As Democracy Push Falters, Bush Feels Like a 'Dissident'  —  By the time he arrived in Prague in June for a democracy conference, President Bush was frustrated.  He had committed his presidency to working toward the goal of "ending tyranny in our world," yet the march of freedom seemed stalled.

Clinton backers see Warner — not Obama — as best V.P. choice  —  Anticipating that Sen. Hillary Clinton will clinch the Democratic presidential nomination, some supporters are beginning to argue against her choosing her principal rival — Sen. Barack Obama — for vice president.

Democratic Rivals Caution Against Swift Iraq Pullout  —  The leading Democratic presidential contenders sounded a note of caution about a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq in a largely civil debate Sunday morning that also returned to the familiar themes of experience and electability.

Immigration Activist Arrested Outside L.A. Church  —  Elvira Arellano Taken Into Custody Sunday Afternoon  —  CBS News Interactive: Immigration and Naturalization  —  (AP) LOS ANGELES An illegal immigrant who stayed in a Chicago church for a year to avoid separation from her 8-year-old son …

HOW THE NEW REPUBLIC GOT SUCKERED  —  When Pajamas Media heard the authenticity questions surrounding the "Baghdad Diarist" articles by Scott Thomas Beauchamp in The New Republic, we asked our Washington Editor Richard Miniter to look into how the respected opinion magazine could once again be the locus of such a scandal.

An Interview With Robert Novak  —  On Friday of last week, I did a telephone interview with Robert Novak about his book, The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington.  What follows is the transcript of our interview (Note: This interview has been edited slightly to correct grammar and for brevity's sake.)

Vladimir Putin rewrites Russia's history books to promote patriotism  —  Critics are accusing President Vladimir Putin's government of a Soviet-style rewriting of Russian history with a series of new "patriotic" textbooks to be unveiled in the new school year.

Roadside bomb kills Iraq governor  —  The Shia governor of Iraq's southern Muthana province has been killed by a roadside bomb, officials have said.  —  The governor, Mohammed Ali al-Hasani, was killed when the bomb exploded next to his convoy as it drove through the provincial capital, Samawa, police say.

Kurds flee homes as Iran shells Iraqi villages  —  Iraqi Kurdish officials expressed deepening concern yesterday at an upsurge in fierce clashes between Kurdish guerrillas and Iranian forces in the remote border area of north-east Iraq, where Tehran has recently deployed thousands of Revolutionary Guards.

A Rush To Frame Views on Congress  —  Ads Start Before Presidential Race Consumes Voters  —  Democrats and Republicans are mounting a fierce battle to shape voter impressions of Congress during August's political lull, convinced that they must define the story line of the 2008 congressional election …

Al Qaeda's Travel Agent  —  Damascus International Airport is a hub for terrorists.  —  The United States is at last making significant progress against al Qaeda in Iraq—but the road to victory now requires cutting off al Qaeda's road to Iraq through Damascus.

Short Fuse  —  Mitt Romney has been trying to persuade conservative voters that, even though he was governor of Massachusetts, he has not been contaminated by the Commonwealth's peculiar passions.  And in fact, his recent financial disclosure form offers documented proof of how he differs from the masses of Massachusetts.

Rove Talks: If Mistakes Were Made, They Weren't His  —  Karl Rove says he feels like Moby Dick.  —  In a television tour of three Sunday morning shows as his departure from the White House nears, Mr. Rove, President Bush's chief political adviser, complained that Democratic leaders …

Seven-year-old Muslim boy stopped in US on suspicion of being a terrorist  —  For seven-year-old Javaid Iqbal, the holiday to Florida was a dream trip to reward him for doing well at school.  —  But he was left in tears after he was stopped repeatedly at airports on suspicion of being a terrorist.

Scientists hail 'frozen smoke' as material that will change world  —  A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man to fly to Mars.  —  Aerogel, one of the world's lightest solids, can withstand a direct blast …