By Bush's Own Standard, Surge Has Failed  —  Before Gen. David Petraeus' report, and to give it a context of optimism, the president visited Iraq's Anbar province to underscore the success of the surge in making some hitherto anarchic areas less so.  More significant, however, was the fact that the president did not visit Baghdad.

MoveOn.org Ad Takes Aim at Petraeus  —  Ad From Liberal Activist Group Takes on Petraeus and the GOP Finds a New Talking Point  —  A newspaper ad from the anti-war group MoveOn.org that attacks Gen. David Petraeus has prompted a Republican outcry in Washington, D.C., as supporters …

Clinton to return $850,000 raised by Hsu  —  WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign said Monday it will return $850,000 in donations raised by Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who is under federal investigation for allegedly violating election laws.

Romney Adviser Linked to Anti-Thompson Internet Site  —  A top adviser to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney appears to be behind the launch of a new Web site attacking GOP presidential rival Fred D. Thompson during his first week on the trail.  —  The site, PhoneyFred.org …

Young Muslims begin dangerous fight for the right to abandon faith  —  A group of young Muslim apostates launches a campaign today, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, to make it easier to renounce Islam.  —  The provocative move reflects a growing rift between traditionalists …

Arrests in Brussels  —  Note: The earliest reports are at the bottom of this post.  —  I haven't been able to find any news of this on the web in English, but our Swedish correspondent SD just sent his amended machine translation of an item from Brussel Nieuws (further amendations by me):

Fred completes overhaul, campaign goes 'corporate'  —  Fred Thompson has put the finishing touches on a six-week staff sweep that has transformed his campaign from a guerrilla-tactics style insurgency into more of a "corporate" machine that will follow a traditional playbook.

THAT FOX "EXCLUSIVE"  —  If you need a quick take on the Petraeus/Crocker interview tonight on Fox News, you catch this clip in which Brit Hume helps Petraeus explain how the Iraq War is really "more than anything else a War with al Qaeda."