Fellow POW: I Remember McCain Telling the “Cross in the Dirt” Story  —  You've probably seen that there are some out there in the blogosphere questioning the authenticity of John McCain's “cross in the dirt” story, which McCain told Saturday night at the Saddleback Summit.

Mark Salter: McCain Told Me the “Cross in the Dirt” Story  —  I just got off the phone with Mark Salter, John McCain's closest aide whom some in the blogosphere are suggesting made up, or embellished, or did something to create the “cross in the dirt” story.  Salter told me that he absolutely did not do that.

The Cross In The Dirt, Ctd  —  Many readers have noted that versions of this story - attributed to Solzhenitsyn by Chuck Colson - have been a staple of evangelical sermons for a very long time.  They aren't always attributed to Solzhenitsyn, but this sermon, preached by Father Luke Veronis, is a classic of the genre.

Increasingly Bizarre- Michael Goldfarb's +7 Rapier of Jackassery  —  I really don't care to spend the next few weeks arguing whether or not McCain is lying about his Christ/Cross/guard moment and will let others chase after things that can not be proven one way or another …

Obama Appears Ready to Announce His Running Mate  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama has all but finalized his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate roll-out plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday …

Exclusive: McCain to name VP on Aug. 29  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) plans to celebrate his 72nd birthday on Aug. 29 by naming his running mate at a huge rally in the battleground state of Ohio, Republican sources said.  —  That's a week from this Friday, and the day after Sen. Barack Obama …

Worlds Apart  —  When I was little, I had a recurrent dream that there was a terrible earthquake.  My father, his body a horse with wings, swooped down from the sky, kneeled so I could jump on his back and flew away just as the earth cracked open beneath me.  It was my most comforting dream.