McCain Responds to Maliki's Call for an Iraq Withdrawal Timetable  —  Sen. John McCain, who has repeatedly derided anyone who advocated a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, now suddenly finds himself in a political box as the American-backed Iraqi leadership yesterday raised the prospect of exactly that.

Obama Addresses Critics on ‘Centrist’ Moves  —  POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Barack Obama had heard quite enough of the complaints that he is pirouetting, leaping, lurching even, toward the political center.  —  He is at heart, he told a crowd in suburban Atlanta, a pretty progressive guy …

M. Murphy to ink with NBC  —  Bringing full closure to the speculation that he will join John McCain's campaign, GOP strategist Mike Murphy will be announced tomorrow as a political analyst for NBC News, according to a source familiar with the arrangement.  —  Murphy acknowledged the move but declined to comment.

ANOTHER AP BEAUT ...  Here's the lede from the AP's latest McCain fluffer, this time from Nedra Pickler ...  Well, easy for McCain too, since he doesn't either.  —  Pickler doesn't mention that McCain doesn't even say how he'll do it; he just says he'll do it.  No numbers — No nothing.

McCain jokes about killing Iranians with cigarettes  —  PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Presidential candidate John McCain, who once sang in jest about bombing Iran, on Tuesday reacted to a report of rising U.S. cigarette exports to the country by saying it may be “a way of killing 'em.”

Energy bill out of gas  —  House Democrats are in a bind on the focal point of their energy plan.  —  Worried that a floor vote on any energy-related measure would trigger a Republican-forced vote on domestic drilling, the leadership has scrubbed the floor schedule of the energy legislation …

McCain Campaign Screening Questioners?  —  WASHINGTON DISPATCH: Political reporters are wondering if McCain aides are vetting the journalists who ask questions during campaign conference calls for the media.  The evidence suggests they are; the campaign won't say.

Barack Obama's Berlin visit sparks German diplomatic row  —  Berlin, a city torn apart by war, is the perfect setting for an American president preaching peace.  Ronald Reagan famously stood metres away from the Brandenburg Gate and called on the Soviet Union to tear down the Wall dividing Europe.

How Much Does It Cost You in Wages if You “Sound Black?”  —  Fascinating new research by my University of Chicago colleague, Jeffrey Grogger, compares the wages of people who “sound black” when they talk to those who do not.  —  His main finding: blacks who “sound black” …

July Leader Lost in 6 of Last 9 Competitive U.S. Elections  —  Convention period could prove crucial in determining the winner  —  PRINCETON, NJ — In 9 of the past 15 U.S. presidential elections, the candidate who was leading in Gallup polling roughly four months before the election ultimately won the popular vote for president.

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Outside groups pose McCain dilemma  —  Democrats say a group supporting Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) bought television ad time in Virginia that had been released by his campaign the same day, suggesting a possible connection between two groups that legally must remain separate.

ACCEPTING CARLY'S LIES!  Fiorina lied through her teeth.  Journalists won't want to say so:  —  ACCEPTING CARLY'S LIES: Headlines on news reports rarely broadcast a viewpoint so clearly.  In this morning's Washington Post, the following headlines appear on Perry Bacon's front-page report:

Study: Gays in military would not be disruptive; Update: AOL Hot Seat Poll added  —  A bipartisan panel of retired military commanders has concluded that Congress should repeal “don't ask, don't tell” and allow gays to serve openly in the military.  One commander helped Bill Clinton implement …