Watch portions of Pelosi's interview with Wolf Blitzer.

(CNN) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called President Bush "a total failure" — among the California Democrat's harshest assessments to date of the Commander-In-Chief.

"God bless him, bless his heart, President of the United States — a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject," Pelosi told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an exclusive interview.

The comments came two days after the president sharply criticized Congress over what he described as relative inaction over the course of the legislative term. In a press conference at the White House Tuesday, Bush noted there was only 26 legislative days left in the fiscal year and said Congress would need to pass a spending bill every other day to "get their fundamental job done."

"This is not a record to be proud of and I think the American people deserve better," Bush said.

In the interview, Pelosi said the president was in no position to criticize Congress and brushed aside the criticisms as "something to talk about because he has no ideas."

"For him to be challenging Congress when we are trying to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again — at the end of the day, Congress will have passed its responsibility to pass legislation," she said.

But Pelosi's comments come as a new Gallup poll registers the lowest level of congressional approval among Americans in the polling organization's 30-year history of conducting that survey.

That poll showed its approval rating had reached an anemic level 14 percent — while more than 70 percent said they disapproved of the job Congress is doing.

The House Speaker said she doesn't consider those numbers a negative referendum on the Democrats in charge, saying she thinks they stem largely from Congress' failure to end the war in Iraq.

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Barack Obama said conservative media is responsible for negative attacks on his wife.

(CNN)—Barack Obama blamed the 'conservative press' Wednesday for negative attacks on his wife Michelle.

“What happened was that the conservative press—Fox News and the National Review and columnists of every ilk—went fairly deliberately at her in a pretty systematic way,” Obama told Glamour Magazine.

In the latest NYT/CBS Poll, released this week, Michelle Obama is viewed in a favorable light by 29 percent of those questioned and unfavorably by 16 percent. Cindy McCain, wife of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain is viewed favorably by 18 percent and unfavorably by 8 percent.

Watch: What kind of first lady would Michelle Obama be?

Both presumptive nominees have urged media outlets to avoid bringing their wives into the battle for the White House

“[Our wives] should be treated with respect and if there's any disrespectful conduct on the part of anyone, those people should be rejected,” McCain told CNN last month.

Obama emphasized the plea in the interview released Wednesday, saying his wife and Cindy McCain are not fair game because “essentially, spouses are civilians. If you start being subjected to rants..day in day out, that’ll drive up your negatives.”

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Barack Obama's campaign says it raised more than twice as much as John McCain last month.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Barack Obama's campaign raised $52 million last month, more than twice the amount of funds brought in by his rival, John McCain, according to campaign officials for the presumed Democratic presidential nominee.

Obama's campaign now has $72 million cash on hand, the term used to describe how much money they currently have to spend, campaign officials said Thursday.

The average donation to Obama in June was $68, the officials said, bringing the monthly total to more than twice the $22 million raised in May. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee reports it raised over $22 million in June — bringing the total cash-on-hand held by Obama and the DNC to $92 million.

At that time, the Illinois senator was still locked in a fierce primary battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Obama was spending more time campaigning for votes and delegates than simply fundraising.

With the conclusion of the primaries in early June and Clinton's suspension of her campaign just days later, Obama's campaign cash numbers had been expected to rise in June.

McCain's campaign raised $22 million in June, its best month yet. The campaign said that combined with the Republican National Committee, they have about $95 million cash on hand.

Earlier: McCain camp says GOP has $95 million

In a fundraising e-mail to supporters, Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe acknowledged the deficit, saying that “McCain and the RNC together still have a huge cash advantage, and we need your help to close the gap.”

Obama has opted out of using public financing for his campaign, but McCain is accepting federal funds. That means at the conclusion of the political conventions in September, McCain will get about $85 million in public funds to spend on his campaign until Election Day, November 4th.

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Watch Nunn and Bayh discuss the veepstakes.

(CNN) — Evan Bayh and Sam Nunn wanted to focus on Barack Obama's national security credentials Wednesday. The traveling press corps trailing the presumptive Democratic nominee’s campaign didn’t.

In a press conference following a campaign-sponsored roundtable discussion on emerging terrorist threats, Bayh and Nunn were bombarded by questions over reports both Democrats are on Obama's shortlist for vice president.

But Bayh, a senator from Indiana, and Nunn, a former senator from Georgia, revealed little about the Obama campaign's vetting process and their own ambitions for the job.

Veepstakes: Check out CNN's Political Market to see who's ahead

"I have never aspired to that office," said Nunn, who served in the Senate for 25 years. "It is always nice to have your name mentioned — it is an honor — but I have no expectation of being offered any office, and I am not in any way sitting on the edge of a chair ready to go back into government."

