Colorado turns purple in polls  —  Electorate's great divide is by age and geography  —  A political battle for the ages may become a battle of the ages.  —  Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are neck-and-neck in Colorado, solidifying the state as a key …

Obama Raised $51 Million in July  —  Sen. Barack Obama raised $51 million in July, falling short of his one-month record, but raising enough to end the month with $65.8 million in the bank — a formidable number for the middle of the summer.  —  Obama's July fundraising efforts …

Obama to General Wesley Clark: Your Services Not Needed  —  (General Wesley Clark speaking at Yearly Kos Convention in Chicago, 2007)  —  General Wesley Clark is not attending the Democratic National Convention.  —  He was informed by Barack Obama's people that there was “no reason to come.”

Obama's Massive Headfake: Hillary for VP?  —  The reasons to think Hillary Clinton will not the Democratic VP nominee are myriad.  Among them:  — Clinton's camp says she is not being vetted  — VoteBoth, a Clinton-for-VP project by two former Clinton operatives, has shut down, proclaiming Clinton's VP chances nonexistent

Allies Ask Obama to Make ‘Hope’ More Specific  —  As Senator Barack Obama prepares to accept the Democratic presidential nomination next week, party leaders in battleground states say the fight ahead against Senator John McCain looks tougher than they imagined, with Mr. Obama vulnerable …

Manhunt backlash  —  The executives of a gay sex site are apparently more concerned about the perception that they're associated with John McCain than McCain is about the association with them.  —  The chairman of the board of Manhunt, the Cambrige-based hook-up site, was forced to resign after reports that he gave $2,300 to McCain.

Rep.: Half of House Dems may vote Hillary at DNC  —  Rep. Loretta Sanchez says she's happy for the chance to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton at the Democratic National Convention—and she predicts that as many as half of the Democrats in the House could join her.

U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules  —  More Federal Intelligence Changes Planned  —  The Justice Department has proposed a new domestic spying measure that would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans, share the sensitive data with federal agencies and retain it for at least 10 years.

Barack Obama campaign soliciting ‘soft money’ for convention  —  The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has decried the practice and vowed to reform convention funding, but the Denver Host Committee was facing a budget shortfall.  —  WASHINGTON — Facing a large deficit …