Anti-Obama Author on 9/11 Conspiracy  —  Among the follow-up efforts to Jerome R. Corsi's “Unfit for Command,” which inspired the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacks on Senator John Kerry in 2004, is “Obama Nation.”  But the conservative commentator's book about Senator Barack Obama appears …

Troops Deployed Abroad Give 6:1 to Obama  —  During World War II, soldiers crouching in foxholes penned letters assuring their sweethearts that they'd be home soon.  Now, between firefights in the Iraqi desert, some infantrymen have been sending a different kind of mail stateside …

The Obama Tax Plan  —  Even as Barack Obama proposes fiscally responsible tax reform to strengthen our economy and restore the balance that has been lost in recent years, we hear the familiar protests and distortions from the guardians of the broken status quo.

Jackson Browne Sues GOP And McCain Campaign  —  Singer, songwriter, liberal activist and now John McCain scourge Jackson Browne filed a lawsuit today against the presumptive GOP nominee and the Republican Party for failing to obtain a license to use one of his songs in a television commercial.

Payback?  Obama snubs Rangel  —  The Obama campaign is denying House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel a speaking role at this month's Democratic National Convention — a move those close to the powerhouse Harlem congressman view as a spiteful snub.

After The Cold War  —  I've made this point before, but a reader puts it more succinctly: … No s**t, Sherlock.  One of the good things about having a blog that has published almost daily for almost a decade is that one's own evolution and zig-zags through a period of history are exposed to the glare of day.

Up the Ante Diplomacy: US and Poland go for Euro-Anti-Missile  —  This via AP: … Nice AP lede, great comment by PM Tusk.  The Russian invasion of Georgia made “crossing the Rubicon” very politically palatable.  Made is easy for the US to provide Patriots.  —  The VOA report says:

IF THE EDITORS OF THE NY TIMES WERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THEY WOULD FLUNK  —  Yesterday the New York Times ran a story on a study by the General Accounting Office that was commissioned by Democratic Senators Carl Levin and Byron Dorgan.  The study found that from 1998 to 2005 …

Scandal of the Ages: Documents Reveal Underage Chinese Gymnast  —  What began as whispers among the media and gymnastics insiders weeks ago about the ages of three of China's female Olympic gymnasts — Jiang Yuyuan, Yang Yilin and He Kexin — has grown into ear-shattering, head-hurting shouts.

Phil Gramm Attends McCain Campaign Briefing  —  Laura Meckler reports from Aspen, Colo., on the presidential race.  —  Ousted John McCain campaign co-chairman Phil Gramm is back with the campaign's top advisers this weekend, as the campaign gathers top supporters for a series of briefings in scenic Aspen, Colo.

Obama, Richmond, VA, Next Thursday?  Not Necessarily What It Looks Like...  CBS News's Jeff Greenfield and I each have independent Democratic sources who say that an advance team for Barack Obama is in Richmond, VA preparing for a campaign event next Thursday.  —  To conjecture, of course, would be easy.

GIVE THIS WOMAN A PURPLE HEART  —  Later on I intend to comment on today's events in Georgia and the region, but for now, check out this video of a Georgian television reporter named Tamara Urushadze.  She was reporting from Gori when she was shot, apparently by a sniper.

Rep. Sali: There ‘Could Be Up To Forty Barrels Of Oil In A Single Tree’  —  Rep. Bill Sali (R-ID), who is participating in the GOP's ongoing “Drill Now” energy stunt, has a unique idea about how to bring down gas prices: extracting oil from trees.  In a meeting in his Capitol Hill office …

In Extremely Rare Occurence Court Moves to Rehear Case of Canadian Rendition Victim Maher Arar  —  Court Acted Sua Sponte, Deciding to Revisit June Decision Against Arar Before Being Asked  —  The Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued an extremely rare order that the case …

Obama camp said to be leaning towards Biden for vice president.  —  I'm just passing on the latest I'm hearing—that Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) is moving up on the list of potential running mates for presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).  While Obama's heart may go towards Virginia …

47% Favor Government Mandated Political Balance on Radio, TV  —  Nearly half of Americans (47%) believe the government should require all radio and television stations to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary, but they draw the line at imposing that same requirement on the Internet.

Experts Accuse Bush Administration of Foot-Dragging on DNS Security Hole  —  Despite a recent high-profile vulnerability that showed the net could be hacked in minutes, the domain name system — a key internet infrastructure — continues to suffer from a serious security weakness …