Nunn, one of the most respected Democratic voices on national security policy, seems to encounter vice presidential speculation every election cycle, given his appeal in the South and strength on issues where Republicans usually have the edge.

iReport.com: Share your picks for VP

Bayh, a former supporter of Hillary Clinton who also has red-state appeal, also brushed aside speculation he is being considered a spot on the ticket.

"I love serving the people of Indiana — and I think any questions about the vice presidential thing are understandable and it’s good for my ego, but I should probably let Senator Obama and his campaign address those kind of questions," he said.

One reporter asked the senator — whose father Birch Bayh ran for president in 1976 — if he was taking his name out of the VP running.

"I've got a plane to catch," he responded, chuckling.

McCain again referred to the nation of Czechoslovakia, which no longer exists.

(CNN) – For the second time in two days, John McCain has referred to current events in “Czechoslovakia” – a country that officially ceased to exist in January of 1993.

“And I regret some of the recent behavior Russia that has exhibited, and I’ll be glad to talk about that later on including reduction in oil supplies to Czechoslovakia after they agreed with us on a missile defense system, etcetera,” said the presumptive Republican nominee at a New Mexico town hall Tuesday.

More than fifteen years ago, Czechoslovakia officially split into two nations – the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

On Monday, the Arizona senator made virtually the same statement about recent Russian moves that troubled him, citing that country’s attempt to reduce “the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia.”

Later that evening, McCain’s campaign sent reporters a statement on the issue, which quoted the Arizona senator calling the nation “the Czech Republic” twice.

Watch part of Obama's interview with Larry King. Catch the full interview with Obama on CNN's Larry King Live tonight, 9 p.m. ET.

(CNN) — Barack Obama on Tuesday called the controversial New Yorker cover that unflatteringly depicts him and his wife an unsuccessful attempt at satire that will likely fuel misconceptions he has long battled over the course of his presidential campaign.

But in an exclusive interview with CNN's Larry King, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate downplayed the impact of the illustration — which depicts him in Muslim attire in the Oval Office, with wife Michelle carrying a machine gun.

iReport.com: Satire or slander? Share your thoughts

"It's a cartoon…and that's why we've got the First Amendment," Obama said. "And I think the American people are probably spending a little more time worrying about what's happening with the banking system and the housing market, and what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, than a cartoon. So I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it."

"I've seen and heard worse," he said. "I do think that, you know, in attempting to satirize something, they probably fueled some misconceptions about me instead. But, you know, that was their editorial judgment."

The cover, which also depicts a U.S. flag burning in the fireplace and a picture of Osama bin Laden on the wall, drew heavy criticism from both political parties after it first circulated the Internet over the weekend. Both presidential campaigns immediately condemned the magazine, calling the illustration "tasteless and offensive."

Earlier: New Yorker editor defends cover

David Remnick, the longtime editor of the highly-regarded publication, told CNN Monday that he believes the ironic intent of the illustration will be clear to most Americans.

Watch: Journalists debate the New Yorker Cover

In Obama’s wide ranging CNN interview Tuesday — the entirety of which is set to air tonight on Larry King Live at 9 p.m. ET — the Illinois senator seemed to give cautious approval of the government's response to the turmoil surrounding mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Full story

Romney has said he is interested in being McCain's VP.

(CNN) — Is Mitt Romney's VP stock rising?

John McCain's campaign has remained tight-lipped about its vice presidential vetting process, but the Arizona senator appeared to suggest Monday night his former rival would make a very effective running mate.

iReport.com: Share your picks for VP

"I'm appreciative every time I see Mitt on television on my behalf," McCain said at a fundraising event in New Mexico. "He does a better job for me than he did for himself, as a matter of fact."

Watch: Romney promotes McCain

There's no denying the former Massachusetts governor is angling for the No. 2 position on the Republican presidential ticket. He said back in March he would be "honored" to take the position and has been a constant fixture on cable news shows over the last several months — vigorously promoting the Arizona senator's candidacy while sharply criticizing that of Obama.

Related: Romney leads speculation in CNN's political market

Just last week the onetime Republican presidential hopeful said Obama "looks toward Europe for a lot of his inspiration” after the Illinois senator suggested Americans would benefit from knowing more languages.

“I think John McCain is going to make sure that America stays America,” Romney said in an interview on Fox News.

Romney has long been considered a leading VP contender, despite engaging in a bruising and at times nasty primary fight with McCain. The economy has solidly become the dominant issue this election cycle and Romney, who founded the investment firm Bain Capital, brings a sterling business resume — particularly to a candidate who has admitted he lacks knowledge about economic matters. Romney is also a native of Michigan, and could given McCain the edge in that crucial battleground state that the Democrats won in 2004.

