International:
Syria Says Israel Hit `unused Building'
Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed Monday that Israeli warplanes attacked a target inside his country last month and didn't just intrude into its air space, but he said the jets hit only an "unused military building." More here...

Pakistan's Drama Continues A follower of Sharif takes part in a demo to protest his hero's deportation. Sharif flew from London to Islamabad after seven years in exile, but was sent to Saudi Arabia after just four hours on the ground. Details

National: Nebraskans Await Kerrey Decision on Senate Run
Democrats eyeing a potential gain of a U.S. Senate seat in the 2008 election are hoping Bob Kerrey won't abandon a potential run after being linked to convicted thief and Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu.

Conservative Christians to Consider 3rd Party Option
Some of the nation's most politically influential conservative Christians, alarmed by the prospect of a Republican presidential nominee who supports abortion rights, are considering backing a third-party candidate.

More than 40 Christian conservatives attended a meeting Saturday in Salt Lake City to discuss the possibility, and planned more gatherings on how they should move forward, according to Richard A. Viguerie, the direct-mail expert and longtime conservative activist. More here...

In Other News…
Gen. David Petraeus said the United States is prepared to "reciprocate" if Iran halts shipments of arms to Iraq's Shia Muslim militias. Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, rejected accusations that Iran is providing weapons. He added that Iran is ready to work with the U.S. to "help them materialize" a withdrawal from Iraq.

"For the fifth time since 2001, Congress is raising the debt limit, increasing it by $850 billion to $9.815 trillion. The Senate approved the plan on a 53-42 vote Thursday night. The House of Representatives has already signed off on the plan, without a direct vote."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates "told a group of U.S. House Democratic lawmakers that the multinational mission in Afghanistan is suffering from a lack of resources, citing the war in Iraq and the reluctance of U.S. allies to contribute more troops, participants at the meeting said."

Yesterday, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq "criticized a Senate resolution that could lead to a division" of the country "into sectarian or ethnic territories, agreeing with a swath of Iraqi leaders in saying the proposal 'would produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed.'"

"Out of a political stalemate over Iraq, domestic policy is surging to prominence on Capitol Hill" this week, with "Republicans and Democrats preparing for a time-honored clash over health care, tax policy, the scope of government and its role in America’s problems at home." According to the Washington Post, Republicans view the shift away from Iraq as "a relief."

Defense contractor Brent Wilkes goes on trial tomorrow "to fight federal charges that he funneled more than $700,000 in bribes" to former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham "in the form of both cash and perks ranging from a Sea-Doo jet boat to the services of two prostitutes at a high-end Hawaiian resort."

Dow Jones Passes 14,000 for Record High

From 2002, Jim Webb warned we'd be in Iraq for a long time.

The US is training Gulf air forces in case of war with Iran.

Judge rules Bush can’t block presidential records.

Obama Raises $19 Million in Last Quarter

From The Right: Dinesh D'Souza: The New York Times' Left-Wing Discount Imagine if the New York Times gave half-price ad space to the National Right to Life Committee or the National Rifle Association. It would never happen, of course, but if it did, you can envision the left-wing clamor.

From the Left: Dean Baker: From WMDs to Social Security: More Bush Stories The latest Bush story is the cry that Social Security is going bankrupt and will impose an unbearable burden on our children and grandchildren. Of course, this is not the first time President Bush has gone after Social Security.

Quote Of The Day: "I heard Dennis Kucinich say in a debate, 'When I'm president... and I just wanted to stop him and say, 'Dude.' " Jon Stewart

(Sources: TownHall, TruthOut, AP, FOXNews, ThinkProgress, NewsMax, DrudgeReport, NYT, WashingtonTimes, Telegraph, FinancialTimes, McClatchy, Bloomberg, CBSNews, ABCNews, PoliticalWire, Time)