Iraq official: U.S. could be out by 2011  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — A deadline should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces from Iraq, and the pullout could be done by 2011, an Iraqi government spokesman said Tuesday.  —  Ali al-Dabbagh said any timetable would depend on …

Iran missile test ratchets up regional tensions  —  Iran test-fired a missile capable of reaching Israel early this morning, as part of war games that escalate the sabre-rattling between the Islamic Republic and the West.  —  The new version of the Shahab-3 missile was one of nine medium …

Networks may limit convention coverage  —  Major television networks are considering curtailing coverage of the Democratic National Convention after Monday's announcement that Barack Obama will accept his party's nomination in a Denver stadium.  —  According to several broadcast executives …

One nation, not just speaking English  —  After a substantial speech decrying the current state of bankruptcy law in the United States, Barack Obama took a few questions from the audience in Powder Springs, Georgia on Tuesday morning.  One young woman asked whether there was anything …

Dallas County meeting turns racial  —  A special meeting about Dallas County traffic tickets turned tense and bizarre this afternoon.  —  County commissioners were discussing problems with the central collections office that is used to process traffic ticket payments and handle other paperwork normally done by the JP Courts.

Losing the Latino Vote  —  McCain's prospects don't look good.  —  PLENTY OF COMMENTATORS, including yours truly, argued during the Democratic primaries that Barack Obama had shown a weakness with Latino voters which could last through the general election and help John McCain on Election Day.

Obama Donors Aren't Rushing to Aid Clinton  —  A prominent donor to Senator Barack Obama recently sent an e-mail plea to other supporters, asking them — for the sake of Democratic unity — to write checks to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to help retire her $23 million in campaign debt.

Pastor Hagee's Desperate News Suppression Campaign Backfires  —  During the week of July 1, lawyers representing far-right Pastor John Hagee demanded that Youtube remove scores of videos supposedly infringing on the copyright of John Hagee Ministries.  YouTube acceded to Hagee's attorneys without even a cursory review of their claims.

Atheist soldier sues Army for ‘unconstitutional’ discrimination  —  KANSAS CITY, Kansas (CNN) — Army Spc. Jeremy Hall was raised Baptist.  —  Like many Christians, he said grace before dinner and read the Bible before bed.  Four years ago when he was deployed to Iraq, he packed his Bible so he would feel closer to God.

AFL-CIO aims to split vets from McCain  —  The AFL-CIO is launching a new television ad tomorrow in six states trying to deter union members who happen to be veterans from supporting Sen. John McCain, a decorated Navy fighter pilot who was shot down over Hanoi and held as a prisoner of war.

3 Police and 3 Gunmen Die in Attack on U.S. Post in Turkey  —  PARIS — Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Turkish security guards outside the United States Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday and at least three officers were killed, the governor of Istanbul said.

In theory, economists support McCain  —  The endorsement could hardly have been stronger.  On Monday, John McCain's campaign released a statement signed by 300 economists who “enthusiastically support” his “Jobs for America” economic plan, providing a heavyweight testimonial …

Monolingual Americans?  —  I was watching Obama complain that we don't speak European languages while Europeans speak English fluently.  Fair enough—though the vast size of the US, the presence of two oceans on our borders, the ubiquity of Spanish here, the knowledge of other languages …

How to be a Moron (sans Lime Jello)  —  Ladies and Gentlemen, a self-described foreign policy and national security expert. … *rim shot*  —  How many flippant statements has John McCain made now about killing Iranian citizens?  —  There was last year's “Bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran”

Dems to target McCain for Medicare non-vote  —  Senate Democratic leaders are poised to blame Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for the chamber's failure to advance Medicare legislation.  —  The measure that would avert a sharp cut in payments to physicians stalled in the Senate on June 26 by one vote.