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White House Accidentally E-Mails to Reporters Story That Maliki Supports Obama Iraq Withdrawal Plan — The White House this afternoon accidentally sent to its extensive distribution list a Reuters story headlined “Iraqi PM backs Obama troop exit plan - magazine.”
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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.

Al-Maliki's Announcement: A Big Deal — This could be one of those unexpected events that forever changes the way the world perceives an issue. Iraq's Prime Minister agrees with Obama, and there's no wiggle room or fudge factor. This puts John McCain in an extremely precarious spot …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Raw Story, Emptywheel, Matthew Yglesias, The Daily Dish, The Jed Report and rubber hose

McCain Campaign Responds To Al-Maliki — “His domestic politics require him to be for us getting out,” said a senior McCain campaign official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “The military says ‘conditions based’ and Maliki said ‘conditions based’ yesterday in the joint statement with Bush.
Discussion:
The Road to Surfdom, Abu Aardvark, Ben Smith's Blogs, Think Progress, democracyarsenal.org and TIME.com

Maliki Backs Obama's Troop Withdrawal Plan — The policies and whims of American leaders have played a major role in politics in Iraq and elsewhere. And now, it's Iraqi President Nouri Kamal al-Maliki's turn to dip his toes in the United States's race for the White House.

PRETTY WEAK — The McCain campaign has just come out with their response to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki's endorsement of Obama's withdrawal plan. I think the clotted, dodging-the-issue nature of the response communicates very clearly the box this has placed the McCain camp in.

BIG DEAL? NO ... BIGGER — I've spent a couple hours now trying to process the probable impact of Prime Minister al Maliki's explicit endorsement of Barack Obama's 16 month timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. My first instinct is always to try not to overstate the impact of momentary developments.

Maliki: Obama's 16-month timetable sounds good; Update: Spiegel changes quote — Here's the exchange from Spiegel's English translation, duly hyped by Reuters as tacit evidence of Liberal Jesus's foreign-policy sagacity. … The unasked follow-up question: How about the 14-month timetable …

Iraqi PM backs Obama troop exit plan: report
Discussion:
The Field on the Narcosphere, American Power, protein wisdom, The Impolitic, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, VetVoice, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, Donklephant, Brilliant at Breakfast, RADAMISTO, rochesterturning.com, The Carpetbagger Report, Macsmind, The Volokh Conspiracy, PoliBlog (TM), Polimom Says, Whiskey Fire, New York Times, Political Machine, Spin Cycle, the talking dog, Think Progress, Harry's Place, The Anonymous Liberal, Washington Monthly, www.redstate.com, Corrente, pandagon.net, The Moderate Voice, Pajamas Media, CNN, Matthew Yglesias, TalkLeft, BBC, No More Mister Nice Blog, Gateway Pundit and The Political Carnival

Brown Says No ‘Artificial Timetable’ for Iraq Troop Withdrawal
Discussion:
Commentary

It's Over
Discussion:
Donklephant, Taylor Marsh, AMERICAblog News, Hullabaloo, The Moderate Voice and Pirate's Cove

Bush Accepts Time Horizon for US Troop withdrawal
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com

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 …

Gore compares offshore drilling to invasion of Iraq — In a surprise appearance at Netroots Nation — which apparently was the worst-kept secret in Austin, Texas — former Vice President Al Gore followed up a speech by Nancy Pelosi by laying out a narrative on climate change and the energy crisis …
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Immigrant, Pregnant, Is Jailed Under Pact — It started when Juana Villegas, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was nine months pregnant, was pulled over by a police officer in a Nashville suburb for a routine traffic violation. — By the time Mrs. Villegas was released …
Discussion:
Lonewacko


Gallup Daily: Obama Maintains Slight Edge Over McCain — Advantage is two points in latest update — PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking updates shows the presidential race remains close, with Barack Obama continuing to hold a slight advantage over John McCain, 45% to 43%.
Discussion:
American Spectator

Nancy Pelosi: “Two oil men in the White House” are responsible for high oil prices — Who knew Nancy Pelosi was such a straight-shooter? When Wolf Blitzer tries to pin part of the blame for the current energy crisis on the Democratic Congress, Pelosi shoots back by saying her House …
Discussion:
Macsmind

From Argentina's Clarin newspaper: Resurrected U.S. Fourth Fleet Creates Suspicion Across South America — Why has the United States decided to resurrect the U.S. Navy's Fourth Fleet, which has been in mothballs since the 1950s? And why has it chosen to do so now?
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com


Means Testing, for Medicare — RIGHT now, the United States is in the midst of a financial crisis, but even more pressing problems may lie ahead — and the presidential candidates aren't addressing them. — No matter who sits in the Oval Office next year, there won't be many degrees of freedom in the federal budget.