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.

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.

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 …

McCain As Good As Obama Was Bad  —  I don't want to get to overheated about what occurred tonight, but I do think McCain had a clear and decisive victory over Obama.  It all comes down to something that Phil Bredesen, the Democratic governor of Tennessee recently said about Obama …

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.”

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Ukraine to join in US-led missile shield in Europe  —  Ukraine has agreed to take part in a missile defence system designed by the United States to protect Western countries.  The government in Kiev defended its decision for military co-operation with the West, saying Russia cancelled a bilateral treaty with Ukraine earlier this year.