White House Defends Rumsfeld's Tenure  —  The White House came to the aid of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld yesterday, rebuffing calls from several retired generals for his resignation and crediting him with leading the Pentagon through two wars and a transformation of the military.

Whites Take Flight on Election Day  —  Bad news for Michael S. Steele, the leading Maryland Republican candidate for Senate in November: The scuttling noise he hears on Election Day could be the sound of tens of thousands of white Republicans crossing over to vote for the Democrat.

Iran Leader: Israel Will Be Annihilated  —  The president of Iran again lashed out at Israel on Friday and said it was "heading toward annihilation," just days after Tehran raised fears about its nuclear activities by saying it successfully enriched uranium for the first time.

Republicans plan anti-Reid ads on Spanish-language radio  —  LAS VEGAS (AP) - Ads criticizing Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid for "playing politics" with immigration reform legislation are scheduled to air on Spanish-language radio stations in four Western cities with large Hispanic populations next week.

Display on abortion destroyed  —  400 crosses removed; NKU prof investigated  —  HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - A professor at Northern Kentucky University said she invited students in one of her classes to destroy an anti-abortion display on campus Wednesday evening.

Third Party Blues  —  Glenn Reynolds looks at our immigration problem, and concludes: … I'd wager I'm a lot less sober than The Blogfaddah, so I'm certain I know exactly who would be hurt more.  Going further out on a limb then Glenn, there's a better chance I'll fall off.

Waste in Katrina Response Is Cited  —  Housing Aid Called Inefficient in Audits  —  Nearly eight months after Hurricane Katrina triggered the nation's largest housing crisis since the Second World War, a hastily improvised $10 billion effort by the federal government has produced vast sums …

Freedom.  Cartoons, and Religion  —  If you've been asleep all day, you may have missed the controversy over Comedy Central's decision to censor an image of Mohammed on South Park.  It's been discussed quite a bit, so I won't rehash a lot of the earlier points made.

Report: Hamas will recognize Israel  —  According to a Thursday report on Al-Jazeera, the Hamas government will recognize Israel if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders.  —  Hamas officials close to Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh expect Haniyeh to announce the change …

DeLay on short list for OMB job  —  The White House is looking at a list of cost-cutting candidates to head the Office of Management and Budget, and Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, may be on it.  —  The former House majority leader, who announced he will resign from Congress and is under …

Target: Iran  —  A MILITARY OPTION AGAINST Iran's nuclear facilities is feasible.  A diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis is preferable, but without a credible military option and the will to implement it, diplomacy will not succeed.  The announcement of uranium enrichment last week …

Pope condemns geneticists 'who play at being God'  —  THE Pope will deliver a blistering attack on the "satanic" mores of modern society today, warning against an "inane apologia of evil" that is in danger of destroying humanity.  —  In a series of Good Friday meditations that he will lead in Rome …

Heard the one about the president?  —  The misdirected email or text message is a hazard of our age.  It can sour relationships and upset the closest of our friends.  But now a stray electronic missive has been blamed for a spate of arrests, a national scandal and a very grumpy president of Iran.

Earnings fall at three major newspaper publishers  —  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Times Co. (NYT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), McClatchy Co. (MNI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Tribune Co. (TRB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted sharply lower quarterly earnings on high newsprint costs and depressed advertising sales.