Bush: Lower troop levels in Iraq may be possible  —  AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq (CNN) — President Bush made a surprise visit to an Iraqi air base Monday, saying fewer U.S. forces may be able to maintain security at its current level.  —  "Gen. [David] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan] …

BUSH'S BRAIN....The Washington Post has more dirt from Robert Draper's new Bush bio, Dead Certain, today.  Turns out Karl Rove didn't want Bush to pick Dick Cheney as VP but Bush figured it couldn't do any harm.  Score one for Karl.  Rove also had doubts about appointing Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.

Combat deaths in Iraq decline; reasons aren't clear  —  WASHINGTON — American combat deaths in Iraq have dropped by half in the three months since the buildup of 28,000 additional U.S. troops reached full strength, surprising analysts and dividing them as to why.

PALESTINIANS LAUNCH ROCKET ATTACK ON ISRAELI DAY CARE CENTER  —  Earlier today, Palestinians launched a Kassam rocket attack against the Israeli town of Sderot; a total of seven rockets landed in and around Sderot, one of them in the courtyard of a day care center.  The Jerusalem Post reports here.

When Controversy Follows Cash  —  Some Fundraisers With Legal Issues Slip Through Campaigns' Vetting  —  Sant S. Chatwal, an Indian American businessman, has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaigns, even as he battled governments on two continents …

Chinese military hacked into Pentagon  —  By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington and Richard McGregor in Beijing  —  The Chinese military hacked into a Pentagon computer network in June in the most successful cyber attack on the US defence department, say American ­officials.

White House: Why Gonzales Bailed  —  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told friends he resigned last week at the urging of his wife following a summer vacation.  But he had plenty of reasons to leave the capital.  Just days earlier, congressional leaders had signaled they intended to keep …

Ouch!  The moment Piers Morgan broke three ribs falling off the Segway he said was 'idiot-proof'  —  If he didn't believe in karma before, Piers Morgan must surely do now.  —  The ex-newspaper editor, now a columnist for The Mail on Sunday's Live magazine, took great delight in making fun …

Mexican President Assails U.S. Measures on Migrants  —  President Felipe Calderón harshly criticized the United States government on Sunday for the recent crackdown on illegal immigrants, saying it has led to the persecution of immigrant workers without visas.

Give Up Your SUV — And Other Nauseating Hypocrisy  —  You can't make this stuff up, folks.  Last week, during a speech to a labor group in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards told the crowd: "One of the things [Americans] should be asked to do is drive more fuel-efficient vehicles."

Is Craig really a hypocrite?  —  IDAHO isn't Massachusetts, so as soon as the story of his bathroom escapade broke it was clear that Senator Larry Craig would soon be needing new business cards.  Except for those elected from the Bay State, US senators and representatives involved in sex scandals …

John Edwards: "you can't choose not to go to the doctor for 20 years."  —  Edwards' universal health care proposal ignores individual autonomy: … So, the mental health check is mandatory too?  Why does he not even realize how bad that sounds?  He's so warmed up about the generous benefits he's promising …