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 …

Obama sees doctor for sore hip  —  CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) - Just back from an eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Barack Obama went to see a doctor Sunday night at the University of Chicago Medical Center to examine a sore hip.  —  “His hip has been sore from basketball for a few weeks …

For Obama, Hurdles in Expanding Black Vote  —  MACON, Ga. — Amanda Bass, a volunteer for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, had already tried once to get Wilmer Gray to register to vote.  But when she glimpsed him in a black T-shirt and White Sox cap again on a recent weekday …

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.”

Funds for Highways Plummet As Drivers Cut Gasoline Use  —  An unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the funds available to rebuild the nation's aging highway system and expand mass-transit options, underscoring the economic impact of high gasoline prices.

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.

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 …

The way forward for Fannie and Freddie  —  Anyone who cares about the health of the US economy should welcome the enactment of the Treasury's rescue plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with other measures to support the housing market.  While there is room for argument about details …

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 …

Rwanda's Women Are Leading the Way  —  I have recently returned from Rwanda.  I was last there in 1994, at the height of the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandans.  The memories of what I saw haunt me still.  —  I wasn't sure what to expect all these years later …

McCain has reason to smile as he visits state  —  He's been portrayed by Democrats as the grumpy old man of foreign policy and the “McSame” candidate.  But even after a brutal week that put his competitor, Barack Obama, in a glowing international spotlight, Republican Sen. John McCain is coming …