Obama camp: McCain would be committing “political malpractice” with veep leak tonight  —  Annoyed by all the mind-games and leaks meant to divert attention from their candidate's long-anticipated acceptance speech tonight, Barack Obama's campaign is hitting back this afternoon and accusing their counterparts of playing poltiical games.

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Olbermann Finally Cracks; “Personal Demons” on Full Display in Latest Kos Post  —  Looks like Keith picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.  —  As the Democratic National Convention approached Keith Olbermann must have been feeling pretty good about himself.

Retribution sought for Lieberman  —  DENVER — Connecticut delegates are demanding that party leaders punish Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-Independent, because of his support of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the Republican nominee.  —  For many of them, Lieberman's plan to speak …

Cindy McCain's Half Sister: “I'm Voting for Barack Obama”  —  Cindy McCain's half sister is planning on voting for Barack Obama, she tells Usmagazine.com.  —  “I'm not voting for McCain,” Kathleen Hensley Portalski tells Us.  “I have a different political standpoint.

McCain Campaign Disavows Health Adviser (Updated)  —  The saga of John McCain and his official views on health care just keeps getting more interesting.  —  As you may recall, the Dallas Morning News recently quoted John Goodman suggesting that the problems of the uninsured were wildly exaggerated …

Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war  —  SOCHI, Russia (CNN) — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates.  —  In an exclusive interview with CNN's Matthew Chance …

Some Clinton Donors Are Contributing to McCain  —  Dozens of Prominent Fundraisers Have Donated over $200,000 in Last Few Months  —  Some of Hillary Clinton's most fervent supporters are taking their enthusiasm - and their campaign contributions - to John McCain.