What stinks about the whole "retired generals speak out" issue (UPDATED)  —  I'll probably be accused by some of the hardcore lefties who read this blog of "questioning the patriotism" of the six retired generals who've called for Rummy's ouster, but before I get started let me be clear: that is not what this post is about.

Bush, After Some Changes, Vows More Coming  —  WASHINGTON - Under pressure to revitalize his administration, President Bush reshuffled his economic team Tuesday with a new budget chief who is highly regarded on Capitol Hill and promised more changes were coming.  He also named a new trade representative.

China Hopes Hu Makes Good Impression  —  The president lacks the spontaneity of his predecessors.  But officials know the image he projects on U.S. visit could pay dividends.  —  BEIJING — Visiting Chinese leaders in the past have warmed American hearts by donning cowboy hats …

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 …

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 …

Angry/negative people can be bad for your brain  —  Everyone's favorite A-list target, Robert Scoble, announced the unthinkable a few days ago: he will be moderating his comments.  But what some people found far more disturbing was Robert's wish to make a change in his life that includes steering clear of …

Rumsfeld: War Critics Being Manipulated By Zarqawi and Bin Laden's 'Media Committees'  —  Yesterday on Rush Limbaugh, embattled Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that those who criticize the Iraq war are being manipulated by terrorists, including Zarqawi and bin Laden, through the U.S. media:

Of Words  —  Urozgan and Heland Provinces, Afghanistan  —  More than a year ago, I wrote from the "Sunni Triangle" that Iraq was in the midst of a civil war, words that received little attention then.  I had published that dispatch about three weeks after the unexpected but overwhelming success of the first Iraqi elections.

McKinney report cites assault with 'closed fist'  —  The official police report on Rep. Cynthia McKinney's clash with a Capitol Hill police officer three weeks ago says the DeKalb County congresswoman struck the officer "in his chest with [a] closed fist."  —  The "event report" …

Moving to the Right  —  Brit Hume's Path Took Him From Liberal Outsider to The Low-Key Voice of Conservatism on Fox News  —  It was a different era, a different administration and a very different Brit Hume.  —  Thirty-six years ago, as a long-haired reporter for columnist Jack Anderson …

Yale's Next Tenured Radical?  —  Yale University is on the verge of offering a faculty appointment to the University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole.  That is the word around the campus here in New Haven.  If Yale proceeds with the appointment, it will bring in one of the few professors …

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.

With Friends Like These . . .  WITH A LAND mass similar to Maryland's, Equatorial Guinea has the fortune to be Africa's third-largest oil producer.  The money from black gold helps to explain how the president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has bought large homes in France and Morocco …

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.

Al-Arian Admits His Role In Jihad  —  TAMPA - When Sami Al-Arian denied raising funds for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, he now says he was lying.  —  The former University of South Florida professor has portrayed himself as a martyr to free speech, a victim of anti-Muslim sentiment and the nation's war on terrorism.

They're Closing in on Pinch!  —  The New York Times shareholders' mutiny.  —  The Twilight of the Sulzbergers?  The Class A shareholders are closing in on Pinch.  According to TheStreet.com: … That seems at least as much of a revolt as six retired generals calling for Rumsfeld's resignation, no?

News outlets resist Scooter Libby subpoenas  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A former White House aide fighting perjury charges should not get access to reporters' notes and other newsroom material because they have no relevance to his case, several news outlets told a U.S. judge on Tuesday.