Top Items:

Kaine ‘very, very high’ on VP shortlist — As Senator Barack Obama turns to the choice of his running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has emerged as one of the campaign's potential finalists, sources familiar with conversations in Richmond and in Chicago said.
Discussion:
MSNBC, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, Taegan Goddard's …, FiveThirtyEight.com, Brendan Nyhan and TIME.com
RELATED:

Kaine in ‘Serious’ Talks With Obama — Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has told close associates that he has had “very serious” conversations with Sen. Barack Obama about joining the Democratic presidential ticket and has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background, according to several sources close to Kaine.


Obama-Clinton Ticket Is Seen as Unlikely — WASHINGTON — When Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton abandoned her bid for the presidency and endorsed Senator Barack Obama in June, she made clear that she was interested in becoming his running mate, and Mr. Obama and his associates signaled respectfully that she would get full consideration.
Discussion:
The New Republic


The Streisand interview — “She sometimes answers questions by e-mail …


Gains for McCain in latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll — Republican presidential candidate John McCain moved from being behind by 6 points among “likely” voters a month ago to a 4-point lead over Democrat Barack Obama among that group in the latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.
RELATED:

Where's the Bounce? — WASHINGTON — It is a question that has hovered over Senator Barack Obama even as he has passed milestone after milestone in his race for the White House: Why is he not doing better? — It shadowed him as he struggled against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton …


Gallup Daily: Obama 48%, McCain 40% — No further gains for Obama in latest update — PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama's lead over John McCain has settled back slightly to a 48% to 40% margin among registered voters in Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted July 25-27.


Gallup/USA Today Poll: McCain +4
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, Commentary, Pajamas Media, TalkLeft and Weekly Standard Blog

Berlin Bounce? — The polling question of the morning seems …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post


Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, Sean Hannity on accused shooter's reading list — 4-page letter outlines frustration, hatred of ‘liberal movement’ — Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
Discussion:
Orcinus, Alas, a blog, Associated Press, The Raw Story, The Political Carnival, skippy the bush kangaroo, TBogg, Night Light, Street Prophets, Jesus' General, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Hullabaloo, protein wisdom, Shakesville, Political Machine, The Mahatma X Files, News Hounds, INSTAPUTZ, alicublog, Sister Toldjah, Daimnation!, Left in the West, No More Mister Nice Blog and Agence France Presse
RELATED:

Monster: Who Really Killed the Knoxville Unitarians? — I'd say that Unitarians were God's thoughtful people, but they make no particular claims about God. In some parts of the country that takes real courage. — My first wife and I joined a Unitarian church in suburban DC and raised our kids there.


Paper, rapped for outing Obama note, claims campaign pre-approved leak — What initially seemed to be a journalistic scoop of dubious moral propriety now seems to be a case of an Israeli paper being played by the Barack Obama campaign. Maariv, the second most popular newspaper in Israel …
RELATED:

Is Anything Sacred? — Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv was lambasted for printing the note that Obama placed in the Western Wall, allegedly stolen by a Yeshiva student. “Notes which are placed in the Western Wall are between the person and his Maker; Heaven forbid that one should read them or use them in any way …
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, Jerusalem Post, Political Machine, www.redstate.com, American Spectator and Gateway Pundit


Attorney: Probe Israeli paper for printing Obama note — Attorney Shahar Alon petitioned Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz on Sunday to order police to open a criminal investigation against the editor of Ma'ariv and other correspondents from the newspaper following its publication …

Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak says he has brain tumor — Biopsy set for later today — Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak said today he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor but says that, “God willing,” he plans to be back at work soon. — Novak said he was diagnosed Sunday …
RELATED:


Internal Justice Dept. Report Cites Illegal Hiring Practices — For nearly two years, a young political aide sought to cultivate a “farm system” for Republicans at the Justice Department, hiring scores of prosecutors and immigration judges who espoused conservative priorities and Christian lifestyle choices.
RELATED:

Transcript: ‘Response ... will be a positive one’ — Ahmadinejad welcomes ‘new behavior’ from United States, if sincere … WILLIAMS: Mr. President, I know you wanted to begin with a statement. — AHMADINEJAD: In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful, a prayer for the emergence of the 12th imam.

How Important Was the Surge? — Ten Iraq experts weigh in on the effectiveness of the surge. — The past few weeks have been momentous for the national conversation about Iraq. Nouri al-Maliki's explicitly stated insistence on a timetable for American withdrawal was transformative.

U.S. Deficit to Reach Record $490 Billion in 2009 — The U.S. budget deficit will widen to a record of about $490 billion next year, an administration official said, leaving a deep budget hole that will constrain the next president's tax and spending plans.
RELATED:


Bush Praises Pakistan Just Hours After U.S. Strike — WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday praised Pakistan's commitment to fighting extremists along its deteriorating border with Afghanistan, only hours after an American missile strike destroyed what American and Pakistani officials described …
Discussion:
Truthdig
RELATED:

John McCain: ‘Days of the sound-bite’ — John McCain, quoted as saying last week that Barack Obama's 16-month timeframe for withdrawal from Iraq is “a pretty good timetable,” suggested tonight that the rest of his comment has been overlooked - that any timetable must be “based on conditions.”
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket
RELATED:

Pawlenty to campaign in Iowa Saturday — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, considered a potential running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, plans to campaign in Iowa on Saturday. — Pawlenty is scheduled to be the featured guest in Ames, as the Republican Party of Iowa holds …
Discussion:
The Campaign Spot
RELATED:

McCain has spot removed, awaits biopsy — Sen. John McCain, who survived melanoma three times after suffering sun damage from his years as a Vietnam POW, said he had a spot of skin removed from his right cheek today. Doctors will perform a biopsy of the spot, AP reports.