DUDE, WHERE'S MY CIVIL WAR?  —  I'M trying.  I've been trying all week.  The other day, I drove another 30 miles or so on the streets and alleys of Baghdad.  I'm looking for the civil war that The New York Times declared.  And I just can't find it.  —  Maybe actually being on the ground in Iraq prevents me from seeing it.

Gergen: Bush worst than Nixon on Secrecy  —  Gergen: Bush worst than Nixon on Secrecy  —  David Gergen appeared on "Reliable Sources," this morning and said this administration is trying to put journalists in jail.  Lock em' all up.  More intimidation and attack the messenger tactics …

How we duped the West, by Iran's nuclear negotiator  —  The man who for two years led Iran's nuclear negotiations has laid out in unprecedented detail how the regime took advantage of talks with Britain, France and Germany to forge ahead with its secret atomic programme.

Transcript for March 5  —  MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Iraq.  Hundreds of civilians die as Iraqis, Sunnis and Shiites kill each other.  Is this a civil war?  What does it mean for the 130,000 American troops on the ground?  With us: the top military man at the Pentagon …

Live-Blogging the Oscars 2006  —  Does anybody care what Nicole Kidman is wearing (or not)?  Does anybody care how many times Jon Stewart disses Dick Cheney?  Does anybody care who even wins the Academy Awards anymore?  —  Yes, we all care - even if we say we don't... It's the Oscars, after all!

We Are (Aren't) Safer With India in the Nuclear Club  —  HAS President Bush just made the world a safer or a more dangerous place?  —  That question lingered after he reached a deal with India last week recognizing that India is never giving up its nuclear weapons, and declaring …

Primary is a barometer for DeLay  —  "I'm like a cemetery — I'll take anything!"  —  That was the exhortation from U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, Sugar Land Republican and certified auctioneer, as he squeezed $16,600 from the crowd during a live auction at a Harris County Republican Party dinner last week.

Control and Sex  —  I earlier linked to Digby's post about the South Dakota ban on all abortions except when the woman's life is threatened by the pregnancy.  In that post Digby quotes an example of the type of abortion which would not be allowed under this ban:

The New York Times and the Great Wal-Mart Blogger Conspiracy  —  New York Times reporter Michael Barbaro is working on a story about the fact that public relations people working for the giant retailer Wal-Mart have been feeding news tips and information to sympathetic bloggers around the country.

Democratic Leaders Question Whether Dean's Right on the Money  —  Democratic congressional leaders aren't happy with the way Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is spending money.  At a private meeting last month, they let him know.  —  Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid …

The Book of Bart  —  In the Bestseller 'Misquoting Jesus,' Agnostic Author Bart Ehrman Picks Apart the Gospels That Made a Disbeliever Out of Him  —  CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Where does faith reside?  In the soul?  The mind, the marrow of the bones?  —  In the long hours of the night …

Life After Roe  —  For the first time in 14 years, legal abortion in the United States is in serious jeopardy.  —  In recent days, the shape of this assault has become clear.  First, on the morning of Justice Samuel Alito Jr.'s debut, the Supreme Court announced that it would review …

URGENT: Tell Chuck Hagel to Stand Up to Bill Frist  —  Day 3: "The Kansas Project"...continues....  With the prospect of hearings investigating the Bush Administration's domestic spying program looming - pending what should prove a decisive March 7th vote - Senate Republican leader Bill Frist …

Dark Portrait of a 'Painter of Light'  —  Christian-themed artist Thomas Kinkade is accused of ruthless tactics and seamy personal conduct.  He disputes the allegations.  —  Thomas Kinkade is famous for his luminous landscapes and street scenes, those dreamy, deliberately inspirational images …

Holland to allow 'baby euthanasia'  —  WHEN Frank and Anita's daughter Chanou was born with an extremely rare, incurable illness in August 2000, they knew that her life would be short and battled against the odds to make it happy.  —  They struggled around the clock against their baby's pain.