On the Air!  —  Today, our campaign launched two new Ned Lamont for U.S. Senate commercials created by renowned producer and innovator Bill Hillsman.  They'll go on the air in the traditional media this afternoon.  The two, "Underdog" and "Right Now" can be viewed below.

"Fairy Tales"  —  The (lack of) intelligence underpinning Bush's Iraq policy  —  During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein's Information Minister became the butt of a million jokes for predicting that American soldiers were being routed, even as U.S. troops were quickly closing in on Baghdad.

Hamas force battles police in Gaza, 4 hurt  —  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian police fought gunbattles in Gaza City on Friday with a new Hamas-led security force set up by the Islamist government in defiance of President Mahmoud Abbas.  —  At least four people were wounded …

Senate says English is national, unifying tongue  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate agreed on Thursday to make English the national language of the United States and moments later also adopted a milder alternative calling English the country's "unifying language."

In The Crosshairs  —  Steve Clemons reports back from a Princeton conference that, according to BobbyRay Inman, the man in Special Counsel Fitzgerald's crosshairs is... Richard Armitage.  —  Questions I can ask, but not answer (yet):  —  (1) Why would Inman know this?

Marines killed Iraqi civilians 'in cold blood': US lawmaker  —  A US lawmaker and former Marine colonel accused US Marines of killing innocent Iraqi civilians after a Marine comrade had been killed by a roadside bomb.  —  "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them and they …

Where Does Brian Bilbray Really Live?  —  Bilbray Vies For North County Congressional Seat  —  SAN DIEGO — It is now more than just mudslinging in the race for the 50th Congressional District.  —  Wednesday, the Democratic Party called for an investigation into allegations of perjury …

Iran president to send letter to Pope - paper  —  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is writing a letter to Pope Benedict, following an unprecedented letter to U.S. President George W. Bush earlier this month, a newspaper said on Thursday.

Time Names Editor Who'll Seek 'Stronger Point of View'  —  A former Time editor and writer who became a speechwriter for onetime Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley was named to the magazine's top job yesterday.  —  Richard Stengel, who has run Time's national and culture departments …

Jesus Christ as Poached Egg  —  Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code is one of the most popular best sellers in recent history and the Sony motion picture to be released this Friday (May 19) is expected to be the first major blockbuster of the summer (given how relatively poorly MI3 performed).

Best of the Web  —  'In Cold Blood'  —  The Pentagon is investigating whether U.S. Marines committed war crimes in a November incident in which 15 Iraqi civilians were killed in Haditha, Iraq.  NBC News reports that Rep. John Murtha, who voted for the war in Iraq, claims to have advance knowledge of the investigation's outcome:

A Job Americans Won't Do, Even at $34 an Hour  —  Some landscape firms rebut claims that higher pay, not immigration reform, is needed.  —  Cyndi Smallwood is looking for a few strong men for her landscaping company.  Guys with no fear of a hot sun, who can shovel dirt all day long.

Kenya's 'Koranic fish' disappears  —  A fish with markings that resembled a Koranic text has disappeared from the Kenyan Fisheries Department in Mombasa.  —  The tuna fish, which had provoked intense interest from Muslims, was apparently stolen by people posing as National Museum officials.

Giuliani Headlines Ralph Reed Fundraiser  —  ATLANTA - Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor considered a potential 2008 candidate for president, headlined a fundraiser Thursday for former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed in his run for Georgia lieutenant governor.

The Real Iraq  —  Spending time in the United States after a tour of Iraq can be a disorienting experience these days.  Within hours of arriving here, as I can attest from a recent visit, one is confronted with an image of Iraq that is unrecognizable.  It is created in several overlapping ways …