Bush: 'I'm the decider' on Rumsfeld  —  Defense chief set to meet with so-called 'TV generals'  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush sharply defended Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday, saying the embattled Pentagon chief is doing a "fine job" despite calls for his resignation from six retired military generals.

President Bush Nominates Rob Portman as OMB Director and Susan Schwab for USTR  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  Today I'm announcing my nomination of two outstanding individuals to serve in my Cabinet and on my economic team.  —  First, I will nominate Rob Portman to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Qatar Pledges $50 Million to Palestinians  —  Qatar Pledges $50 Million to Palestinian Government to Help Make Up for a Shortfall  —  DOHA, Qatar Apr 17, 2006 (AP)— Qatar said Monday it would give the Palestinian government $50 million in aid to help make up for a shortfall after the United States …

A "Pulitzer Prize for Treason"  —  (updated below with transcript of Bill Bennett's comments)  —  Several weeks ago, The Washington Post published an Op-Ed jointly written by Bill Bennett and his neoconservative comrade Alan Dershowitz, in which Bennett — of all people …

Ignore bloggers at your peril, say researchers  —  Bloggers and internet pundits are exerting a "disproportionately large influence" on society, according to a report by a technology research company.  Its study suggests that although "active" web users make up only a small proportion …

DITHERING WON'T STOP IRAN'S NUKES  —  April 18, 2006 — 'UNHELPFUL": So British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw described Iran's announcement that it has now joined "the nuclear club.  " Straw's French and German colleagues did no better.  One saw Iran's provocative move as "regrettable the other preferred "disappointing."

Lieberman: US could attack Iran's nukes  —  The US is probably incapable of completely destroying the Iranian nuclear program, but as a last resort it could attempt to knock out "some of the components" in order to "delay and deter it," Senator Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic vice presidential candidate …

A Campaign Gore Can't Lose  —  Boring Al Gore has made a movie.  It is on the most boring of all subjects — global warming.  It is more than 80 minutes long, and the first two or three go by slowly enough that you can notice that Gore has gained weight and that his speech still seems oddly out of sync.

Zinni's Zinger?  —  Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:  —  Former Clinton CENTCOM commander, Anthony Zinni — the most prominent of the retired generals attacking Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — now says that, in the run-up to the war in Iraq, "What bothered me ...

Black business owners on rise  —  Black Americans are becoming entrepreneurs at a rapidly increasing rate and Pittsburgh is following the trend, a new report issued by the Census Bureau suggests.  —  The report, "Survey of Business Owners: Black-Owned Firms: 2002," says that between 1997 and 2002 …

A Very Brief History of Art, Featuring Mr. Potato Head  —  As part of my never-ending quest to make the Llamabutchers one day say, "Holy crap, that Sobek fellow is so geeky, he makes us look flat out hip!" as well as part of certain court-ordered community service (I was framed, BTW) …

Limbs Lost to Enemy Fire, Women Forge a New Reality  —  Her body had been maimed by war.  Dawn Halfaker lay unconscious at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, her parents at her bedside and her future suddenly unsure.  A rocket-propelled grenade had exploded in her Humvee, ravaging her arm and shoulder.

More Purity Ball  —  Responding to the odd, disturbing nature of the Father-Daughter Purity Ball, about which I posted below, PZ Myers says: … That sounds like common sense to me.  Girls pledging to their dads to stay virginal in ritualistic ceremonies just doesn't seem like a healthy thing to do.

IRAQ PERCEPTIONS  —  Jonah, I agree with you that Iraq is no longer having any deterrent effect.  My point (a variant of your own) is that Iraq does have a deterrent effect as long as the American public sees the venture as worthwhile.  I agree that the key is for America to perceive Iraq as a success.

Baghdad street battle smacks of open civil war  —  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Snipers held rooftop positions as masked Sunni Arab insurgents said they were gearing up for another open street battle with pro-government Shi'ite militiamen in Baghdad's Adhamiya district on Tuesday.