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:

State curtails e-voting  —  L.A. system decertified; restrictions on two others  —  Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A13  —  California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, bowing to fears of computer fraud, Friday decertified Los Angeles County's electronic voting system and sharply curtailed …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Getting Iraq Wrong  —  The unfolding catastrophe in Iraq has condemned the political judgment of a president.  But it has also condemned the judgment of many others, myself included, who as commentators supported the invasion.  Many of us believed, as an Iraqi exile friend told me the night the war started …