Watch Obama calls Iraq war a distraction.

(CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday called the war in Iraq a "dangerous distraction," and said more emphasis must be placed on the battle in Afghanistan.

"As should have been apparent to President Bush and Sen. [John] McCain — the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was," Obama said in what his campaign called a major policy address on Iraq, Afghanistan and national security.

Watch: Obama: We will lead again

Obama said part of his new strategy will be "taking the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Full story

Bush discussed the country's economic woes Tuesday.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Under the backdrop of a deteriorating economic picture, President Bush said Tuesday he is taking action to help people with falling home values and high gas prices.

Watch: Bush says system 'basically sound'

Bush highlighted plans to stabilize the mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and lift the ban on offshore oil drilling as two steps his administration is taking to address some of the nation's economic ills.

Watch: Bush: A 'tough time'

'It's been a difficult time for American families," Bush said at a press conference. "We must ensure we can continue providing credit during this time of stress."

Full story

McCain criticized Obama's foreign policy Tuesday.

(CNN) — Shortly after Barack Obama laid out his foreign policy vision in Washington Tuesday, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain criticized his proposals as naïve and premature, attacking the Illinois senator’s opposition to the surge policy in Iraq and highlighting his own proposal for victory in Afghanistan.

“He is speaking today about his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan before he has even left, before he has talked to General Petraeus, before he has seen the progress in Iraq, and before he has set foot in Afghanistan for the first time,” McCain said at a campaign event in New Mexico. “In my experience, fact-finding missions usually work best the other way around: first you assess the facts on the ground, then you present a new strategy.”

Obama will travel to Iraq later this month as part of a congressional delegation that will include Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, both of whom have been mentioned as possible running mates for the presumptive Democratic nominee.

At his foreign policy speech this morning, Obama attacked McCain's position on the state of the conflict. “Senator McCain said — just months ago — that ‘Afghanistan is not in trouble because of our diversion to Iraq.’ I could not disagree more," he said. "Our troops and our NATO allies are performing heroically in Afghanistan, but I have argued for years that we lack the resources to finish the job because of our commitment to Iraq."

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Jack Reed says he doesn't want to be VP.

(CNN) — He's making a high-profile trip to Iraq later this month with Barack Obama, but Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed says he has no desire to be the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate's running mate.

Earlier: Fueling VP speculation, Obama heading to Iraq with Hagel, Reed

Reed, a graduate of West Point has been mentioned as a possible VP candidate given his foreign policy credentials and bipartisan respect on Capitol Hill, told the Associated Press Monday being Obama's running mate is a "position which I have no interest in."

Reed, a two-term senator who is currently in a relatively easy race for re-election, also said the Obama campaign has not asked him for any official documentation pertaining to its VP search process. It has been reported that the Illinois senator's campaign has officially approached at least two candidates so far — Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.

Election Center: Check out who's on the VP short lists

"There are people that are spending a lot of time, one, looking for candidates, and trying to promote themselves as candidates," Reed also said. "And I'm in neither category."

Reed is little-known beyond his home state, though proponents trump his working-class upbringing, heroic stint in Vietnam, and longtime tenure on the powerful Armed Services Committee as reasons why he could be a valuable asset on the Democratic presidential ticket. On the other hand the Rhode Island senator has a low-key speaking style, comes from a region that is already firmly Democratic, and likely wouldn't embrace the attack-dog role usually required of presidential running mates.

Still, Reed's name received new buzz late last week after it was reported he, along with Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, would accompany Obama on an upcoming trip to Iraq. Hagel, an opponent of the Iraq war who has become increasingly critical of his own party, has said he would be open to serving as Obama's VP.

John McLaughlin's comments have caused controversy.

(CNN) — Longtime Washington talk-show host John McLaughlin is facing fire Monday for referring to Barack Obama as an "Oreo" during a segment on his Sunday political program, "The McLaughlin Group.

The veteran Washington journalist was discussing the recent comments from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was caught last week by an open microphone on Fox News saying the Illinois senator is "talking down to black people" as he campaigns for the White House. Those remarks were largely seen in reference to Obama's recent admonishment at a Chicago church of some black men who he said were not living up to their responsibilities as parents.

Referencing Jackson's comments, McLaughlin said Obama "fits the stereotype blacks once labeled as an Oreo — a black on the outside, a white on the inside."

"Does it frost Jackson, Jesse Jackson, that…an Oreo should be the beneficiary of the long civil rights struggle which Jesse Jackson spent his lifetime fighting for?" McLaughlin asked his panelists.

