On Scene: How Operation Swarmer Fizzled  —  Not a shot was fired, or a leader nabbed, in a major offensive that failed to live up to its advance billing … Four Black Hawk helicopters landed in a wheat field and dropped off a television crew, three photographers, three print reporters …

NPR Survey: Republicans Lose Ground on Foreign Policy, National Security; Opportunity for Democrats  —  Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Public Opinion Strategies  —  "...in this poll, when asked which party they trust more on issues such as the Iraq war, foreign ownership of U.S. ports …

DISCLAIM THIS  —  So, the MSM is slowly picking up on the historic release of thousands of documents from Saddam Hussein's archives.  But not without making a concerted effort to downplay and undermine the story.  Readers are calling attention to the disclaimers included in this ABC News story.

U.S. Senate primary could be a plus  —  Ned Lamont, take a bow.  By challenging Joseph Lieberman for the Connecticut Democratic Party's nomination for U.S. senator, Mr. Lamont is encouraging a debate that his party and this state need to have.  —  This is not to suggest that Mr. Lamont …

Abramoff's sentencing delayed to further cooperation  —  Judge approves motion sought by federal investigators  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — A federal judge Friday delayed sentencing of Jack Abramoff, a move the prosecutors requested to further the former lobbyist's cooperation with their investigation.

Can we have investigations NOW?  —  On tonight's Countdown, Keith Olbermann had a short segment with GW Law School Professor, Jonathon Turley in which they discussed an upcoming report in U.S. News & World Report that says the White House has used the same justification for warrantless wiretaps …

Welcome to Spend City  —  There is no specific mention of a "Vote-a-Rama" in the Constitution, which is probably because the Framers could not have imagined what happened in the Senate yesterday: The chamber's 100 members gathered and, in a frenzy of legislative activity, did their darnedest to empty the Treasury.

Harris advisers urged her to quit  —  Katherine Harris' chief political strategist said Thursday that he suggested she abandon her bid for the U.S. Senate because it would be a "tough row to hoe" given the numerous setbacks the campaign had suffered.  —  But Harris refused.

Boehlert statement: "It's Time"  —  Two people for whom I have the utmost respect influenced what I am about to say.  Both are well known, one a most talented and effective public servant, and other a baseball great.  —  In January 2005 I sent a personal note to then Secretary of State Colin Powell …

United Press International … NEWSTRACK: Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has asked Nigeria to return former strongman Charles Taylor.  A registered sex offender accused of raping two 17-year-old girls in an underground dungeon was arrested Friday near his South Carolina home.

Teflon Europe  —  The prison at Guantanamo Bay was designed to interrogate terrorists and jihadists swept up from the battlefield: the idea was to keep them as prisoners of war in a war that was undeclared, and as enemy combatants without uniforms or officers.

It's three years since the disarmament of Saddam and all that followed . . .  IN MARCH 2003 Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, of the UN, secured a remarkable, last-minute deal that averted war and seemed to guarantee the disarmament of Iraq.  "Saddam Hussein has finally consented to eliminate …

Emboldened Democrats court party's left wing  —  Sen. Clinton seen abandoning turf  —  Stepping up their message to the left are Senators John F. Kerry (left) of Massachusetts, Evan Bayh of Indiana, former senator John Edwards of North Carolina, and former Virginia governor Mark Warner.

Florida Rested Cliff's Corner  —  The Week That Was 3/17/06  —  Another week.  More preposterousness to report.  —  As regular readers are aware, I usually spend this hallowed space in Mr. Aravosis' media empire pontificating about the comic personal failings of virtually every falafel-loving right-wing Republican.

Senate passes funeral-protest bill 58-1  —  Only Sen. Becky Lourey, mother of a fallen soldier, dissented.  The bill may go to a conference committee.  —  With a lone dissenting vote from Sen. Becky Lourey, the Senate approved restrictions Thursday on funeral protests such as one that marred …