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Associated Press

John and Cindy McCain in Colombia

Republicans Find Finance Loophole

McCain's allies have found new loopholes in the campaign finance law he helped write -- and they're using them to reel in huge contributions. The controversial innovations illustrate the acute pressure Republicans feel to close the money gap with Obama.

• Chartbook: How McCain Gets Help From Friends

McCain Wraps Up Latin America Tour

Immigration and trade were high on McCain's agenda as he wrapped up a three-day Latin American visit, meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon to ask for help in addressing illegal immigration -- a key issue for Hispanic and many conservative voters.

• Could McCain leave his VP choice to the convention? Rhodes Cook looks at the 1956 precedent.
• Political Wisdom: Politics as Usual, Back Again?

Why We Went to Iraq

The Bush administration carefully weighed the alternatives to force, Douglas J. Feith writes.

Advertising Battle 2008

See a video gallery of the television ads run by McCain, Obama and outside groups, along with commentary and transcripts.

Campaign 2008

Obama Defends Comments on War

Obama defended his position on the Iraq War after saying he may "refine" his position to withdraw combat troops within his first 16 months in office if military officials said such a timeline is unsafe.

White House Plans Smooth Transfer

Associated Press

Gates

The White House is working with Obama and McCain to prevent the transfer of power in January from disrupting national security. Defense Secretary Gates has asked senior Pentagon officials to be prepared to stay in their jobs for the first few months of 2009.

Mountain States Seen as Linchpins

Obama and McCain are courting Mountain States whose electoral votes are few but could make the difference in a tight race.

Big-Spending Groups Enter Campaign Fray

Interest groups are ramping up efforts to sway the November elections, reflecting their increasing clout in national politics.

Obama Touts Volunteerism

Obama is talking up the importance of volunteerism, borrowing themes from Bush. The Democratic candidate also is proposing expansion of several government national service programs.

McCain Shakes Up Campaign Staff

McCain shook up his campaign staff amid criticism his operation is disorganized and message is fractured. Steve Schmidt has been placed in charge of daily operations, while campaign manager Rick David will shift his focus to other tasks.

McCain Pushes for Free Trade

Sen. John McCain said he is concerned about human-rights abuses in Colombia but in a visit to this Latin American ally, he praised progress made so far and pushed for ratification of a pending free-trade agreement back home.

McCain Challenged On Immigration

Associated Press

Sen. McCain has tilted his position on immigration to the right, but he continues to be greeted by supporters who want him to take an even tougher line. At a town-hall meeting, he gave his standard reply that comprehensive reform can't happen until the borders are secure.

How Bush Complicates McCain's Fight

Bush's record unpopularity is playing an unprecedented role in the 2008 campaign, complicating McCain's task among key constituencies. Bush's disapproval rating is particularly striking among a number of key voter blocs -- older voters, women and independents -- for McCain, according to a poll.

Obama Courts Religious With Faith-Based Plan

Obama wants to expand Bush's faith-based initiatives in his latest effort to draw on those who usually vote Republican. The move risks angering some Democrats, but could exploit McCain's weakness among moderate evangelicals. (Prepared remarks)

• Video: Obama on Faith

McCain's Trade Focus May Pay Off

McCain is seeking to burnish his free-trade credentials as Democrats use Nafta and China's trade surplus as symbols of the declining competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.

Backers Fault Obama on His Web Site

The unprecedented online network that has driven Obama's fund-raising may be a double-edged presence in the campaign. His support for a domestic-spying bill has spawned a challenge from his liberal base -- on his own campaign Web site.

Obama Defends His Patriotism in Speech

Obama defended his patriotism in a speech that opened a week of nationalist-themed events in battleground states. His campaign is fighting the perception that the Illinois senator is less patriotic than McCain, a military veteran.

Obama Seeks to Add Black Voters

The Obama campaign believes a surge in black voters will put in play long-solid Republican regions, lifting Democratic candidates for all offices. This focus on new voters is unusual for a presidential campaign, which usually concentrates on firing up the base or wooing independents.

• Map: Obama's Push for Black Voters

Interactive Graphics

The Battle Begins: Obama vs. McCain features sharp divides on policy. See charts and video on the battlefronts.

Lessons Learned: During the primary, Obama often said he was lucky to have a tough opponent. Review some of the lessons Clinton pounded home for him.

The McCain Five: A group of senior advisers have stayed close by McCain's side during his 2008 campaign.

