China and Its President Greeted by a Host of Indignities  —  Chinese President Hu Jintao got almost everything he wanted out of yesterday's visit to the White House.  —  He got the 21-gun salute, the review of the troops and the Colonial fife-and-drum corps.

Senate Democrats Ahead in Cash Race  —  The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee continued to outpace the National Republican Senatorial Committee in fundraising, bringing in more contributions and finishing the quarter with twice as much money in the bank, according to Federal Election Commission reports released yesterday.

More on Why The Times Should Not Discipline Hiltzik  —  I've been struggling to figure out just why it is that I think Michael Hiltzik should not be disciplined for creating mutually admiring sock-puppet identities.  I think I've finally figured it out.  It has to do with the type of dishonesty …

SORRY, YOUR VIEWPOINT IS EXCLUDED FROM FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTION: That's what the Ninth Circuit holds today, as to student speech in K-12 schools, in a remarkable — and in my view deeply unsound — decision (Harper v. Poway Unified School Dist.).  —  Tyler Harper wore an anti-homosexuality T-shirt …

Disinhibition Nation  —  When blogs rule, we'll all talk like —  Kevin Ray Underwood, the repressed Oklahoma cannibal, kept an Internet "blog" of his compulsions for years before kidnapping and killing a 10-year-old neighbor last week.  On his blog, Kevin wrote a lot about Kevin …

Bush Counsel May Be Next in White House Shake-Up  —  WASHINGTON, April 20 — Joshua B. Bolten, the new White House chief of staff, has raised the possibility of moving Harriet E. Miers from her job as President Bush's counsel as part of a continuing shake-up of the West Wing …

The Generals' Dangerous Whispers  —  Last time around, the antiwar left did not have a very high opinion of generals.  A popular slogan in the 1960s was "war is too important to be left to the generals."  It was the generals who had advocated attacking Cuba during the missile crisis of October 1962 …

KATHERINE HARRIS GIVES EVERYTHING SHE HAS TO YOUNG REPORTER  —  She should have tried being "nice" to the Orlando Sentinel  —  A defense contractor seeking help from Rep. Katherine Harris for $10 million in federal money last year took her to one of Washington's most exclusive restaurants …

Fox News poll poisons the well  —  Just to follow up for a moment on the Fox News poll noted below, I wanted to add that the poll offered a couple of examples that highlight why FNC is not exactly a credible news outlet.  —  When asking about the president's approval ratings …

Report documents major increase in terrorist incidents  —  WASHINGTON - The number of terrorist attacks documented by U.S. intelligence agencies jumped sharply in 2005, crossing the 10,000 mark for the first time, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials and documents obtained by Knight Ridder Newspapers.

Have you ever considered the peculiar yet convenient amnesia that regularly strikes members of the drive-by media when it fits their political agenda?  Given the development of the Internet, the accuracy and ease of search engines, and the ready access of more detailed media devices …

F.D.A. Dismisses Medical Benefit From Marijuana  —  WASHINGTON, April 20 — The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that "no sound scientific studies" supported the medical use of marijuana, contradicting a 1999 review by a panel of highly regarded scientists.

As Iran Presses Its Ambitions, Its Young See Theirs Denied  —  Lack of Economic Opportunity Leads Many to Drugs  —  SHAFT, Iran — The question that preoccupies most of Iran lay coiled in the sullen stare of Abbas Kayhan, 25 years old and stuck behind the counter of his father's corner store.