Democrats Feel Pressure on Spy Program  —  Under pressure from President Bush, House Democrats on Saturday grudgingly prepared to clear the way for approving changes in a terrorist surveillance program despite serious reservations about the scope of the measure.

Candidates court bloggers, avoid commitment  —  CHICAGO — The second YearlyKos convention is a show of strength for the new blogging establishment: A parade of major Democratic politicians, including the leaders of the House and Senate and almost every presidential candidate …

Soldier Censored at Kos Convention  —  An as yet unidentified uniformed soldier attempted to address the panel on the subject of the "Surge".  He was unceremoniously escorted out by panelist Jon Soltz.  —  The soldier's words were either suppressed or inaudible on the convention's own video.

The Turn  —  Defeatists in retreat.  —  Hot July brings cooling showers, / Apricots and gillyflowers, as Sara Coleridge's doggerel has it.  But for the American antiwar movement, this July brought only a cold drizzle, wilted blossoms, and bitter fruit.  —  For the Iraq war's opponents, July began as a month of hope.

OBAMA vs. CLINTON REVISITED....Mark Kleiman thinks there's more to the Hillary-Obama foreign policy contretemps than I'm giving it credit for.  I'm not so sure, but it will take a little bit of in-the-weeds explaining to say why.  Here goes.  —  First, on the question of striking al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan, Mark says:

Police: Oakland Post editor's killer confesses to slaying  —  A 19-year-old handyman at Your Black Muslim Bakery admitted to police Friday night that he ambushed and killed Oakland Post editor Chauncey Bailey, investigators said.  —  Police said Devaughndre Broussard told them he killed Bailey …

Republicans try to rebuke Murtha  —  House Republicans sought to rebuke Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) Friday night for his actions while presiding over the chamber earlier in the day.  —  The resolution was just one of the many protest measures Republicans lobbed at the majority Friday …

Hurrah!  The Saudis are coming!  —  Rehavia.  Achievement  —  Condoleezza Rice's aides have become adept at spotting when their boss is irritable: she starts scratching one of her hands.  When she feels like someone has done her wrong, she gets "that look": "Her eyes narrow, her face tightens …

Confirmation: GOP Won the Vote  —  Congressional Quarterly seems to have the definitive article on the furor in the House the other night.  They lead with the news of a 'ceasefire,' but later confirm that the vote ought to have been a Republican win.  —  The piece leads with the creation …

Hillary defends lobbyists, takes heat  —  John Edwards took the initiative with a call on his rivals to join him in rejecting contributions, and Bai focused the question on Hillary Clinton, who engaged:  —  "I don't think based on my 35 years fighting for what I believe in …

And Now It's Oberstar's Turn  —  Yesterday, Senator Amy Klobuchar blamed the collapse of the I-35W bridge on a lack of highway funds — even though the 2005 highway bill increased federal funding to Minnesota by 46% over its five-year span.  Apparently realizing that line of argument wouldn't hold …

Bush surveys bridge, pledges aid  —  MINNEAPOLIS - President Bush pledged Saturday to cut red tape that could delay rebuilding a highway bridge that once arched over the Mississippi River but now lies crumbled in muddy water concealing some victims.  —  Bush, still dogged by his administration's …

AN OPENING  —  Presumably you've heard about "private contractors," the well-paid, well-armed, not always well-disciplined security people who do a lot of the work in Iraq that in earlier wars would have been done by the U.S. Army.  More than one left-wing blogger has caught flak for describing …