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.

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.)

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.

Why Study War?  —  Military history teaches us about honor, sacrifice, and the inevitability of conflict.  —  Try explaining to a college student that Tet was an American military victory.  You'll provoke not a counterargument—let alone an assent—but a blank stare: Who or what was Tet?

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.

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.

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.

Immigration Activist Deported to Mexico  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) - An illegal immigrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year to avoid being separated from her U.S.-born son has been deported to Mexico, the church's pastor said.  —  Elvira Arellano became an activist and a national symbol …

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.

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 …

McCain Conference Call  —  John McCain conducted another of his blogger conference calls this morning to promote his speech later at the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Arlington.  In taking a look at the speech released by his campaign before the event, McCain focuses on national security and the war in Iraq.

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 …

On Tap  —  The New York Times calls it an "unnecessary and dangerous expansion of President Bush's powers" and warns that it will "allow the government to intercept, without a warrant, every communication into or out of any country, including the United States."

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 …