Bush denies Congress access to aides  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush invoked executive privilege Monday to deny requests by Congress for testimony from two former aides about the firings of federal prosecutors.  —  The White House, however, did offer again to make former counsel Harriet Miers …

'Scouting' the Hill on Iraq  —  National security adviser Stephen J. Hadley visited Capitol Hill just before Congress adjourned for the Fourth of July.  Meetings with a half-dozen senior Republican senators were clearly intended to extinguish fires set by Sen. Richard Lugar's unexpected break from President Bush's Iraq policy.

Syria Invades Lebanon  —  A few days ago Lebanese daily newspaper Al Mustaqbal quietly reported a limited Syrian invasion of Lebanon.  (Via Naharnet.) … This happened immediately before I left town for two days.  When I returned I was surprised to find no mention of this whatsoever anywhere else in the media.

Hoppy's Commentary For Monday  —  Research shows West Virginia is tilting back toward blue for the 2008 presidential race.  —  A survey of 400 likely voters completed in May by the political consulting firm of Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates finds that if the election were held …

Mr. Cheney's Minority Report  —  Princeton, N.J.  —  TWENTY years ago this week, Lt. Col. Oliver North testified for six days before a special joint House and Senate investigating committee.  Permitted by the Democratic majority to appear in his bemedaled Marine uniform …

The group blog of The American Prospect  —  THE GREEN LANTERN THEORY OF DOMESTIC POLITICS.  To follow up on Ezra's point about Megan McArdle's claim that impeachment proceedings would mean "not having any achievements to show the electorate next year," it's always striking to me the extent …

Atheists applaud Ellison's views on Cheney, Libby, 9/11  —  "You'll always find this Muslim standing up for your right to be atheists," he told the group.  —  Freshman Congressman Keith Ellison was among friends Sunday — in this case, a gathering of atheists — so his support for a fistful …

Sounding the Global-Warming Alarm Without Upsetting the Fans  —  If less is more, then why is biggest better?  —  Al Gore declared Live Earth "the largest global entertainment event in all of history," but this seven-continent, multimedia eco-extravaganza was colored by the very complacency …

Job Vacancies At DHS Said To Hurt U.S. Preparedness  —  A Fourth of Top Positions Not Filled, Report Says  —  The Bush administration has failed to fill roughly a quarter of the top leadership posts at the Department of Homeland Security, creating a "gaping hole" in the nation's preparedness …

Tunneling Near Iranian Nuclear Site Stirs Worry  —  The sudden flurry of digging seen in recent satellite photos of a mountainside in central Iran might have passed for ordinary road tunneling.  But the site is the back yard of Iran's most ambitious and controversial nuclear facility …

IMMIGRATION AND TERRORISM....Why do Islamic radicals mount so many terrorist attacks in Europe and so few in the United States?  After all, we're the Great Satan, aren't we?  McClatchy reports: … I wish this could be stapled on the foreheads of Tom Tancredo and every one of his immigration-hating dittoheads in Congress.

As Bush goes, so goes Crawford  —  Everyone agrees 2004 was town's high-water mark for tourism trade  —  CRAWFORD — From a wooden bench in front of a shop selling mementos of "The Western White House," tourist Chuck Yorde wondered aloud why he seemed to be the only visitor in town.

Reservist fighting his fifth war call-up  —  After serving in Afghanistan and three times in Iraq, an Army Reserve sergeant from Port St. Lucie recoiled at still another deployment.  —  adriscoll@MiamiHerald.com  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Erik Botta believes he's done right by his country.