The term "Oreo" is often viewed as a derogatory term toward some African-Americans who appear not to exhibit certain stereotypes of their race.

Watch: McLaughlin's comments cause uproar

Panelist Peter Beinart, a senior fellow on the Council of Foreign Relations, immediately called that depiction of Obama "completely unfair."

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Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe says McCain has the financial advantage.

(CNN) — Is Barack Obama the new campaign cash underdog?

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe seemed to say Monday that the Illinois senator — who has raised well over $275 million and smashed just about every political fundraising record over the course of his 18-month bid for the White House — might find himself at a disadvantage against a joint effort by the Republican National Committee and John McCain's presidential campaign that told reporters last week it had nearly $100 million cash-on-hand as of June 30.

In an e-mail to potential donors, Plouffe said the Arizona senator has benefited from a beefed up fundraising effort "by collecting huge checks from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs."

"[McCain's] financial position has improved in the last month. The RNC's cash on hand has risen. So now we face a position where McCain and the RNC have $96 million in the bank," Plouffe said in a Web video posted on the campaign's Web site.

Election Center: How the candidates matchup on fundraising

"They are using the RNC money, and they are using the McCain money they were able to raise while we were engaged in the primary to really spend a lot of money out there," he added.

"We have to make sure we are matching that. The only way we cand do that is for you all to continue to help us. We can't count on anybody else. We can't wait for a cavalry out there. The cavalry doesn't exist."

As of the end of May, Obama's campaign reported approximately $43 million cash on hand, of which roughly $10 million were general election funds. The campaign has yet to release its second quarter financial information.

The Democratic National Committee is expected to be of little help to the Obama campaign. On the heels of a strategy imposed by DNC chairman Howard Dean that seeks to beef up organization in all 50 states, the committee finds itself with virtually no money in the bank. As of the end of May, the DNC reported only $4 million cash on hand, $50 million less than the RNC had during the same time period.

The New Yorker magazine says its latest cover is just satire.

(CNN) – Barack Obama's campaign has sharply criticized The New Yorker magazine over the publication's latest cover illustration that appears to portray the Illinois senator and his wife, Michelle, as terrorist enemies of the United States.

Specifically, the cover, published Sunday, shows Obama in the Oval Office dressed in traditional Muslim attire and Michelle with an "Afro" hairstyle carrying a machine gun. An American flag can also be seen burning in the fire place and a picture of Osama bin Laden hangs on the wall.

Watch: Journalists debate the New Yorker Cover

"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

"But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

John McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said he agreed with Burton's sentiment.

iReport.com: Satire or slander? Share your thoughts

Obama himself refused to comment on the illustration Sunday.

Full story

Ventura may run for Senate.

(CNN) — Will he or won’t he?

Former Minnesota Governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is expected to announce Monday night on CNN’s Larry King Live whether he’ll run for his state’s U.S. Senate seat. Ventura’s deadline to file to run for the senate is Tuesday.

If Ventura jumps into the race and runs as an Independent, the battle for Republican incumbent Norm Coleman’s seat would become a three ring circus. Democrat Al Franken, a former comedian and liberal talk show host, has already filed.

Coleman was first elected in 2002 and is running for his second term. The Democrats are targeting Coleman and hope to win back the seat that was once held by Democrat Paul Wellstone, who was killed in a plane crash while running for re-election in 2002.

Ventura ran for governor of Minnesota as an Independent in 1998, winning a three way race. Coleman was the Republican candidate in that race, losing to Ventura by about 50,000 votes. After what many people in Minnesota describe as a difficult four years in office, Ventura decided not to run for re-election.

He has hinted lately that he might jump into the Senate race. If he does enter the campaign, the question is whether he can win, and if not, which other candidate does he harm more?

Other candidates over the years have made Larry King Live their program of choice when announcing a major run for office. Larry King Live runs at 9 p.m. ET.

Huckabee dropped out of the White House race in March.

(CNN) — Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said Saturday he's not formally being vetted for the No. 2 spot on John McCain's presidential ticket.

The former Arkansas governor, whose insurgent candidacy won the hearts of social conservatives and shook up the Republican presidential primary race, told Radio Iowa the McCain campaign has yet to ask him for any information pertaining to its VP vetting process.

"If you're asking me have I had an official contact from the McCain campaign, no I have not. In all candor, no," he told the radio station. "No one has said, 'Hey, I need your tax form.'

But Huckabee noted he's already been through a vetting process of sorts: "I mean I think if a person has been a candidate, they have already been scrutinized — most everything they want or need to know is in some public record somewhere."

Still, the Arkansas Republican, who now serves as a political commentator for Fox News, said he doesn't expect to be offered the job.

