CHOICES AT THE TOP  —  President Obama won the White House in part by promising to end the war in Iraq, and since then he placed his faith in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to help him do so.  It was Maliki who would hold together the state that the Americans had helped build.

Iraq's Military Seen as Unlikely to Turn the Tide  —  BAGHDAD — As Iraqi Army forces try to rally on the outskirts of Baghdad after two weeks of retreat, it has become increasingly clear to Western officials that the army will continue to suffer losses in its fight with Sunni militants and will not soon retake the ground it has ceded.

In Mississippi, Jenny Beth Martin and Tea Party Patriots try to prove their worth  —  Never mind that it's 92 degrees and nearing the end of the day: Jenny Beth Martin has started jogging between houses.  —  “I've gotta get my steps,” she calls back to the rented Suburban with the Florida license plates …

Conservatives Plan to Use Poll Watchers in Mississippi  —  WASHINGTON — As Senator Thad Cochran, the veteran Republican, fights for his political life in Mississippi by taking the unexpected step of courting black Democrats, conservative organizations working to defeat him are planning …