Obama's 'To-Get' List: Key Clinton donors and advisers who might become important allies for the Obama campaign.

WSJ/NBC Political Polls

View Bush approval trends from the WSJ/NBC News poll since 2001 and see the WSJ/NBC archive (PDFs) of each poll back to December 1995.

See a chart compiling Bush's approval ratings in multiple polls over the course of his administration.

See an extensive roundup of state and national presidential polls at Real Clear Politics.

Politics & Policy

Bush to Attend Opening of Olympics

Bush plans to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing even as some world leaders have said they may boycott the Aug. 8 opening event to protest the most recent Chinese security crackdown in Tibetan areas of China.

• WashWire: Bush's Olympic Plans

Paulson, Darling Warn on Economy

Paulson ended a four-day European trip, joining with U.K. Finance Minister Alistair Darling to warn that the near-term economic outlook remains difficult and the global inflation threat is serious.

Bush Assists on New Walter Reed

Bush helped break ground for a new military medical center to replace Walter Reed hospital, whose reputation was soiled by allegations of shoddy care for war veterans.

New Economic Aid Is Advocated

Some economists and lawmakers are advocating some sort of additional stimulus to prop up the economy.

• Vote: Has the U.S. done enough to stimulate the economy?

Bush Talks Afghanistan, Iran

Bush said it has been a "tough month" for U.S. and NATO forces serving in Afghanistan, where more troops died than in Iraq in the past two months. He also sought to tamp down speculation that Israel will launch a strike against Iran. The president spoke ahead of a trip to the G8 economic summit.

• Video: Bush's G8 Summit Agenda

FAA Chided for Not Adopting Changes

The FAA is refusing to implement some measures designed to prevent serious lapses in airline oversight, according to the Department of Transportation's inspector general.

Professor Defends Research on FDA

A Harvard University professor defended research suggesting the FDA was making overly hasty approval decisions on medicines, an analysis the agency has criticized as mistaken.

U.S. Seeks Global Plan on Airline Emissions

The U.S. wants to negotiate a global solution to monitor airline emissions, and said a move by the EU is inconsistent with international accords.

China Releases U.S. Prisoner

China granted parole to Jude Shao, a U.S. citizen arrested 10 years ago in Shanghai on tax evasion charges. He had become among the U.S.'s highest priority human-rights causes.

Delays Hurt U.S.-Russia Nuclear Pact

A U.S. nuclear pact with Russia is being threatened by delays in Congress, the latest in a series of missteps in Bush's counterproliferation strategy.

New Orleans, FEMA Wrangle Over Bills

New Orleans officials are negotiating with FEMA in effort to secure funding for hundreds of projects, but a point of debate is just how much of the city's crumbling infrastructure can be blamed on Katrina.

Lobbyists Push to Sway Fuel Rules

Interest groups are bombarding federal regulators to tailor new vehicle fuel-economy rules to their liking, as the pressures posed by soaring oil prices and the ailing automobile industry complicate energy policy.

Blackwater Plan Roils Capitol Hill

Blackwater Worldwide's bid to expand its military-training business in the San Diego area has already sparked controversy in California and is now posing problems in Washington.

TAX REPORT By TOM HERMAN
How to Cheat the Estate Tax

Congress and the next president are expected to reach a compromise on future estate tax rules. Here's a look at what tax plans could lie ahead and how families would be affected by them.

Court Scraps Key Lead-Paint Verdict

Rhode Island's top court overturned a 2006 verdict that found three former lead-paint manufacturers liable for creating a public nuisance.

Interactive Graphics

Refugees in America: The U.S. resettles more refugees than any other nation. See a state-by-state break down of refugees' arrivals in recent years.

America's Middle Class: See personal stories and charts of how middle-class incomes have been stagnant for several years, even as the well-heeled keep doing better.

Funding the Farmers: See who benefits from a farm bill being that could add as much as $10 in spending.

Shifting Gears: Across the U.S., medical facilities are replacing factories and mines as the main local economic engine.

Water Grabs: See maps showing the increasing droughts, dwindling precipitation and exploding populations in the Western U.S.

Gray Markets: The sharp downturn in the stock and housing markets has left many Americans who had hope to retire this year still punching the clock.

Fatal Shift: Graphics and maps showing a recent spike in African-American murders.

Formula for a Bust: A White House push for higher levels of home ownership and oversight failures have spawned the current housing crisis.

Washington Wire

Washington Wire The Journal's Washington bureau updates the Wire each weekday with news and analysis from inside and outside the Beltway.