An Affront to Civilization  —  We should have no illusions that Afghanistan — in many ways the backwater of the Islamic world — will soon embrace Western-style religious pluralism.  But the trial of Abdul Rahman, who faces a potential death sentence for converting to Christianity some 15 years ago, is an affront to civilization.

Russ Never Sleeps  —  'Politicians and Pundits Are Afraid,' Says Wisconsin's Feingold, As Democrats Abandon Him on Bush Wiretap Censure Motion; Will Senator Become the Eugene McCarthy of '08 Primaries?  —  None of this fits any of the tried-and-true formulations in the red-and-blue American playbook.

Clinton vows to block bill criminalizing illegal immigrants  —  NEW YORK — Invoking Biblical themes, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton joined immigration advocates Wednesday to vow and block legislation seeking to criminalize undocumented immigrants.  —  Clinton, a potential 2008 presidential candidate …

To Hell with the "To Hell With The 'To Hell With Them' Hawks" Hawks  —  Just kidding there — actually, making the point that "The 'To Hell With Them' Hawks" is a really clunky way of identifying a faction.  It used to be said of the mathematician Camille Jordan, whose papers were famously unreadable …

AP's Bush 'Straw Man' Story: News Analysis Or Unlabeled Opinion?  —  NEW YORK Did a recent Associated Press story examining President George Bush's alleged tendency to use a "straw man" approach in his speeches cross the line from news to biased opinion?  Or was it just a long-overdue …

A Punchy President Meets the Press  —  President Bush had a senior moment midway through his news conference yesterday.  Referring to an earlier question from the Los Angeles Times' Jim Gerstenzang, who has covered much of Bush's presidency, Bush looked at the veteran correspondent — and forgot his name.

I Am Very Worried About 2006  —  The Democratic primary in the IL-06 was not supposed to be close.  I travel to DC often these days (in fact, I am about to leave for DC now), and from everyone I had talked to down there, I was told more or less the same thing: Duckworth will win this primary, and win it huge.

Albright lectures on public service  —  Madeleine Albright says she knows how to have fun.  —  Soon after Albright became Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton LAW '73, she received a memo informing her that she would be required — at an upcoming Asian summit of foreign ministers — to perform a skit.

Git Yer Boots On, It's Recess Time!  —  It's recess time on the Hill and our congressional representatives are trekking into their own back yards for a spell — the perfect time to stop by and let them know how you feel about leading Democrat Russ Feingold's censure resolution.

Court rejects searches when occupants disagree  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the police cannot enter a home and seize evidence without a warrant when one occupant agreed to the search after the other occupant refused permission.

Comments About Comments  —  A few notes are in order after the impressive reaction to the premiere of this blog.  —  First off, a note of thanks to the liberal side of washingtonpost.com's readership, which has weighed in on Red America in this comment thread.

President Discusses War on Terror, Progress in Iraq in West Virginia  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much.  Please be seated.  Thanks for coming.  First of all, Terry, thanks for the invitation.  My purpose is to share with you what's on my mind, and then I look forward to hearing what's on yours.

SOCIAL SCIENCE MIS-REPORTING AND THE VALUE OF SKEPTICISM  —  On Monday, the Toronto Star printed an article which delighted liberals and lit up the conservative blogosphere with indignation.  In the article, How to spot a baby conservative, Kurt Kleiner reports on a study in the Journal …

Will Your Job Survive?  —  In case you've been worrying about how the war in Iraq will end, or the coming of avian flu, or the extinction of the universe as we drift into the cosmic void, well, relax.  Here's something you should really fret about: the future of the U.S. economy in the age of globalization.

Ex-Govt staffer condemns US 'ineptitude'  —  Reporter: Tony Jones  —  TONY JONES: Well, as the chaos in Iraq continues, more and more former supporters of the war are reviewing their respective positions, including some of those involved in putting the case for invasion.

Israel May Be Next al-Qaida Battleground  —  Signs are mounting that al-Qaida terrorists are setting their sights on Israel and the Palestinian territories as their next jihad battleground.  —  Israel has indicted two West Bank militants for al-Qaida membership, Egypt arrested operatives trying …

Active Duty Deaths: Bush vs. Clinton  —  Here's an interesting report compiled by the Department of Defense's Manpower Data Center.  —  What I found most interesting was a comparison of the active duty deaths between the first four years of Bill Clinton's term and the first four years of Bush's term.