By visiting Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama is trying to narrow McCain's advantage on handling national security issues. The economy, however, is where Obama can build an edge of his own.    Read More

Republicans have comforted themselves with the knowledge that the Republican National Committee retained the fund-raising clout to counter Obama's cash machine. Is that changing now that Obama has emerged as the Democratic candidate? It might be.   Read More

At age 82, Mr. Peterson yearns for the can-do spirit that helped politicians forged by the Depression era finance the GI bill, the interstate highway system, and the Marshall plan from the ashes of World War II.    Read More

Gramm is co-chair of McCain's campaign, once considered a candidate for Treasury Secretary. His statement that Americans are "whiners" suffering only a "mental recession" was the last thing John McCain needs as he tries to gain the upper hand on the economy.   Read More

Democratic candidates already have plenty going for them this year. Anxiety about the Iraq war is down, but anxiety about the economy is way up. President Bush’s job approval rating is roughly 10 percentage points lower than two years ago before Democrats won the mid term elections.    Read More

There's only one truly reliable source for Barack Obama's thinking for vice president. That's Barack Obama, and he's not talking about it anywhere near me. But I attended a gathering of prominent Democrats and journalists that gives some insight into how political Washington expects him to think.    Read More

The votes come from the images, and to a lesser extent the knowledge, candidates get from consultations with foreign leaders and speeches on the international stage. They represent the reward voters confer for stature and experience that reassures them their would-be president can handle international crises and keep them safe.    Read More

Part of coming together involves money, specifically Clinton helping Obama raise money for the general election and Obama helping Clinton retire her primary debt. Both will cooperate, even if grudgingly.    Read More

2008 may prove better than most political years for surviving charges of flip-flopping. And Barack Obama and John McCain have both set out to test their luck.   Read More

Barack Obama faced a difficult choice for the fall campaign. He could follow through on his commitment to strike a deal with John McCain on remaining within the public financing system for the general election, or he could opt out of the system and cash in on the huge financial advantage he has displayed over John McCain.    Read More