Analysts Say a Nuclear Iran Is Years Away  —  Western nuclear analysts said yesterday that Tehran lacked the skills, materials and equipment to make good on its immediate nuclear ambitions, even as a senior Iranian official said Iran would defy international pressure and rapidly expand its ability to enrich uranium for fuel.

Libby's Team Replies On Disclosure  —  Jeralyn Merritt has Team Libby's latest on the disclosure question (29 page .pdf or here) and has added some must-read UPDATES.  It's hard to believe this will make as many headlines as Fitzgerald's last filing, but dig in.

The Euston Manifesto  —  It started with some like-minded progressives meeting in a London pub.  Disenchanted with what they saw as the wrong-headed thinking of the anti-war movement, they began to talk of a new left movement.  By Norman Geras and Nick Cohen

At Trial, Flight 93 Myth Finally Becomes Reality  —  It began with a muted series of thumps from a sharp knife or maybe clenched fists.  The sounds were muffled but unmistakable, one body blow after another, ending with a squishy thud.  —  "No, no, no, no, no. No," came the high-pitched voice …

Rumsfeld Rebuked By Retired Generals  —  Ex-Iraq Commander Calls for Resignation  —  The retired commander of key forces in Iraq called yesterday for Donald H. Rumsfeld to step down, joining several other former top military commanders who have harshly criticized the defense secretary's authoritarian style …

WHERE IS BILAL HUSSEIN?  —  Where is Bilal Hussein—and who is he working for?  —  A year ago, I blogged about a controversial, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo taken by an unidentified Associated Press stringer in Iraq.  More background from the blogosphere here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The Minority Maker  —  The clever GOP strategy for defeat in November.  —  If Republicans lose control of Congress in November, they might want to look back at last Thursday as the day it was lost.  That's when the big spenders among House Republicans blew up a deal between the leadership …

DID COMEDY CENTRAL CENSOR SOUTH PARK?  Did Comedy Central censor tonight's episode of South Park?  The answer would appear to be YES.  —  In Wednesday's episode, part II of "Cartoon Wars," Kyle (one of the boys of South Park) persuades the President of Fox TV to run a Family Guy episode with a short scene including Mohammed.

Americans Favor Helping Immigrants, Shoring Up Borders  —  WASHINGTON — Most Americans say the United States should confront the challenge of illegal immigration by both toughening border enforcement and creating a new guest worker program, instead of by cracking down on enforcement alone, a Times/Bloomberg poll has found.

Hydrogen Warfare  —  It seems as if the war to drown the Bush administration in old news presented as scandals has begun.  Who will be able to come up with the most hot air?  Walter Pincus, David Sanger & David Barstow, David Shuster, (three Davids, how about that - an Army of Davids...) …

Here is the Democratic message on Iran  —  George Bush has decided to use Iran as a foil to help his sagging poll numbers and to help Republicans in the fall congressional elections.  I'm going to discuss why this is true, and what the Dems should do about it.  —  Iran is ten years away from developing nukes.

The s-word  —  Golfer Tiger Woods has been criticised for saying he played like 'a spaz'.  Can using the word ever be right?  —  Two years ago I was involved in a linguistic incident at work.  I called a disabled colleague a spaz after hearing he'd spilt coffee over yet another expensive bit of computer kit.

Congressman accused of using staff to baby-sit  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Two former staff members of U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Michigan, say the longtime Detroit congressman made them baby-sit his children, run errands and work on political campaigns while they were on his congressional payroll.

Troops in Support Of the War  —  Earlier this year there was a town hall meeting on the Iraq war, sponsored by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), with the participation of such antiwar organizations as CodePink and MoveOn.org.  The event also featured Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a former Marine who had become an outspoken critic of the war.

Democrats Face Uphill Battle to Retake House  —  An 18-month recruitment drive by the Democrats has produced nearly a dozen strong candidates with the potential for unseating House Republicans, but probably not enough to take back control of the House absent a massive anti-incumbent wave this fall, according to House political experts.

Coalition Launches 'Operation Mountain Lion' in Afghanistan  —  WASHINGTON, April 12, 2006 - Coalition forces, in cooperation with the Afghan National Army, began "Operation Mountain Lion" yesterday to establish security, deter the re-emergence of terrorism, and enhance the sovereignty of Afghanistan, military officials reported today.

Critics: National intelligence office not doing much  —  WASHINGTON — A year after John Negroponte became the first director of national intelligence, key lawmakers worry that the spy agency they created is not fulfilling its vital mission.  —  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is …

Protests backfire!  —  Zogby poll: National demonstrations by illegal aliens have negative impact  —  Recent images of seas of illegal aliens marching in cities across the U.S. are having a far greater negative than positive impact on the foreigners' cause, according to a new poll.