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Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) launched a new website today counting down to October 1, when present prohibitions on offshore oil drilling will expire. The two have dubbed the day "American Energy Freedom Day."

In a video announcing the site, DeMint and Hensarling urge viewers to call their congressmen and state senators and tell them not to extend the drilling ban.

"Democrats will try to sneak a new extension to the ban into a must-pass spending bill before the end of September," DeMint says in the video. "Nancy Pelosi and Harry reid are so beholden to extreme environmentalists that they would rather force a government shutdown than help lower the cost of gas and home energy for struggling American families." Read more...

Introducing John McCain at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said that while McCain has always put his country first, Barack Obama has not.

According to reports, Lieberman said the choice between Obama and Arizona Republican "could not be more clear."

"Between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put the country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate who has not. Between one candidate who's a talker, and the other candidate who's the leader America needs as our next candidate."

Lieberman added that McCain has "been tested in war and tried in peace" while Obama "has not."

While she's not the only Republican to blast House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) "I'm trying to save the planet" comment on offshore oil drilling, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (Minn.) may be the only one to take a theological line of attack.

In an interview with American Family News Network's OneNewsNow, Bachmann suggested that Pelosi shouldn't pose herself as an earth-saver, as Jesus saved the earth 2,000 years ago.

"She is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet -- we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that," Bachmann told the network, criticizing Democrats' opposition to GOP drilling plans.

Pelosi was quoted in late July as saying, of her stance against more drilling, "I'm trying to save the planet...I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuse for their failed policy," an explanation that drew fire from conservative critics.

The Republican National Committee and Barack Obama's campaign sent out dueling memos Tuesday addressing whether Obama has a record of bipartisanship.

The missives came after former Republican Rep. Jim Leach (Iowa) endorsed Obama in a conference call.

RNC spokesman Alex Conant said that "Obama's claims to bipartisan appeal are as thin as his record."

"Republicans will vote for a commander in chief ready to lead Read more...

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, returning early from a vacation, said today that Russian and Georgian forces need to stop fighting, and that once that happens, there will be international efforts to facilitate a Russian withdrawal.

"It is very important now that all parties cease fire. The Georgians have agreed to a cease-fire. The Russians need to stop their military operations, as they have apparently said that they will, but those military operations really do now need to stop, because calm needs to be restored," Rice said. "There then will be international efforts to facilitate the withdrawal of forces from the zone of conflict. We can then look to the issue of how to resolve the longstanding frozen conflicts of South Ossetia and Abkhazia."

Rice also hinted at U.S. assistance in rebuilding areas torn by fighting. Read more...

When Barack Obama's campaign said it would announce his veep pick via text message directly to supporters, skeptics said that was a stunt to gather more e-mail addresses.

But campaign manager David Plouffe sent a letter to supporters today to say that Obama is really going text the news of the pick directly to his backers.

See Plouffe's message below.

People keep asking me if we're really going to announce Barack's VP directly to our supporters.

The answer is yes.

Let me be very clear. You are the ones who built this campaign, and Barack wants you to be the first to know who will join him in leading our movement for change.

C-SPAN will launch an online "convention hub" later this month for both parties' conventions, the network announced today, seeking to make them more accessible by aggregating blog coverage and availing users with viral footage.

The hub will offer embeddable convention footage, which users can post on their own sites; feature live Twitter feeds; offer linkable access to the network's complete video archive; and track credentialed bloggers' coverage of the Denver and Minneapolis extravaganzas.

C-SPAN's online hub will consist of two sites, which will launch on the network's politics page.

The network hopes the site will become a central resource for online discussion of the conventions, C-SPAN Co-President Susan Swain said in the network's release.

John McCain expressed solidarity with Georgians during a campaign stop in York, Pa., Tuesday.

McCain said at the event that he had spoken with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose country McCain has backed in its conflict with Russia, the Associated Press reported.

"I told him that I know I speak for every American when I say to him, today, we are all Georgians," McCain said.

Former Republican Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) said that his candidate for president, Democrat Barack Obama, should consider Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) for his running mate.

"Personally, I'm hopeful in the list of [people] the campaign to consider would be Chuck Hagel, whether for the veep position or a serious cabinet position," said Leach in an Obama campaign conference call Tuesday. "I think he would be type of Republican who could represent well this country."

Later in the call, in which he announced his backing for Obama, Leach reiterated his support for Hagel.

"I just hope he's considered for veep," Leach said. "I think he'll be a wonderful balance to the ticket. But there are others who would be wonderful as well."

Barack Obama pressured Russia to sign a cease fire with Georgia Tuesday, calling on Russian leaders to remove ground forces from the country.

"It is past time for the Russian government to immediately sign and implement a cease fire," Obama said. "Russia must halt its violation of Georgian airspace and withdraw its ground forces from Georgia, with international monitors to verify that these obligations are met."

"Now is the time for action