Schmidt takes control of day-to-day operation  —  Steve Schmidt is taking over the day-to-day operation of John McCain's campaign, according to multiple campaign sources.  —  At a staff meeting in the campaign's Arlington, Va., headquarters this morning, campaign manager Rick Davis made the announcement about Schmidt's new role.

Bullets Can't Stop Beutler From Cracking Wise  —  Funny thing about being a journalist: your job is to write about people and mayhem and trauma, but let any of those touch you directly, and it becomes a different game.  With that caveat, allow me to recount my brief visit today with my colleague …

McCain Travels South, Searching for Message  —  Why is John McCain in Colombia?  —  Is his commitment to free trade so deep that he needed not one foreign trip (to Canada last month) but two foreign trips to make that clear to people?  Is the issue of free trade so central to the outcome …

McCain Dogged by Economy Comment  —  GOP Candidate Heads South to Colombia and Mexico  —  Sen. John McCain's comment from last year that he doesn't understand economics “as well as he should” has dogged him all the way to South America today during a foreign trip meant to burnish his standing …

Fox News Airs Revised Photos of ‘NYT’ Staffers — Sifton Calls It ‘Disgusting’  —  NEW YORK The Fox News channel has gaiend wide attention today in the blogosphere for airing photos of two New York Times staff that appear to have been doctored to portray the Timesmen in an unflattering light.