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 …

Key vote on the Iraq war keeps House GOP united  —  House Republican leaders largely kept their party together on the issue of Iraq last night, with only four members breaking with their party to support a withdrawal of troops by April.  —  Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) and John Duncan, Jr. …

Michael Gerson's Moral Advantage  —  I'm not surprised that Michael Gerson, who reportedly coined Bush's Axis of Evil framing, would conclude that atheists are inherently incapable of answering the more interesting moral questions merely because they lack an objective basis for discerning good from evil …

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 …

Christian activists disrupt Hindu prayer in US Senate  —  WASHINGTON: Christian activists briefly disrupted a Hindu invocation in the US Senate on Thursday, marring a historic first for the chamber and showing that fundamentalism is present and shouting in the US too.

Defending an Iraq Strategy in a Race Against Time  —  Once again, President Bush tried today to buy more time for his strategy in Iraq, refusing to say when conditions there might allow him to begin the troop drawdown that he insists is his ultimate goal.  —  For now, at least …

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" …

Brown message to US: it's time to build, not destroy  —  Minister signals foreign policy shift ahead of PM's Washington trip  —  The first clear signs that Gordon Brown will reorder Britain's foreign policy emerged last night when one of his closest cabinet allies urged the US to change …

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 …

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 …

Tax Loopholes Sweeten a Deal for Blackstone  —  The Blackstone Group, the big buyout firm, has devised a way for its partners to effectively avoid paying taxes on $3.7 billion, the bulk of what it raised last month from selling shares to the public.  —  Although they will initially pay $553 million …

Arrested pol is McCain campaign Florida co-chairman  —  You can DIGG this story, by clicking on this link: Arrested pol is McCain campaign Florida co-chairman.  —  A member of the Florida House of Representatives arrested yesterday on charges of soliciting a male undercover police officer …