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 Test-Fires Long-Range Missile  —  Iran said today it had test-fired a long-range missile capable of reaching Israel and U.S. troops in the region, a step promptly condemned by the Bush administration as heightening tensions over the country's suspected nuclear weapons program.

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 …

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 …

Edwards would ‘seriously consider’ VP offer  —  (CNN) - John Edwards said Tuesday that if he were asked to accept the vice presidential slot or a cabinet position in a potential Barack Obama administration, he would “seriously consider” whatever the Illinois senator asked him to do.

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.

Jesse Ventura To Run for Senate?  —  In an interview with NPR's David Welna that ran today former Gov. Jesse “The Body” Ventura, Ind-Minn., sounds like he may run for Senate, challenging incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., whom Ventura defeated for governor in 1998, as well as Democratic nominee …

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.

QUITE A STATEMENT  —  People say a lot of things about Social Security — a lot of it nonsense.  But I haven't heard something like this in a long time.  John McCain says that Social Security, as originally conceived more than 70 years ago, is an “absolute disgrace.”

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.

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 …

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.

Clinton, Bush Advisers Steeped in Crisis Join Forces  —  Penn and Hughes Also Have Sights Set on Comeback  —  WASHINGTON — Two hard-charging political operatives are teaming up to create a bipartisan consulting organization to advise corporations in crisis — as they work to burnish their own reputations as well.

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.

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.

Funds Misappropriated at 2 Nonprofit Groups  —  Two prominent national nonprofit groups are reeling from public disclosures that large sums of money were misappropriated in unrelated incidents by an employee and a former employee.  —  The groups, Acorn, one of the country's largest community …