Judge Dismisses Plame Lawsuit  —  A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit filed by former CIA officer Valerie Plame and her husband against Vice President Cheney and top administration officials over the disclosure of Plame's name and covert status to the media.

Romney also once backed "age-appropriate" sex ed  —  Former Gov. Mitt Romney attacked Sen. Barack Obama yesterday for purportedly wanting sex education in kindergarten.  —  It turns out, Romney himself once indicated support for the same sort of sex-ed approach — "age-appropriate" — that Obama backs.

Pentagon rebukes Sen. Clinton on Iraq  —  WASHINGTON - The Pentagon told Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton that her questions about how the U.S. plans to eventually withdraw from Iraq boosts enemy propaganda.  —  In a stinging rebuke to a member …

Democrats cut 'John Doe' provision  —  Congressional Democrats today failed to include a provision in homeland security legislation that would protect the public from being sued for reporting suspicious behavior that may lead to a terrorist attack, according to House Republican leaders.

Sunni insurgency: Out of the shadows  —  I just want to draw attention to a really important story about Iraq, which could easily get lost in the questions about the Mashhadani capture - the report in the Guardian about the moves to cement the public political profile of the major Sunni insurgency groups …

FEMA Suppressed Health Warnings for Workers, Katrina Victims  —  Agency Rejected Environmental Testing on Formaldehyde Gas Levels  —  The Federal Emergency Management Agency has suppressed warnings from its own Gulf coast field workers since the middle of 2006 about suspected health problems …

A NEW AD EXPLOITS THE SUFFERING OF THE EDWARDS' FAMILY.  BUT THAT'S OK.  —  I think John Edwards just made an ad about his wife's cancer, but I'm not sure.  In his latest New Hampshire spot, the gutsy and appealing Elizabeth Edwards talks about her husband's toughness.

Crisis = Opportunity  —  There are only a handful of foreign policy writers and thinkers who I think of as real innovators, people who can surprise and suddenly illuminate a situation, think creatively and outside the boxes of the various isms.  Edward Luttwak is one of them; Mark Helprin is another.

Options backdating probe hit by delay  —  Investigations into allegations of stock options backdating are being delayed and could be undermined by turmoil in the US Attorney's office in San Francisco, sources familiar with the probes say.  —  Prosecutors in San Francisco are probing options grants …

Sawyer apologizes for false assertion that Reid "vows to filibuster"  —  On the July 19 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, co-host Diane Sawyer apologized for her false assertion — documented by Media Matters for America — regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) …

Dave Chappelle: Next White House press secretary?  —  From CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — One of the best parts of the White House beat is that you just never know who's going to show up at those black iron gates at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Has anyone seen our 'war czar'?  —  An AP report this morning notes that the White House is continuing to lobby lawmakers on Iraq policy, in part by offering access to top officials responsible for implementing war policy. … That's a rather passive way of describing the war czar's role, isn't it?

Everything you've heard is true.  I'm leaving next Thursday.  —  Jeff is going to need your help to get to Iraq.  He can't do it without you.  Please consider a contribution to his efforts.  —Erick  —  America has been at war, in combat, or working to rebuild Iraq for nearly 4 1/2 years now …