Liz Cheney Joins The Michael Steele Should Resign Chorus  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  Another prominent neoconservative has called for RNC Chairman Michael Steele to resign in the wake of his calling the Afghanistan war a largely un-winnable conflict of President Obama's choosing.

Biden Visits Iraq, Offering Diplomacy Amid Impasse  —  BAGHDAD — Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. landed here on Saturday evening for a visit that signaled a desire by the United States to step deeper into a four-month political stalemate that has become a backdrop to the drawdown of American forces this summer.

Illinois Stops Paying Its Bills, but Can't Stop Digging Hole  —  CHICAGO — Even by the standards of this deficit-ridden state, Illinois's comptroller, Daniel W. Hynes, faces an ugly balance sheet.  Precisely how ugly becomes clear when he beckons you into his office to examine his daily briefing memo.

Jefferson changed ‘subjects’ to ‘citizens’ in Declaration of Independence  —  “Subjects.”  —  That's what Thomas Jefferson first wrote in an early draft of the Declaration of Independence to describe the people of the 13 colonies.  —  But in a moment when history took a sharp turn …

An Apology to Maradona, a Rollicking Genius  —  Dear Diego: It is high time that we critics say sorry, and thank you.  —  We misjudged your appointment as coach.  We believed that Julio Grondona, the 78-year-old president of Argentina's soccer federation, had lost all sense of reason in asking you …

Spend or Scrimp?  Two Sides in White House Debate  —  WASHINGTON — Not since the first years of the Clinton administration has a White House had to debate whether to give precedence to stimulating the economy or reducing budget deficits.  Now, as the recovery shows signs of faltering …

Clinton announces U.S. pledge of $15M for Auschwitz preservation  —  The Obama administration has pledged $15 million to the foundation created to preserve the Auschwitz concentration camp.  —  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the grant Saturday that will go to the Auschwitz …

Gates Tightens Rules for Military and the Press  —  WASHINGTON — Nine days after a four-star general was relieved of command for comments made to Rolling Stone magazine, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued orders on Friday tightening the reins on officials dealing with the news media.

Petraeus Assumes Command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan  —  On Deadly Day in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus Arrives in Kabul to Take Control of War  —  As Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Kabul today to take control of the long Afghanistan war, a pre-dawn attack on an American aid organization …

29% Say Stimulus Plan Helped the Economy, 43% Say It Hurt  —  Just 25% of voters nationwide believe the economic stimulus package created jobs and voters are counting on decisions made by business owners more than government officials to create the jobs needed by the nation.

Moynihan, as Nixon aide, warned of global warming  —  YORBA LINDA, Calif. — Documents released Friday by the Nixon Presidential Library show members of President Richard Nixon's inner circle discussing the possibilities of global warming more than 30 years ago.

Following up on ‘the first female president’  —  In the days since I suggested that President Obama's rhetorical style mimics feminine tropes, I've been informed of the following:  —  One, a black man cannot show anger in public lest he be considered an Angry Black Man.

Economy lags as job growth remains weak  —  The economic expansion is sputtering.  —  Private employers added only 83,000 jobs in June, the government said Friday, too few to keep up with growth in the working-age population.  And the unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent from 9.7 percent …

Study of Waterboarding Coverage Prompts a Debate in the Press  —  A study released this week of the four biggest newspapers in the United States said that in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, there was “a dramatic shift in coverage away from nearly a century of practice recognizing waterboarding as torture.”

Debt agony  —  Every few days Pakistan makes the worst kind of headlines: bombings in markets and mosques, battles with the Taleban.  But, much less widely reported, the daily lives of millions of Pakistanis are consumed by another problem.  They have to cope with desperate poverty.

Pelosi: End The Filibuster  —  WHAT'S YOUR REACTION?  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has some advice for her Senate counterparts: Try majority rule for a change.  Pelosi, in an interview with the Huffington Post, called for an end to the filibuster, which she labeled “the 60-vote stranglehold on the future.”