So Where's Murphy?  —  From the gun clubs of Northern Virginia to the sports bars of Capitol Hill — wherever D.C.-area Republicans gather — you hear the question:  —  “Where's Murphy?”  —  “Murphy” is Mike Murphy, the 46-year-old G.O.P. strategist who masterminded John McCain's 2000 primary race …

Zogby Poll: Building Mo-bama!  Democrat Leads McCain in Electoral College Tally, 273-158...  The Democrat also leads 44% to 38% in the nationwide horserace test as Libertarian Bob Barr wins 6%  —  UTICA, New York - As the race for President passes the Independence Day holiday and heads toward …

Conservatives Ready To Battle McCain on Convention Platform  —  Conservative activists are preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain in advance of September's Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research …

Obama Faces Resistance From Top Supporters of Clinton  —  Sen. Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, faces dissent from dozens of top fund-raisers and other supporters of former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, who are angry over how she was treated during their bruising primary battle …

The “C” in CNN stands for clueless  —  Take a look at the man on the left in this photo from CPAC 2007:  —  He is Col. George Everett “Bud” Day, the nation's most highly decorated soldier since General Douglas MacArthur.  It was a thrill to meet this genuine American hero in person.  —  Read:

Behind the Bush Bust  —  By huge margins, Americans think the economy is in lousy shape — and they blame President Bush.  This fact, more than anything else, makes it hard to see how the Democrats can lose this election.  —  But is the public right to be so disgusted with Mr. Bush's economic leadership?

Romney, McCain's ‘Logical’ Choice, Must Overcome Primary Animus  —  The prerequisites for John McCain's running mate are clear: a Washington outsider with solid economic credentials who isn't associated with President George W. Bush, can fill the vice-presidential attack-dog role …

Illegal immigrants face threat of no college  —  Some states are making it harder for illegal immigrants to attend college by denying in-state tuition benefits or banning undocumented students.  —  In the past two years, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Oklahoma have refused in-state tuition benefits …

An agenda for a ‘politics of aspiration’  —  The GOP might want to keep it handy after the coming debacle  —  Steven Greenhut  —  Syndicated columnist Bob Novak, writing about the surprising number of conservatives who are backing Democrat Barack Obama rather than Republican John McCain …

Sunday Talkers Not Kind  —  There was much discussion this Sunday over whether Barack Obama is shifting ground.  Over at This Week, Mark Halperin, Ted Koppel and host George Stephanopoulos were not shy about pointing out the divergence between the old and new Obama.

Short-Straw Economics  —  You're a professor of public policy at Berkeley and a former U.S. secretary of labor in the Clinton administration — what can you tell us about the gas-pump crisis as we set out on the road this July 4th weekend?  Now that gas is at $4 a gallon …

The Jesse Helms You Should Remember  —  With the passing of Sen. Jesse Helms, the media have demonstrated one final time that they never fully understood the power or impact of this great man.  Consider, for example, The Post's obituary of Helms; here are some things you would not learn about his life and legacy by reading it:

Radical Islam stirs in China's remote west  —  KASHGAR, China (Reuters) - In a backstreet of the old Silk Road city of Kashgar, the Chinese government has been spray-painting signs on dusty mud brick walls to warn against what it says is a new enemy — the Islamic Liberation Party.