The New York Times is used like an old snot rag  —  Editor's Note Appended  —  The New York Times has retracted an anti-American cover story only a week after it was published.  Captain Ed examines the Times' retraction and is merciless.  Deservedly so, since the Times thought it plausible …

Don't Make Trouble  —  Eleanor Clift has penned a column that she clearly wrote while half in the bag after playing spin the Jameson's with Chris Matthews and John McLaughlin at Bob Shrum's St Paddy's Day bash.  A bigger puddle of misguided conventional wisdom I have not seen in quite some time.

Bush Using Straw-Man Arguments in Speeches  —  WASHINGTON - "Some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day," President Bush said recently.  —  Another time he said, "Some say that if you're Muslim you can't be free."

What We've Gained In 3 Years in Iraq  —  Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down."  Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."  —  Who are they that have expressed these concerns?

Political offensive targets Bush  —  Senate Democrats have mapped a political battle plan for the March congressional recess that calls on lawmakers to stage press events with active duty military personnel, veterans and emergency responders to bash President Bush on virtually every one of his national security policies.

Change the Subject  —  POLITICS IS PRETTY SIMPLE.  If the debate in an upcoming election puts your party at a disadvantage, it makes sense to try to change the debate.  At the moment, the 2006 midterm election is framed as a referendum on the Bush administration and congressional Republicans …

The Letter of the Law  —  The White House says spying on terror suspects without court approval is ok.  What about physical searches?  —  In the dark days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a small group of lawyers from the White House and the Justice Department began meeting …

In pictures: Global anti-war protests  —  Thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities around the world to protest against the war in Iraq, on the third anniversary of the US-led invasion.  —  Across time zones and cultures, their anti-war sentiments and their opposition to the US-led action in Iraq was the same.

22 bodies found in Baghdad  —  Operation Swarmer offensive yields scores of detentions  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraqi police and soldiers found the bodies of 22 people in Baghdad on Saturday who were shot in the head and showed signs of torture, security forces said.

Taliban kill 15 in Afghanistan  —  KANDAHAR: At least nine policemen, a former governor, his four companions and a security guard were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan blamed on the Taliban, Afghan officials said on Saturday.  —  A bomb blast on Friday killed nine policemen …

Huge protests against French job law, some violence  —  PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of students, workers and left-wing politicians took to the streets across France on Saturday to press the conservative government to scrap a new law they fear will erode job security.

Cooking 101: Add 1 Cup of Simplicity  —  As Kitchen Skills Dwindle, Recipes Become Easy as Pie  —  At Kraft Foods, recipes never include words like "dredge" and "sauté."  Betty Crocker recipes avoid "braise" and "truss."  Land O' Lakes has all but banned "fold" and "cream" from its cooking instructions.

ANTI-WAR, PRO-MERCEDES?  —  How do you draw a peace symbol?  —  Wrong:  —  Right:  —  Moonbat blooper flashbacks - thanks to Zombie:  —  San Francisco March 2004...  San Francisco Sept. 2005...  One more oopsy:

Hamas Forms Government Without Moderates  —  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas said Saturday it had completed the formation of its government without succeeding to bring in moderate parties, a step that looked likely to only increase the chances of international isolation.

Washington Whispers  —  The steady creep to the top for Brit Hume's nightly Special Report on Fox—not just the No.1 Washington-originated cable show but also the fourth in all basic cable at 6 p.m.—has the host eyeing the next victim.  "We've been having a series of meetings here about how we can beat Nickelodeon," he says.

Major Changes Raise Concerns on Pension Bill  —  With a strong directive from the Bush administration, Congress set out more than a year ago to fashion legislation that would protect America's private pension system, tightening the rules to make sure companies set aside enough money to make good on their promises to employees.