MCCAIN'S BACK IN THE SADDLEBACK  —  From NBC's Chuck Todd  —  Normally, on a night like tonight, we here at First Read would have been liveblogging every moment of Rick Warren's presidential forum.  But with the Olympics and the fact this is THE Saturday Michael Phelps will be making history, we kept our liveblogging in check.

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Barack Obama  —  Attention Brody File readers.  —  I was just granted an exclusive one on one interview with Barack Obama here at the Saddleback Civil Forum.  CBN News was the only media outlet to go behind the scenes and conduct an interview.

Did McCain Help Bait Russia into Georgia?  —  Now that the dust is settling the big question about the dust-up in Georgia remains: Why was Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili so stupid to start this war?  —  There are a couple of theories.  One is Saakashvili was under the mistaken impression …

Pelosi Softens Offshore Drilling Stance  —  WASHINGTON — In one of the clearest signs yet that the Democratic leadership is softening its stance towards expanded domestic oil production, the U.S. House Speaker outlined an energy bill Saturday that includes new offshore exploration.

Condi Rice: Russian reputation in ‘tatters’  —  by Mark Silva and updated.  —  For Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state and an expert on international relations with the Russians, it's a remarkable statement - the one she made today - that, as a result of the conflict with Georgia, Russia's reputation is “in tatters.”

McCain suggests raiding Colorado's water  —  Memo to: John McCain.  —  From: Five million thirst-crazed Coloradans.  —  Yes, fellow citizens of the state whose official motto is “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting,” John McCain has thunk the unthinkable — and proposed renegotiating the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

Kaine's Push for Obama Rolls Into Loudoun  —  U.S. Is ‘Ready for Excellence,’ Governor Says, Adding That State Will Play Key Role in November  —  Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine spoke with groups of ardent Barack Obama supporters yesterday in Washington's outer suburbs …

Bill Kristol's weekly moment of shame “...if countries don't have confidence in our ability to help them, it's going to be a much more dangerous world.”  —  By: John Amato @ 10:00 AM - PDT  —  (video and post sent in by PublEuS via email)

The Candidate We Still Don't Know  —  AS I went on vacation at the end of July, Barack Obama was leading John McCain by three to four percentage points in national polls.  When I returned last week he still was.  But lo and behold, a whole new plot twist had rolled off the bloviation assembly line …

What Does Michael Phelps Do For An Encore?  —  What will Michael Phelps do after winning eight gold medals in Beijing?  He plans on going to London - in 2012.  And why not?  He won six gold medals at age nineteen, another eight at age twenty-three, and there is no reason …

Justice Dept. Moves Toward Charges Against Contractors in Iraq Shooting  —  Federal prosecutors have sent target letters to six Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a September shooting that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead, indicating a high likelihood the Justice Department will seek …

Forces align against Republicans in Senate races  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Even the top Republican in charge of the party's Senate campaigns concedes that the GOP will lose seats this year — the only question is how many.  —  With President Bush's ratings at rock-bottom, fewer Republicans signing up to vote …

Will: Lieberman's Office Says He Was ‘Wrong’ To Vote Against Alito In '06  —  Earlier this week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said he wouldn't rule someone out as a potential vice presidential running mate just because they are pro-choice.  On ABC's This Week today, former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson called …

A New Low  —  On August 5, US newspapers carried the story of the capture of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who was trained in neuroscience here in the United States.  Typical of the stories was this one in the NY Times.  The report was fairly neutral, but there were some gaps in the coverage which seemed a little puzzling.

Obama: Clarence Thomas Is Just Too Dumb  —  I realize everyone is focusing on Obama's “exp...” gaffe tonight with Rick Warren.  But look for something else in this brief clip via Hot Air.  It seems fairly obvious to me that what Obama actually did, whether he intended to, or not, is imply that Clarence Thomas is simply dumb.