McCain ad to rebut Obama's DNC speech  —  Tonight, John McCain will talk directly to his opponent in a television ad his campaign is airing in battleground states, around the time Barack Obama accepts the presidential nomination, McCain's campaign said.  —  Aides would give few details beyond …

McCain's Prickly TIME Interview  —  For years, John McCain's marathon bull sessions with reporters were more than a means of delivering a message; they were the message.  McCain proudly, flagrantly refused direction from handlers, rarely dodged tough questions and considered those who did wimps and frauds.

TEMPLE OF DEM ON MT. O-LYMPUS  —  GOP MOCKS GRAND STAGE FOR BAM AS GREEK HUBRIS  —  DENVER - Democrats will kneel before the “Temple of Obama” tonight.  —  As if a Rocky Mountain coronation were not lofty enough, Barack Obama will aim for Mount Olympus when he accepts his party's nomination atop …

Gallup Daily: Obama Moves Ahead, 48% to 42%  —  Democratic candidate gains in Monday through Wednesday interviewing  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Democratic candidate Barack Obama has gained ground in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking average from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday …

Fox: Bush might not speak at RNC on Monday because of Gustav.  —  President Bush is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday, but with Tropical Storm Gustav expected to hit Gulf coast, the White House is beginning to hint that President Bush might not speak that day.

The Optimism of Fools  —  Following my sour take on the forthcoming election, and my follow-up posting that practically all my emailers agree with me, a dissenting reader chid me thus, under the subject line “Why you aren't getting disagreeable emails”: … This gladdens my heart, because it tells me I am doing my job.

OBAMA CAMPAIGN DENOUNCES KURTZ TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT THAN AYERS.— As some of you may remember, I previously explained why I didn't put too much stock in the stories about Barack Obama's ties to Bill Ayers, a position for which I received some positive comments at Huffington Post and elsewhere.

A SCRAPPY KID FROM SCRANTON.... The political world has certain expectations about the kind of speech a vice presidential nominee is going to deliver at his or her convention.  It's going to be polished, there will be a few clever turns of phrase, and there may be some call-and-response thrown in for good measure.

McCain rally tickets still available  —  DAYTON — Tickets are still available for Sen. John McCain's Friday, Aug. 29, rally at Wright State University's Nutter Center in Fairborn.  —  McCain and his wife Cindy will appear at the event, dubbed the “Road to the Convention Rally.”

Texas still leads nation in rate of uninsured residents  —  jroberson@dallasnews.com  —  Texas once again led the nation with the highest percentage of residents without health insurance, a U.S. Census Bureau report showed Tuesday, although the same study also reports a slight dip last year …

Biden's Exaggerations  —  Inflating Obama's record will not resolve doubts.  —  THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION exposed the central defect of Senator Barack Obama's candidacy: the absence of compelling evidence he is up to the job of president.  The exposé comes courtesy …

Video: A new McCain spokesman for Obama's unreadiness  —  John McCain went to the vault from the Democratic primaries and found a treasure trove of comments from Democrats on the unreadiness of Barack Obama to lead the nation.  It includes the comments we've seen before from Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden …

Avoiding A Long, Disappointing Fall  —  A thorough diagnosis of what's been ailing the Obama campaign.  And suggestions for a cure.  —  I.  —  RELATED CONTENT  —  Judis (4/23/08): The Next McGovern?  —  Judis (5/7/08): It's All Over Now, Baby Blue  —  The Barack Obama campaign has been floundering.

The Master Has Arrived  —  In the time-honored tradition of the notebook dump, some thoughts and observations on the Democratic convention so far:  —  As for Bill Clinton's speech, halfway through I thought: The Master has arrived.  Crazy Bill, the red-faced Rageaholic, was somewhere else.