Iraqi PM disputes report on withdrawal plan  —  (CNN) — A German magazine quoted Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as saying that he backed a proposal by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months.

Obama eats with troops, meets Karzai  —  KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Sunday as part of a tour aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials.  —  The Illinois senator met with Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan, a U.S. government source told CNN.

Al Gore Surprise Guest At Netroots Nation  —  Al Gore surprised — and delighted — the crowd at the Netroots Nation conference in Austin, Texas today, appearing on the heels of a speech by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  (Update: Video here.)  —  According to the various Twitter feeds …

MSNBC prez on Fox News: “You can't trust a word they say”  —  MSNBC president Phil Griffin spoke with me earlier this week, a few hours after he was promoted to his new post (see my earlier story).  Because of what the techies call a “catastrophic failure” of my hard drive (a strange phrase …

Top Dem Party Officials Send Sharply-Worded Email Demanding That Hillary Donors And Supporters Get Behind Obama  —  In a sign that senior Democratic officials remain deeply concerned that post-primary bitterness could imperil Barack Obama's chances, two top Democratic officials have emailed …

Gramm quits McCain campaign  —  Former senator Phil Gramm announced last night that he has stepped down as cochairman of John McCain's presidential campaign to end the “distraction” caused by his remarks the nation was filled with “whiners” who complain about the economy.

It Came From Outer Space  —  July 19, Oxford, UK-Death by asteroids, comets and gamma ray bursts was on the agenda of the conference on Global Catastrophic Risks this morning.  First up was NASA senior scientist David Morrison to talk about the Spaceguard Survey and the threat of a catastrophic asteroid strike.

Lawmakers Could Consider Gas Tax Hike, After Gas Tax Holiday Fails  —  WASHINGTON — The political vision of a summer gas tax holiday died a quick death in Congress, losing to a view that federal excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel — far from dropping — will have to go up if they go anywhere.

How a Young Lawyer Saved the Second Amendment  —  For decades the Second Amendment might as well have been called the Second-Class Amendment.  The U.S. Supreme Court spent the late 20th century expansively interpreting the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth amendments …