Good Thursday morning. If you're looking to make a trade, may we suggest you do so before today's 4 p.m. Eastern Time MLB deadline? Clearing anything through waivers is tough. Then again, when your team is 27 games back, it's always stressful to watch the vultures circle. Here's what Washington, a mere 20 games out of first, is watching today:

-- The Senate failed to pass a journalist shield yesterday as Republicans continue to block measures brought up before new energy exploration and production measures are considered. Today, Democrats will bring up the Defense Authorization bill, testing Republicans and trying once again to muster the sixty votes necessary to cut off debate. Roll call votes on two conference reports are also expected. The House takes up higher education overhaul. The big item on President Bush's agenda is a trip to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where he will address the West Virginia Coal Association.

-- Forget vice presidential selections, everyone was distracted yesterday by the flying fur coming out of an all-out brawl between the two candidates. Barack Obama, John McCain's new advertisement says, is the "biggest celebrity," but that doesn't make him ready to lead. Meanwhile, McCain, per Obama's response ad, is engaged in the same "old politics." For two candidates who claimed, and are assumed to be, post-partisan, the presidential race has gotten ugly in a hurry.

-- Voters will tell pollsters they don't like negative advertisements, and the media takes the chance to be holier than the candidates (Not hard by the end of a good race). But if negative advertisements didn't work, political pros would know that, and would avoid them. The dirty little secret is that negative advertisements work, and they work well. Candidates have to avoid being labeled as whiny, avoid being caught in a lie or misstatement within those negative ads and avoid a tone that's overly harsh. Complaining about your opponent's negative ad is completely acceptable, even as you rush an even harsher response into production.

-- Remember those stories of disgruntled Hillary Clinton backers who were sure to vote McCain rather than support the guy who beat Clinton in the primaries? Well it may be those Republicans who just might not like John McCain who have a bigger impact this year. Obama has opportunities among Republican voters, the New York Times' Patrick Healy writes. It's not that any more Republicans are flocking to Obama just yet, but a significant number remain undecided on their own party's candidate. If more Republicans than normal do cast ballots for Obama, though, one can blame President Bush. Why? Just see Obama's response ad, above, which shows Bush and McCain together and ties them as the "same."

-- McCain has had his moments on the trail, but frequently he'll step on them with an inartful aside to a reporter just hours later, the Post's Eilperin and Barnes write today. That's one big difference between the two candidates: Obama's discipline of message and McCain's lack thereof. The media loved McCain for opening his arms to reporters as often as possible. But as McCain goofs (Obama's Iraq plan a "pretty good timetable" being the latest), his proximity to the media starts to hurt more than it helps.

-- Meanwhile, Republicans are looking for new ways to rebrand themselves and win, and one guy with a lot of buzz at the moment has a catchy phrase: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty wants to govern like Sam's Club, providing what he characterizes as value at a low cost, he told a luncheon gathering of the American Legislative Exchange Council in Chicago yesterday, per The Swamp's Rick Pearson (Perhaps not coincidentally, the gathering was sponsored by Sam's Club parent Wal-Mart). Focusing on health care and energy, Pawlenty only raised his profile.

-- But McCain hasn't tied the knot with Pawlenty just yet, and no matter which vice presidential candidate he picks, Democrats will be ready, the New York Sun writes this morning. Whether it's Mitt Romney, the flip-flopper, or former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, the job-cutting CEO, Democrats from South Capitol Street to Chicago have their talking points all ready to go (One Obama spokesman who chatted with Politics Nation this week showed off his knowledge of Pawlenty's gas tax veto that would have provided more money for infrastructure, just weeks before a tragic bridge collapse). Expect Republicans to have similar dossiers on the possible Democratic candidates.

-- Truth Of The Day: Hillary Clinton will address the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, USA Today and others report this morning. There's a clear schedule to these prime-time speaking slots for both parties: Monday it's the incumbent president or major party figure (Think a member of the Kennedy clan for Democrats this year). Tuesday it's a philosopher and the keynote (Where Obama and Bill Clinton once shone). Wednesday, the vice presidential nominee dominates the stage, and Thursday it's the presidential contender's turn. Putting Clinton on a Tuesday confirms what most already know, that she's not likely to be the vice presidential nominee.

-- Today On The Trail: Both candidates have just one event today, with Obama stopping by an economic security town hall in Cedar Rapids. McCain is farther north, holding a town hall with voters in Racine, Wisconsin.