Going to the Well Once Too Often  —  Photographer Wissam al-Okaili has had quite an interesting summer in Iraq, and apparently made quite a few friends.  —  In July, he published a picture carried in media around the world, as an elderly Sadr City woman held up a object that she claimed …

Pryce won't run again  —  Veteran lawmaker will announce decision Thursday  —  WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington will announce Thursday that she will not seek re-election to the congressional seat she has held since 1993.  —  Pryce has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. in Columbus.

A newsroom reprimand at The Times  —  Seattle Times Executive Editor Dave Boardman wrote today in one of his morning notes to staff that there had been "an awkward moment at yesterday's news meeting."  That's the meeting where editors and other staff from throughout the newsroom talk about the stories planned for the next day's paper.

What Said This?  —  In 1996? … That would be Rudy Giuliani, who sounded at the time a whole lot like a George Bush type on immigration.  —  And then there's this, via the Daily News: … Now you can blame this flashback game with Mitt Romney on some key issues, too, of course.

Top general may propose pullbacks  —  Petraeus is expected to tell Congress that Iraqis can assume duties in some areas, freeing U.S. troops for other uses.  —  WASHINGTON —  Intent on demonstrating progress in Iraq, the top U.S. general there is expected by Bush administration officials …

FDL Demands Apology - Calls on Collins to Fire Dutson  —  Firedoglake has issued the following press release today:  —  Collins Campaign In Sexist Attack on Leading Blog  —  Firedoglake Calls for Apology and Firing of Collins Campaign Blogger  —  Washington, DC August 15, 2007 …

Gibson: "The war on Gibson is real" and "it's pursued every day" … On the August 14 broadcast of his Fox News Radio show, John Gibson said he and the show's executive producer, known on the air as "Angry Rich," are "being attacked on a liberal website," referring to Media Matters for America.

U.S. to Expand Domestic Use Of Spy Satellites  —  The U.S.'s top intelligence official has greatly expanded the range of federal and local authorities who can get access to information from the nation's vast network of spy satellites in the U.S.  —  The decision, made three months ago …

UPDATED: A prelude to war: What's really behind Bush's Iran move  —  Last night's carefully managed leak from the White House that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is being designated as a global terrorist group is a story that — while in a sense you could see it coming for months …

Rove: Bush's critics are 'snobs' who hate his 'common sense.'  —  In his interview with Rush Limbaugh this afternoon, Karl Rove claimed that the people criticizing Bush are "sort of elite, effete snobs who can't hold a candle to this guy.  What they don't like about him is that he is common sense, that he is Middle America."

Russians get day off to procreate, then win prizes  —  Moscow - A Russian region of Ulyanovsk has found a novel way to fight the nation's birth-rate crisis: It has declared Sept. 12 the Day of Conception and for the third year running is giving couples time off from work to procreate.

Romney in Stem Cell Biz, Despite Political Opposition  —  Campaign Insists Investments Are in Blind Trust Only  —  Among the investments in Mitt Romney's vast portfolio worth upward of $287 million are two companies that perform or support stem cell research.

Our newest war  —  [Our newest Patton.]  — by Dave  —  According to Newt Gingrich, we're now not just at war in Iraq, and at war against terrorists, but now we're also at war with illegal immigrants: … Gingrich is obviously trying, as have so many nativists before him, to blame immigrants for bringing crime to our shores.