Petraeus, Crocker Face Skepticism on Drawdown  —  Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker went before Congress for a second day today to deliver a progress report on the war in Iraq and explain a new military plan to withdraw the 30,000 reinforcements sent there earlier this year to improve security.

Can Gen. Petraeus and Ryan Crocker Save the Next Democratic President?  —  Despite what the pundits will say, I fear the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on the Hill Monday and Tuesday is not a turning point, does not give Bush breathing room, and is largely irrelevant.

Republicans introduce measure condemning MoveOn ad  —  House Republican leaders introduced a resolution Monday condemning a full-page newspaper ad from MoveOn.org that criticizes the character of Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Olbermann's Win A Surprise Even Inside MSNBC  —  Phil Griffin knew it would happen, he just didn't think it would happen this quickly.  On Friday night, MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann was the top-rated cable news show in the 25-54 demo.  That means Olbermann beat his cable rival …

Miers, Bolten contempt filings delayed  —  House Democratic leaders have decided to postpone a vote on a criminal contempt resolution against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers for several weeks, and possibly longer, according to top lawmakers and aides.

Minnesota Senate  —  Coleman at 46% Democrats Close Behind  —  Minnesota is likely to host one of the more interesting and competitive Senate races in Election 2008.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone poll of the race shows incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R) attracting just 46% support …

'America the Ugly'  —  Six years after 9/11, it's notable how little the politics of the left have changed.  —  In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on us that took place on this very day six years ago, several younger commentators proclaimed the birth of an entirely new era in American history.

Petraeus: 'I Don't Know' if Iraq Victory Will Make U.S. Safer  —  In the hearings' most stunning moment so far, Sen. John Warner (R-VA) asked Gen. Petraeus if success in the Iraq war will make America safer.  His response — by far the most surprising moment of the hearings — was a blunt "I don't know."

This is Not What Democracy Looks Like  —  Rev. Lennox Yearwood of the HipHop Caucus wanted to attend the Petraeus Hearings yesterday.  He stood on line waiting his turn to enter the room.  This is what happened to him. … The Capitol Police work for the Speaker's Office.

Keith Olbermann Admits He Is Un-American!  —  And reprehensible too.  Don't blame us...it's his words:

Sources confirm Israeli airstrike on Syria  —  (CNN) — Israeli aircraft carried out an airstrike inside Syria last week, possibly targeting weapons that were destined for Hezbollah militants, according to sources in the region and in the United States.  —  Syria reported that its aircraft fired …

Doesn't Anyone Remember Anthrax?  —  What I just learned from CNN: … I've long been fascinated by the erasure of the anthrax attacks - which, in their own way, freaked out the country more than 9/11 did* - from our collective memory.  —  *People object when I suggest this …

Resistance "is a normal thing, and a right for everyone"  —  Perhaps more than any other element, contextual local perspective is missing from analysis about Iraq as a whole and Fallujah in particular.  Western media, media consumers, and the political class offer strategic assessments …

9/11: Remembrance and resistance  —  Update 1:30pm Eastern.  Memorial photo of the day comes from Iraq, via MNF-I:  —  The caption reads:  —  Never Forget  —  Task Force Marne Soldiers take time on the sixth anniversary of the attacks Sept. 11, 2001, for a remembrance ceremony at the Task Force Marne Headquarters.

9/11 and the cult of death  —  Our correspondent contends that our response to September 11 has been deficient.  Radical Islam, he argues, must be recognised as a fanatical death cult, such as Nazism or Bolshevism  —  "In my humble", as one of Updike's Pennsylvanians likes to put it …

Dollar hits fresh 15-year low  —  The dollar fell to a fresh 15-year low against a basket of currencies on Tuesday as the greenback continued to suffer from the prospect of a cut in US interest rates.  —  Expectations that the Federal Reserve would move to lower interest rates at its meeting …