"I'm not sitting around waiting on the phone to ring and right now — it would really mess up a lot of things I have going," he said.

Huckabee's shoestring presidential campaign came to an end in early March, after the former governor won eight states — mostly in the South — and amassed 278 delegates. His resounding win in Iowa is largely credited with derailing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential hopes.

Earlier this week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty — widely believed to be on McCain's VP shortlist — also said he had yet to hand over any information to the Arizona senator's campaign.

Pawlenty, a potential VP choice, is the current chairman of the NGA.

(CNN) — As increasingly fevered vice presidential speculation swirls around the nation’s governors, many of the names topping most experts’ hypothetical shortlists are gathering in Philadelphia Saturday.

Potential Republican VPs attending the weekend’s National Governor’s Association meeting include Republicans Sarah Palin of Alaska and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana; Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia, Brian Schweitzer of Montana and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas are also on hand.

The man currently leading the NGA, Republican Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and his incoming successor, Democrat Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, are also in the spotlight as potential running mates. Both men have downplayed their interest in the job – though they haven’t ruled it out.

Rendell has said he would consider a cabinet post, but is planning to remain in office until his term ends. Pawlenty told reporters this week he has not yet been asked for documents by the John McCain’s vice presidential vetting team, though he made a television appearance from the presumptive Republican nominee’s national campaign headquarters earlier this week during a trip to Washington for a policy conference. Aides have yet to confirm whether or not he met personally with the Arizona senator during that visit.

Potential running mates skipping the NGA gathering include Florida’s Charlie Crist and New Mexico’s Bill Richardson. Later Saturday afternoon, another former governor turned national officeholder will address the group: former president Bill Clinton.

Members of the press corps are expressing admiration for late White House spokesman Tony Snow.

(CNN) — CNN journalists who worked — and sometimes clashed — with Tony Snow recalled his warm personality, strength of conviction and intellect Saturday.

The former White House spokesman died Saturday of cancer at age 53.

Watch: Tony Snow's last day at the White House

"You know, you might not agree with his politics, but the one thing that you can't argue with is that Tony Snow was really a tremendously decent human being," CNN "American Morning" host John Roberts said.

Full story

Obama is up over McCain in the latest CNN poll of polls.

(CNN) — As the dog days of summer set in and Americans take a break from the daily political band-and-forth, a new CNN analysis of several recent national opinion surveys show Barack Obama with a sizeable lead over John McCain.

In the latest CNN Poll of polls, the Illinois senator holds an 8-point lead among registered voters nationwide, 49 percent to 41 percent, with 10 percent still undecided.

The 8-point spread is up 2 points from a CNN poll of polls released one week ago. It is double the margin it was one month ago, days after the prolonged Democratic race ended.

Election Center: Check out CNN's electoral map

“Obama's lead has grown a bit over the course of the past month. It is still relatively slim, but it is certainly solid," CNN Senior Political Researcher Alan Silverleib said. "The burden is on McCain to find a way to shake things up as we enter the traditional summer doldrums.”

The poll of polls consists of three recent surveys from Gallup, CNN/Opinion Research Corp. and LA Times/Bloomberg. It does not carry a margin of error.

A former Clinton adviser says Obama is not formally vetting the New York senator.

(CNN) — Is the so-called Democratic 'dream ticket' off the table?

Despite speculation that Barack Obama's presidential campaign is seriously considering Hillary Clinton for the No. 2 spot on the Democratic presidential ticket, a former senior advisor to Clinton said Thursday he doesn't think the New York senator is being formally considered for the job.

Howard Wolfson, the former Clinton campaign communications director, told Fox News Thursday he isn't aware of any official effort on behalf of the Obama campaign that suggests the Illinois senator is considering his former rival for his running mate.

"Not as far as I know," Wolfson said when asked if Clinton had been "asked to participate in the vetting process for VP."

Veepstakes! Predict the running mates

But the longtime Clinton confidante quickly added there is more information available in the public record about the former presidential candidate "than just about any public figure in America."

"She's been vetted now for a long time — she's got thirty years of taxes in the public record and financial disclosure forms. She ran for president for 18 months and every news organization in America had multiple teams of reporters look at all aspects at her career and her biography," he said. "So there's a lot of information out about her that I know Senator Obama is privy too, that may be sufficient for him to make whatever decision he wants to make."

iReport.com: Whom do you see as VP?

The comments come amid reports the Obama campaign has asked other public officials to hand over information about themselves as part of a formal vice presidential vetting process, including former presidential candidate Chris Dodd.

The five-term Connecticut senator said Thursday that he has been asked to provide "a lot of stuff."

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