Rove's Time in Limbo Near End in CIA Leak Case  —  Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald is wrapping up his investigation into White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove's role in the CIA leak case by weighing this central question:  —  Did Rove, who was deeply involved in defending President Bush's use …

In GOP, Doubts On Likely CIA Pick  —  Gen. Hayden Is 'Wrong Man,' Hoekstra Says  —  The Republican chairmen of the House and Senate intelligence panels raised serious concerns about Gen. Michael V. Hayden on the eve of his expected nomination today as CIA director, with Rep. Peter Hoekstra …

The two crucial mistakes that cost Straw his job  —  Jack Straw made two crucial mistakes in his dealings with Tony Blair: one involved the prime minister's relationship with Gordon Brown and the other Iran.  Mr Straw has said repeatedly that it is "inconceivable" that there will be a military strike …

Immigration: The Ugly Duckling Issue  —  We have become accustomed in the six years of the George W. Bush presidency to seeing issues split the parties and the nation down the middle, with almost all Republicans on one side and almost all Democrats on the other.

Late Nite FDL: GOP Boogeymen and Other Media Phantoms  —  We'll leave aside for now the high hilarity of George Stephanopoulos having Tom DeLay on to talk about ethics, and letting him blather on about corrupt Democrats virtually without challenge (I can think of 20 things …

Jimmy Carter: Punishing the innocent is a crime  —  Jimmy Carter International Herald Tribune  —  Innocent Palestinian people are being treated like animals, with the presumption that they are guilty of some crime.  Because they voted for candidates who are members of Hamas …

Ahmadinejad sends letter to Bush  —  Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written to George W Bush proposing "new solutions" to their differences.  —  The letter will be sent via the Swiss Embassy which represents US interests in Iran, a government spokesman said.

Many Youths Disregard Their Virginity Pledges, Harvard Study Says  —  According to interviews, more than half have sex within a year.  But one pro-abstinence group disputes the findings.  —  BOSTON — Virginity pledges, in which young people vow to abstain from sex until marriage …

The Enemy Within  —  Democrats may not be able to win the House, but Republicans could lose it.  —  Ken Mehlman is the unflappable efficiency expert who chairs the Republican National Committee.  Because he's not known for histrionics, his warning last week to GOP congressional staffers …

Bush's Appointees Not As Diverse as Clinton's  —  President Bush's crop of political appointees includes fewer women and minorities than did President Bill Clinton's at comparable points in their presidencies, according to a new report by House Democrats.  —  Women made up about 37 percent …

New 'Mission' Opens Weaker Than Expected  —  LOS ANGELES, May 7 — Paramount Pictures and its leading star, Tom Cruise, failed to live up to expectations this weekend when "Mission: Impossible III" opened to weak numbers at the domestic box office despite a barrage of public appearances by Mr. Cruise to promote the film.

Cupid's Broken Arrow  —  Performance Anxiety and Substance Abuse Figure Into the Increase in Reports of Impotence on Campus  —  Adam Skrodzki, a tall, redheaded senior at the University of Maryland, bench-presses a respectable 280 pounds.  He fights fires in Howard County as a volunteer …

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE DA VINCI CODE, AND "CENSORSHIP ENVY": As senior Conspirator Eugene Volokh has warned, one of the dangers of censoring "offensive" speech is "censorship envy."  If one group is given the power to suppress speech offensive to it, others are likely to press harder to get the same privilege for themselves.

How '06 Will Affect the '08 Electoral Map  —  Ron Brownstein had an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times yesterday about how the 2006 elections could lay the playing field for pivotal battleground states in 2008.  Brownstein correctly points out that Democrats are looking to the West …

The USDA on Iraq: Everything's Coming Up Rosy  —  Career appointees at the Department of Agriculture were stunned last week to receive e-mailed instructions that include Bush administration "talking points" — saying things such as "President Bush has a clear strategy for victory in Iraq" — in every speech they give for the department.