Obama alienates the editors  —  For most voters, Barack Obama's shift away from public financing is not as big a deal as the mounting death toll in Iraq, surging gas prices — or even what they're going to make for dinner tonight.  —  But Obama's announcement Thursday that he would become …

Obama says Republicans will use race to stoke fear  —  JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama said on Friday he expects Republicans to highlight the fact that he is black as part of an effort to make voters afraid of him.

When Speech Isn't Free  —  The propriety of David Broder and Bob Woodward taking fees or having expenses paid for speeches to special-interest groups was raised recently by Ken Silverstein, Washington editor of Harper's magazine, in his Washington Babylon blog.

Report: Scalia's Claim That Released Gitmo Prisoners Have Killed Americans Is An ‘Urban Legend’  —  A new report from the Seton Hall University School of Law explodes the myth that some 30 detainees released from Guantanamo Bay prison have “returned to the battlefield” against American forces.

ElBaradei: I'll resign if Iran attacked  —  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamad ElBaradei, will quit his position in the event of a military strike on Iran, according to a Reuters report Friday.  —  The report quoted him as warning that any military offensive …

Obama's War Chest Drives a 50-State Strategy  —  Senator Barack Obama is drawing up plans for extensive advertising and voter-turnout drives across the nation, hoping to capitalize on his expected fund-raising advantage over Senator John McCain to force Republicans to compete in states they have not had to defend in decades.

Gallup Daily: Obama 46%, McCain 44%  —  Race about tied for second straight day  —  PRINCETON, NJ — At the start of the long summer in which John McCain and Barack Obama will hone their messages and strive to fill their campaign coffers before the crucial fall campaign season …

Obama's support for the FISA “compromise”  —  (updated below)  —  In the past 24 hours, specifically beginning with the moment Barack Obama announced that he now supports the Cheney/Rockefeller/Hoyer House bill, there have magically arisen — in places where one would never have expected to find them …

Travelers Shift to Rail as Cost of Fuel Rises  —  WASHINGTON — Record prices for gasoline and jet fuel should be good news for Amtrak, as travelers look for alternatives to cut the cost of driving and flying.  —  And they are good news, up to a point.  —  Amtrak set records in May …

Barack Obama gets his own nifty Great Seal; all he needs now is votes  —  Just before the president of the United States makes an appearance at a speech, a usually tall, muscular person with a machine gun hanging under his suit coat quietly walks on stage and hangs the presidential seal on the podium front.

How to Complicate Habeas Corpus  —  LAST week's Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v. Bush settled a key constitutional issue: all prisoners detained at Guantánamo Bay are constitutionally entitled to bring habeas corpus in federal court to challenge the legality of their detention.

Take Denver off the hook, Sen. Obama  —  Make the calls to your donors, Sen. Obama.  Send the e-mails.  Denver should no longer be on the hook for Democratic National Convention expenses.  A few exhortations to your supporters could quickly retire the city's remaining obligations.

Obama Thinks He's Already President  —  Barack Obama's new campaign logo expresses his ideals of hope and change with subtle symbolism and humility.  —  Kidding!  —  Actually, it's an obvious knock-off of the Presidential Seal, and it might be illegal.  —  I'm no Latin expert …