Petraeus won't join bandwagon for Iraq withdrawal timetable  —  BAGHDAD — The top U.S. military commander in Iraq isn't buying the increasingly popular idea of a publicly stated timetable for American troop withdrawal.  —  Gen. David Petraeus, the Iraq commander, said in an interview …

Worried Banks Sharply Reduce Business Loans  —  Banks struggling to recover from multibillion-dollar losses on real estate are curtailing loans to American businesses, depriving even healthy companies of money for expansion and hiring.  —  Two vital forms of credit used by companies …

Docking Paychecks for Politics  —  The mighty Service Employees International Union (SEIU) plans to spend some $150 million in this year's election, most of it to get Barack Obama and other Democrats elected.  Where'd they get that much money?  —  That's a question the Departments of Labor …

Be Afraid.  Please.  —  Life is full of disappointments.  —  Early Friday, I went to the Real Clear Politics Web site, as I do every morning, for my fix of political news and commentary.  I perked up when I saw the third entry on the list of that day's notable articles — “No. 44 Has Spoken.”

McCain Says Obama Plays Politics on Iraq  —  Some Fellow Republicans Question Tactics  —  In his most direct challenge yet of his Democratic presidential rival's Iraq policy, Sen. John McCain suggested yesterday that Sen. Barack Obama had crafted a war strategy designed to further his own political advancement.

McCain Supports Ariz. Proposal to Ban Affirmative Action  —  Sen. John McCain said today that he supports a proposed initiative on the November ballot in Arizona that would ban preferential treatment on the basis of race or sex in public education, jobs and contracting, an apparent change …

Rights Issue Looms as Bush Heads to China  —  Diplomacy During Games Is Subject Of Intense Debate  —  With President Bush set to leave next week for the Olympics in Beijing, the White House is coming under increased pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups to make a public statement …

U.S. Says Contractor Made Little Progress on Iraq Projects  —  The U.S. government paid a California contractor $142 million to build prisons, fire stations and police facilities in Iraq that it never built or finished, according to audits by a watchdog office.

Cuomo to Obama: Be specific  —  Former governor, at FBI fete, says he's unhappy with presidential race  —  COLONIE — Former Gov. Mario Cuomo expressed concern Friday night that Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is not offering specific policy positions.

Democracy Group Gives Donors Access to McCain  —  As Senator John McCain waited to speak at the annual awards dinner of the International Republican Institute, a democracy-building group he has led for 15 years, lobbyists and business executives dominated the stage at a Washington hotel ballroom.

New battles erupt over gun laws  —  From airports to Disney World, the fight to limit firearms continues in the courts  —  ATLANTA—Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a ban on handguns, gun opponents are fighting to preserve or expand gun-free zones …

Speaking In Code  —  I haven't finished Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals yet, but so far it's the probably the creepiest book I've read yet about the Torture Regime.  (Philippe Sands' book Torture Team …