Iraqi PM backs Obama troop exit plan: report  —  BERLIN (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months.

Live Blogging: Al Gore To Appear This Morning At Netroots Nation Convention  —  “Former Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to speak this morning to more than 2,000 bloggers and others meeting at the Netroots Nation convention.  His appearance here has been kept hush hush …

McCain, 71, nods off on ‘Late Night with Conan’  —  By the time Sen. John McCain gets on NBC's “Late Night with Conan O'Brien” tonight, it's gonna look like it's way past the veteran senator's bedtime.  —  The show was, of course, taped this afternoon, a little bit late due to a very surprising event …

‘Stunningly Shameful’  —  The Bush administration flip-flops on Iran.  —  On January 23, 2008, during her keynote speech at the glitzy World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Condoleezza Rice made a surprisingly friendly gesture to the Iranian regime.  She said, in this final year …

Political harmony v. the rule of law: an easy choice for the political establishment  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  Former Congressman Harold Ford appeared at the Netroots Nation conference yesterday, argued that Bush officials shouldn't be held accountable for crimes they committed while in office …

McCAIN CLAIMS VICTORY IN IRAQ— Let the Gnashing of Teeth Begin  —  My, what a difference 2 years and a successful surge make in a political landscape.  —  Two years ago Republicans cringed when Iraq was discussed.  —  ...Not any more.  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats could not surrender in time for defeat in Iraq.

Eyes Off the Price  —  Durham, N.C.  —  AS I stand at the gas station filling my tank, the meter tallies how much it's going to cost me.  At this station, a gallon is $4.26, and as the meter passes the $20 mark, then the $30, I realize that I am paying too much attention to the price of gasoline.

Things We'd Rather You Not Say on the Web, Or Anywhere Else  —  Following George Carlin's death last month, China Beat got to thinking about his “seven dirty words” and what those same “seven words” might be in China.  We invited David Bandurski of China Media Project to write a satirical piece …

Gramm stands down  —  Former Sen. Phil Gramm is stepping down from his post as national co-chair for John McCain a week after creating headaches for the campaign by calling Americans “whiners” and saying the country was only experiencing a “mental recession.”