Obama veep announcement expected in coming days  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Barack Obama will publicly disclose his vice presidential choice in the coming days, though the Democrat is keeping most aides who are preparing for the announcement in the dark and is giving away nothing to voters as he campaigns.

Inverted optics: DNCC wraps Obama in upside-down flag; A familiar look?  —  Maybe the DNCC has kept track of the polling this summer and figures the Democratic nominee is officially in distress.  That's the only explanation for a silly gaffe by the convention committee for the graphics …

Obama Sharpens the Message  —  Barack Obama seems to have gotten the message about his message.  In the past few days, amid growing concerns among Democratic allies, Obama has begun campaigning in a different gear, one that is more aggressive in attacking John McCain and more focused on the economic concerns of struggling Americans.

Hillary Clinton gives ‘Judas’ Richardson a hug or a shrug  —  It was, if memory and The Ticket's search function serves, back in March that big Bill Richardson, the goateed governor of New Mexico who'd built his impressive resume largely on important assignments for the Clintons …

Bob Woodward to reveal ‘The War Within’  —  Bob Woodward's new book is shrouded in such mystery that even the title was a secret until now.  —  Publishing sources say the book, completed just three weeks ago and out Sept. 8, is titled “The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008.”

Invesco's top seats go to big donors  —  SUITES, CLUB LEVEL SAVED FOR FUNDRAISERS, VIPs  —  Barack Obama's big-money donors are being offered premier seats to his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High, according to information obtained by The Denver Post.

The Education of McCain  —  On Tuesdays, Senate Republicans hold a weekly policy lunch.  The party leaders often hand out a Message of the Week that the senators are supposed to repeat at every opportunity.  Sometimes there will be a pollster offering data that supposedly demonstrates …

democrats want to lose  —  and therefore did not fully vet the candidate they shoved down everyone's throat.  I am the first blogger to blog about Obama's abortion vote and how it would become the october surprise...they have michelle obama on tape defending live birth abortion, and raising money for it too...

Taliban Forces Kill 10 French Soldiers and Raid U.S. Base  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents mounted their most serious attacks in six years of fighting, one a complex attack with multiple suicide bombers on an American military base on Monday night, and another by some 100 insurgents …

McCain, Seen 2-1 As Better Against Russia, Gains On Obama, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Men And White Voters Go Republican  —  American likely voters say 55 - 27 percent that Arizona Sen. John McCain is better qualified than Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to deal with Russia …

Bayh's Running-Mate Chances May Be Hurt by Wife's Board Seats  —  Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) — Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, on a short list of Democrat Barack Obama's possible running mates, may face questions about potential conflicts of interest from his wife's work on seven corporate boards that paid her more than $837,000 last year.

As U.S. Economic Problems Loom, House, Senate Sweat the Small Stuff  —  Members of Congress Love a Good Resolution; Watermelons and Undertakers Fit the Bill  —  WASHINGTON — The 110th Congress, whose term officially ends in January, hasn't passed any spending bills or attacked high gasoline prices.

The investigation of Dr. Shaikh  —  Whenever Dr. Irshad Shaikh traveled from Iraq to the United States, he found himself transformed.  —  When his plane took off from Baghdad, he was a highly valued expert who helped Coalition authorities identify land mines and other undetonated explosives.

Obama to pony up street money in November  —  REST ASSURED, Philadelphia.  Come Election Day, there will be street money.  —  According to U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, the local Democratic Party chairman, Sen. Barack Obama's general-election presidential campaign in Philadelphia will be run different …