Maliki Bets That Obama Will Prevail  —  Reception of Democrat Shaped by Chalabi Advice  —  WASHINGTON — In throwing his support behind Senator Obama's plan for a 16-month timetable for an American withdrawal from Iraq, Prime Minister al-Maliki is calculating that Mr. Obama …

McCain gaffes pile up; critics pile on  —  Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said “Iraq” when he apparently meant “Afghanistan” on Monday, adding to a string of mixed-up word choices that is giving ammunition to the opposition.  —  Just in the past three weeks, McCain has also mistaken “Somalia” …

Coverage of ‘Netroots’ Confab Draws Protest— Snarky Article Spiked — Editor's Note Apologizes  —  NEW YORK (Commentary) It started innocently enough, over coffee in a hotel lobby, with me (as usual at that hour) huddled over a newspaper—in print, not on a laptop, unlike everyone else in the vicinity.

Attack injures 5 near Obama's Jerusalem hotel  —  JERUSALEM (CNN) — The driver of a backhoe was shot and killed after driving the construction machine over a number of vehicles near the Jerusalem hotel where Sen. Barack Obama is scheduled to stay Tuesday night, according to police.

Obama Far More Popular Among Jews Than Lieberman  —  If Barack Obama has a problem among Jewish voters, then Sen. Joseph Lieberman is in monumental trouble.  —  Among the most high-profile Jews in Congress, Lieberman is viewed far more unfavorably than the presumptive Democratic nominee, according to a new poll.

Why Jesse Jackson Hates Obama  —  A few weeks ago, the Rev. Jesse Jackson made something of a fool of himself.  There he was — a historical figure in his own right — threatening the castration of Barack Obama.  It was sad to see.  —  If I have often criticized Mr. Jackson, I have also, reservedly, admired him.

Young Republicans, Blue About the Prospects Ahead  —  Gen-Nexters Are Feeling Left Out of the Party  —  David All glanced around Top of the Hill bar and saw the future of the Republican Party.  It looked dim.  A who's who of young conservatives had gathered, but they were few, and they were frustrated.

HE'D RATHER LOSE A WAR THAN AN ELECTION  —  Tonight Barack Obama told ABC News that, knowing what we know now—that the surge in Iraq has been a success, that it has drastically reduced violence and given Iraq a shot at a bright future—he would still oppose it:  —  This was, I think, a moment of candor.

Andrea on Obama Trip: ‘What Some Would Call Fake Interviews’  —  Andrea Mitchell might be a doyenne of the liberal media, but she has her reporter's pride and principles, both of which have been trampled by the way the Obama campaign has managed the media during the candidate's current trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Ink-Stained Wretchedness  —  Tattoos are the emblems of our age.  They bristle from the biceps of men in summer shirts, from the lower backs of women as they ascend stairs, from the shoulders of basketball players as they drive toward the basket, and from every inch of certain celebrities.

Michelle Obama's pledge: Barack will save all the children  —  Charles Krauthammer wrote last week about the enormous arrogance of Barack Obama, but even Krauthammer couldn't imagine that the Obamas would claim to rescue all of the world's children through their election.

Ford to Make Broader Bet on Small Cars  —  DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Motor Company, which devoted itself for nearly 20 years to putting millions of Americans into big pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles, is about to drastically alter its focus to building more small cars.

A PREDICTION: If Barack Obama is elected President, he'll be far more warlike than President Bush, and far more warlike than his pre-election rhetoric suggests.  Because before he's elected President, attacks on America are just attacks on America.  But after he's elected President …

Flip Obama Treatment  —  I have MSNBC on and I'm not listening to Barack Obama's Jordan press conference.  Which is the point of this post.  —  I'm not proud, but the truth is, he is so not-impressive off-script that you easily forget that this is SOMETHING BIG you're watching.