House passes spending bill with Iraq deadline … WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House of Representatives on Friday voted 218-212 to approve a spending bill that includes a firm deadline — August 31, 2008 — for combat troops to leave Iraq.  —  President Bush, who already has said he would veto the bill …

White House Spokesman to Undergo Surgery  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Presidential spokesman Tony Snow is undergoing surgery Monday to remove a growth in his lower abdomen, a procedure he said was being done "out of an aggressive sense of caution" because he had colon cancer two years ago.

Iran nabs British sailors in Iraq waters  —  LONDON - Iranian naval vessels seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a ship suspected of smuggling cars in the Persian Gulf off the Iraqi coast on Friday, officials said.  —  The British government demanded "the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."

Ex-Deputy to Plead Guilty in Lobbyist Case  —  WASHINGTON — Former Deputy Interior Secretary Steven Griles will plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff corruption investigation, The Associated Press has learned.  —  Griles, an oil and gas lobbyist who became …

E-Mails Show Machinations to Replace Prosecutor  —  Administration Worked for Months to Make Rove Aide U.S. Attorney in Arkansas  —  Two months before Bud Cummins was fired as U.S. attorney in Little Rock, a protege of presidential adviser Karl Rove was maneuvering with the Justice Department to take his place.

Politico Rushes to Crack the Story And Ends Up With Egg on Its Face  —  One hour and 4 minutes before John Edwards began a news conference yesterday on the recurrence of his wife's cancer, a two-month-old Web site blared what looked like a major exclusive: "Edwards to Suspend Campaign."

L.A. Editor Quits Over A Hollywood Connection  —  The editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times resigned yesterday after acknowledging a romantic relationship with a publicist for Brian Grazer, the Hollywood producer who had been tapped to serve as guest editor of the paper's opinion section on Sunday.

Why the Dems Should Go for It  —  Since the Democrats won control of Congress last fall, they've been besieged with warnings against acting too aggressively on Iraq.  Such "moves carry clear risks for a party that suffered politically for pushing to end an unpopular war in Vietnam," suggested the Washington Post in January.

Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007  —  Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats  —  Summary of Findings  —  View the complete report in pdf format  —  Increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality …

FEC Democrats Say Bush Violated Limits  —  The three Democrats on the Federal Election Commission revealed yesterday that they strongly believe President Bush exceeded legal spending limits during the 2004 presidential contest and that his campaign owes the government $40 million.