Hmmm...Is Ignatius hint-dropping?

McCain's loyalty to Bush on Iraq is that he won't rule out becoming secretary of defense if Rumsfeld goes. "I would have to assess where I can be most effective," he said, adding: "It's awfully hard to say no to the president of the United States."

James Mann lays out a way for Bolten to tackle the Rummy issue. 

Iran

In the NYT, Rose Gottemoeller explains how Russia can end the impasse. Iran says it will continue to export oil even if its nuclear facilities are bombed. Nicholas Burns says he's working on binding resolution with the EU.

The LAT argues:

Washington must be prepared to de-emphasize its "regime change" agenda and to seek more subtle ways of trying to influence the Iranian regime's demeanor. It would be self-defeating, and a departure from historical precedent, to adopt an absolutist policy of not negotiating nuclear issues with governments the administration finds unsavory — say because they support Hamas. Plenty of U.S. presidents, after all, engaged in arms talks with unsavory Soviet leaders.

Elsewhere

Dozens dead in new Iraq violence.  

The EU donated money to Malawi for a road. Malawi named it after Robert Mugabe. 

Nina Shea calls George Clooney's Darfur advocacy "a foolish display." Taliban getting stronger in Afghanistan's south. A look at Bolivia's nationalization of it's mostly natural gas energy industry. Mexico legalizes the possession of "25 milligrams of heroin, a fifth of an ounce of marijuana or half a gram of cocaine."

Mistreating widows isn't a fundamental aspect of Hinduism, so why does the NYT call the people who are lashing out at Deepa Mehta's new film "Hindu Fundamentalists?" I prefer to call 'em "regressive Hindus." Did it strike anyone else as odd that Elisabeth Bumiller, who covers the White House, filed a piece on an Indian movie?