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 …

President Bush Discusses Iraq War Emergency Supplemental  —  THE PRESIDENT: Today I'm joined here at the White House by veterans, family members of people serving in combat, family members of those who have sacrificed.  I am honored that they have joined me here today.

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."

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.

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.

washingtonpost.com Goofs on Headline  —  Technical Glitch Leads to 51-Second Edwards Error  —  Well, The Washington Post's Web site screwed up the John Edwards story, too.  —  For 51 seconds.  —  And it was an accident, of the cringe-inducing variety.  —  The Democratic presidential candidate …

O'Donnell Tells Leahy: 'You're Going To Get The Truth From Karl Rove'  —  The White House refuses to allow Karl Rove and other top aides to testify about the administration's prosecutor purge.  Instead, it has offered closed door "interviews" with no oath and no transcript.

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.

A Brave New World of Political Skulduggery?  —  Anti-Clinton Video Shows Ease of Attack In the Computer Age  —  The instant popularity of an attack video that mocked Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) prompted plenty of talk this week about how an ordinary citizen can influence political discourse …

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.

GAO Faults U.S. Military Over Munitions in Iraq  —  Report Says Insurgents Took Unsecured Explosives  —  The U.S. military's faulty war plans and insufficient troops in Iraq left thousands and possibly millions of tons of conventional munitions unsecured or in the hands of insurgent groups …