News you need

McCain watch:

• McCain thinks Palin knows more about energy than "anyone else in America." Whoa! Maybe she should check out this post from Ezra Klein:

  

  (Video link)

• Ezra also links to a story about McCain's healthcare plan. Apparently he wants to eliminate the tax break for companies that pay for their employees' healthcare... talk about an annual $360 billion tax hike!
• McCain celebrated his 70th birthday with celebrities and a soon-to-be convicted con man. Hmm.

• Jake Tapper at ABC News suggests an attack Obama could make against McCain if he wanted to stoop to McCain's level.

Palin watch:

• While mayor of Wasilla, she made women who were raped pay for their own rape kits! The Alaska legislature eventually passed a law forcing cities to pay for these kits. How many cities were affected? One... Wasilla. All the others already had the decency to do this on their own.
• Under investigation? How about trying to squash the investigation! Let's see if it works for Sarah.

Finally, a few words on the Iraq war from General Petraeus:

He said he did not know that he would ever use the word "victory": "This is not the sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade... it's not war with a simple slogan."