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.

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.

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.

'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.

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 …

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.

Lieberman Decries 'Terrible, Partisan, Political Sniping,' Then Rocks Out With Hannity, Coulter  —  On Fox News this morning, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) used a moment of silence commemorating 9/11 to decry the "terrible, partisan political sniping" that he says ruined the "unity that we felt after September 11″:

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

The Surge's Real Target: Iran?  —  That's NRO's Andy McCarthy's instructive take on the Petraeus testimony.  He cites this comment from the general: … I predict an echoing chorus from the far right.  In fact, I think Petraeus' testimony and the administration's agenda makes the most sense …

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 …

Quote for the Day  —  "The Vietnam experience left the military leadership feeling that they should advise against involvement in counterinsurgencies unless specific, perhaps unlikely, circumstances obtain — i.e. domestic public support, the promise of a quick campaign …