Democratic primary, just might be the nastiest, most race-baiting (and Jew-baiting) ad of the entire cycle:

WRONG. . .WRONG. . .WRONG: Obama Lets Muslim Advisor Resign  —  Will anyone notice?  Barack Obama's team just threw its key Muslim advisor under the bus.  —  Barack Obama needs to make a statement loudly, clearly, and with passion that he embraces Muslims as much as any other Americans of Christian …

Obama really doesn't like a debate  —  Barack Obama got stung by a challenge from a Las Vegas reporter on his energy policy, and specifically on his efforts to paint John McCain as a lackey of Dick Cheney.  Jon Ralston asked Obama about the contradiction inherent in this strategy …

Those Damn Kids!  —  On Tuesday night, TNA writer Lonnie Affrime spotted the Straight Talk Express in the parking lot of an Embassy Suites in Boca Raton, FL.  He noticed an unusual decal on the back of Sen. John McCain's whip and, as any good American would do, took a few pictures.

Potential McCain VP pick slams Obama's ‘life oratory’  —  (CNN) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is widely rumored to be on Sen. John McCain's short list of potential vice presidential picks, displayed his skills as a political attack dog Wednesday.  —  “Senator McCain's life experiences are epic …

For Whom the Times Polls  —  Back in the days when I was writing political advertising—in the pre-Internet, pre-War Room era—the single most coveted piece of information we tried to ascertain was the polling research done by our opponents.  —  Not the answers so much, but the questions.

WaPo Blows A1 McCain Story  —  Hours after blogging about the problems in Washington Post reporter Matthew Mosk's A1 story, this correction was posted online: … That means these people Mosk alleged had been somehow forced to make campaign contributions to McCain through a third-party bundler NEVER DONATED MONEY TO MCCAIN.

Dear Reader  —  I don't care if you're left, right, up, down or in between, isn't this what's known as an act of war?  If not, maybe what we get on page two is? … I'm just wondering how many times our bloodthirsty, hegemonic, imperial military has made incursions across the border into Mexico.

Greyhound scraps ‘bus rage’ ads after bus beheading  —  TORONTO - Greyhound has scrapped an ad campaign that extolled the relaxing upside of bus travel after one of its passengers was accused of beheading and cannibalizing another traveler.  —  The ad's tag line was “There's a reason you've never heard of ‘bus rage.’”