BUSH PROMISES SUPPORT IN BAGHDAD: President Bush told Iraq's prime minister and his cabinet Tuesday that "we'll keep our commitment" not to withdraw troops from the country until the new government is capable of defending itself. During an unannounced visit to Baghdad aimed at buttressing the newly formed government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Bush pledged his support for the country's new leader and declared that "the fate of the Iraqi people is in their hands, and our job is to help them succeed." Washington Post: In Baghdad, Bush Pledges Support to Iraqi Leader

NO CHEERS FOR CLINTON:Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) drew boos and hisses from an audience of liberal activists yesterday as she defended her opposition to a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, and later she received an implicit rebuke from Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) for failing to acknowledge that her support for the war was a mistake. Washington Post: Liberal Activists Boo Clinton

DEMS TO DELIVER NEW PLAN: Democratic House and Senate leaders are planning to reduce the cost of student loans and prescription drugs, raise the minimum wage and launch an effort to develop alternative fuels if they win back control of Congress. In an interview Tuesday with USA TODAY, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi previewed the "New Direction for America" platform hammered out by Democratic members of Congress, mayors and governors. She and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid plan to formally unveil the plan today. USA Today: 'New Direction' is new theme for Democratic plan

WIN THE MAJORITY FIRST, THEN GO FOR MAJORITY LEADER: Representative John P. Murtha, a candidate for majority leader if Democrats take control of the House from Republicans in November, said he would not actively campaign for that post until after the elections. "I'm encouraged, but I'm willing to suspend it if it diverts from my major reason: that's winning the House back," said Mr. Murtha, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Murtha, a former marine, has gained prominence in recent months by leading his party in demanding an early troop withdrawal from Iraq. Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland also plans to seek the majority leader post if Democrats gain 15 seats and Representative Nancy Pelosi ascends to the position of speaker. New York Times: Democratic Congressman Hesitant on Leadership

SIGNS OF HOPE IN NEBRASKA FOR DEMOCRATS: It was standing room only the other night at the Blue Bottle Coffeehouse. The Dodge County Democrats were meeting for their convention - and there were about 60 of them, up from barely a dozen in 2004. That was enough for outgoing chairman Jim Dake to declare the county's Democratic Party officially revitalized. "The proof is all around you," he said. "We've filled the room." Early organizing, early advertising and a full slate of candidates for Congress are among the signs of hope for Democrats in this conservative farm state with a streak of prairie populism. Their real test will come on Election Day, though, and Republicans here say they shouldn't get their hopes too high. USA Today: Democrats rebuild on the prairie

KENNEDY TAKES PLEA: He arrived with the trappings of an American prince: a storied family name; a somber blue suit set off by a sumptuous orange-striped necktie; an entourage that included a lawyer, a congressman, a phalanx of aides and news reporters... But in this first case after lunch yesterday in Courtroom 115 of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, no proof was necessary. "I am pleading guilty to driving under the influence," said Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, Democrat of Rhode Island. Providence Journal: In D.C. court, Kennedy pleads guilty

EX-GOP VS. GOP IN VIRGINIA SENATE RACE: Former Republican James H. Webb Jr. handily won a Democratic U.S. Senate primary yesterday, setting up a fall contest with Sen. George Allen that will draw national attention. Webb, who was a secretary of the Navy for President Reagan, racked up large margins in Northern Virginia. Webb, who endorsed Allen in 2000, last night questioned Allen's leadership, saying he had blindly followed President Bush on the war in Iraq and in sending jobs overseas. Richmond Times-Dispatch: Senate race set -- Webb to face Allen

SC: GOVERNOR'S RACE SET: The Democratic race for governor that started out a year ago with candidates taking aim at Republican Gov. Mark Sanford was in the hands of voters Tuesday. Sanford, meanwhile, easily won his party's nomination, but a little-known and poorly funded challenger was able to grab enough of the vote to send a message to the incumbent. The Post and Courier: Sanford beats challenger in Republican race; Governor to face Democrat Moore

MAINE SENATE RACE TOO CLOSE TO CALL: Sen. Olympia Snowe was unopposed on Republican ballots Tuesday as she geared up her quest for a third term while two Democrats seeking their party's nomination to become her underdog challenger in November were narrowly spaced in a race too close to call. AP on MaineToday: Two Democrats in tight battle for Senate nomination