TIMES GIVES LEFTIES A HEFTY DISCOUNT FOR 'BETRAY US' AD  —  The New York Times dramatically slashed its normal rates for a full-page advertisement for MoveOn.org's ad questioning the integrity of Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.  —  Headlined "Cooking the Books …

Democrats Push Toward Middle On Iraq Policy  —  Democratic leaders in Congress have decided to shift course and pursue modest bipartisan measures to alter U.S. military strategy in Iraq, hoping to use incremental changes instead of aggressive legislation to break the grip Republicans have held over the direction of war policy.

Spy Master Admits Error  —  Intel czar Mike McConnell told Congress a new law helped bring down a terror plot.  The facts say otherwise.  —  In a new embarrassment for the Bush administration top spymaster, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell is withdrawing an assertion …

Compromise on Oil Law in Iraq Seems to Be Collapsing  —  A carefully constructed compromise on a draft law governing Iraq's rich oil fields, agreed to in February after months of arduous talks among Iraqi political groups, appears to have collapsed.  The apparent breakdown comes just as Congress …

Researcher: Bin Laden's beard is real, video is not  —  On the Friday before the sixth anniversary of 9/11, Osama bin Laden appeared in a new video, his first since prior to the U.S. presidential elections in 2004.  In analyzing the video, Neal Krawetz of Hactor Factor, an expert on digital image forensics …

President Petraeus?  Iraqi official recalls the day US general revealed ambition  —  The US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, expressed long-term interest in running for the US presidency when he was stationed in Baghdad, according to a senior Iraqi official who knew him at that time.

Sheik Risha Killed in Bomb Attack in Iraq  —  Iraqi tribal leader Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, a key figure in U.S. efforts to turn local residents against al-Qaeda in the restive Anbar province, was killed today by a roadside bomb, U.S. military and Iraqi sources confirmed.

Mark Warner for U.S. Senate  — Virginia: He's in:

How secure are you?  —  Petraeus' empty words and the real terror threat.  Plus: Larry Craig's libidinal misstep is grounded in modern male sexuality.  —  Six years after the attack on the World Trade Center, what is the state of national security in the U.S.?

A Rocky Rollout For Thompson  —  Fred Thompson's plunge into the presidential pool — more belly-flop than swan dive — was the strangest product launch since that of New Coke in 1985.  Then, the question was: Is this product necessary?  A similar question stumped Thompson the day he plunged.

Camouflaged Man Armed With A Loaded AK-47 Arrested In Dearborn Park  —  A 26-year-old Dearborn resident, Houssein Zorkot, was arraigned in 19th District Court Tuesday on several felony charges, including carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent.  —  Zorkot, a third-year medical student …

The Senator Has a Point  —  ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain made the following statement today:  —  Senator Clinton said that believing General Petraeus' testimony requires a 'willing suspension of disbelief.' I think it willingly suspends disbelief to not repudiate an advertisement run …

Consultant Probed in Bogus Interview  —  Former ABC Consultant Says He Was 'Scammed' in Piece on Obama  —  A former consultant to ABC's investigative unit admitted yesterday that he put his name on a purported interview with Barack Obama that he never conducted.

Under-5 Mortality Drops to Record Low  —  The number of deaths worldwide among children under 5 dropped to a record low of 9.7 million in 2006, reflecting progress in areas such as malaria prevention, childhood immunizations and breastfeeding rates, global health officials said yesterday.