Deserting Petraeus  —  "The key to turning [Anbar] around was the shift in allegiance by tribal sheiks.  But the sheiks turned only after a prolonged offensive by American and Iraqi forces, starting in November, that put al-Qaeda groups on the run."  —  Finally, after four terribly long years, we know what works.

Strategists Agree: McCain's Only Option Is To Turn His Back On Bush  —  According to private conversations with political operatives from both parties, John McCain has no choice but to adopt a high risk strategy to revive his presidential bid, a double Hail Mary: Throw one stink bomb …

Musharraf declares war on Muslim extremists  —  President Pervez Musharraf pledged to combat Muslim extremists across Pakistan yesterday as furious crowds demonstrated against the storming of the Red Mosque and two suicide bomb attacks left six dead.  —  In a televised address to the nation …

What Atheists Can't Answer  —  British author G.K. Chesterton argued that every act of blasphemy is a kind of tribute to God, because it is based on belief.  "If anyone doubts this," he wrote, "let him sit down seriously and try to think blasphemous thoughts about Thor."

Ethics groups blame AWOL McConnell  —  Frustrated by Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) vow to hold up ethics conference talks until earmark reforms are enacted, Democrats and watchdog groups are pointing a finger at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).  —  McConnell is standing idle …

Dems pledge to undo what Bush has done  —  Cheers for change fill Cobo during candidate forum  —  U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was the clear crowd favorite at the NAACP presidential forum in Detroit on Thursday, winning thunderous applause just for walking on stage and standing ovations when he spoke.

The New York Times Surrenders A monument to defeatism on the editorial page  —  On July 8, the New York Times ran an historic editorial entitled "The Road Home," demanding an immediate American withdrawal from Iraq.  It is rare that an editorial gets almost everything wrong, but "The Road Home" pulls it off.

Hold Your Fire and Brimstone  —  Perhaps because no one else will do it, I want to offer a qualified defense of Sen. David Vitter, the socially conservative Louisiana Republican who faces a bit of a problem.  —  Vitter admitted Monday night to a "very serious sin in my past" …

American Grit  —  We can't fire the president right now, so we're waiting it out.  —  It's been a slow week in a hot era.  I found myself Thursday watching President Bush's news conference and thinking about what it is about him, real or perceived, that makes people who used to smile at the mention of his name now grit their teeth.

The cry should go up in Europe: more babies, please  —  Of all the bogeys you might have thought well and truly nailed in the past decade or so, the population control movement seemed most obviously to have a stake through its heart.  At a time when we - I mean, anyone over 35 …

BBC caught with pants down  —  The papers this morning were full of the revelation in a BBC documentary that the Queen had had a hissy fit and stormed out of a photo-shoot with the photographer Annie Leibowitz.  As the Times reported: … In the context of royal etiquette and the character …

'Seismic shift' seen on oil, gas commission  —  Governor appoints conservationists, industry critic to panel  —  Gov. Bill Ritter fundamentally reshaped oversight of Colorado's oil and gas industry Thursday, adding conservationists and an industry critic to the nine-member Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Democrats Lead in Raising Money Online  —  The Democrats have established a commanding and growing dominance over Republicans in securing contributions online, reshaping the fund-raising landscape heading into the 2008 elections.  —  Online donations are emerging as a cornerstone …

Benchmarks and Bickering: Where Are Dems on Iraqi Security?  —  Senate Democratic Leaders Assail Bush, Duck Question on Safety of Iraqi People  —  With the administration's progress report indicating little progress by the Iraqi government and an intelligence assessment judging al Qaeda …