We Are All Georgians  —  For anyone who thought that stark international aggression was a thing of the past, the last week must have come as a startling wake-up call.  After clashes in the Georgian region of South Ossetia, Russia invaded its neighbor, launching attacks that threaten its very existence.

I See Four Key Battleground States  —  Presidential campaigns ultimately come down to who can win 270 Electoral College votes.  With most states favoring one candidate or the other, this year's contest could come down to a few battleground states.  —  Based on visits this past week …

Clinton's Name Likely To Be Placed In Nomination; Agreement Near With Obama Campaign  —  Reports of strife between negotiators for Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are exaggerated and the two sides are nearing an agreement on how Clinton's delegates will participate …

Johnny, I hardly knew ye  —  After covering John Edwards — and liking him — for years, what I thought I knew about him was wrong.  But reporters often misjudge candidates.  —  John Edwards at his South Carolina primary night rally in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 26, 2008.

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 …

New Books Aim To Unweave the Obama Narrative  —  In two autobiographies and dozens of speeches, Barack Obama has weaved the narrative that defines his campaign: An introspective boy gradually comes to terms with his mixed-race heritage and emerges with an “unprejudiced” worldview.

The Neocons And The Soviets  —  It's very bizarre to read the neocons' speaking about Russia as if the Soviet Union were still in existence.  Here's a classic slice of the mindset from Max Boot, who wants a third little war in the Caucasus: … Condi Rice, who really should know better, said:

High energy costs hike consumer prices in July; inflation up  —  The inflation rate, at 5.6%, is the highest in 17 years, a Labor Department report says.  —  WASHINGTON — Consumer prices took another sharp jump last month with high energy prices fueling a 0.8% monthly increase …

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.

U.S. to Grow Grayer, More Diverse  —  Minorities Will Be Majority by 2042, Census Bureau Says  —  The nation's population will look dramatically different by mid-century, becoming more racially and ethnically diverse and a good deal older as it increases from about 302 million to 439 million by 2050 …

N.C. congressman Shuler, TVA swap land  —  U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., on panel that oversees federal agency  —  TVA has approved a water-access deal for a development group whose investors include U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., who sits on a committee that exercises oversight of the federal utility.

Obama Turns to the Humble Infomercial  —  Maybe He's Trying to Win the Insomniac Vote  —  WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) — The Obama campaign is the first to use a long-form infomercial during the 2008 presidential campaign.  —  If you hadn't noticed, that may have been because the nearly 30-minute program aired …

Hair Samples in Anthrax Case Don't Match  —  Strands From Mailbox in Princeton Are Not From Ivins, Investigators Say  —  Federal investigators probing the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks recovered samples of human hair from a mailbox in Princeton, N.J., but the strands did not match the lead suspect …