Top Bush Aide at Justice Dept. Was Set to Quit  —  WASHINGTON, May 26 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and senior officials and career prosecutors at the Justice Department told associates this week that they were prepared to quit if the White House directed them to relinquish evidence seized …

In Haditha, Memories of a Massacre  —  Iraqi Townspeople Describe Slaying of 24 Civilians by Marines in Nov. 19 Incident  —  BAGHDAD, May 26 — Witnesses to the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S. Marines in the western town of Haditha say the Americans shot men, women and children …

Bush Aide Confirmed to U.S. Bench  —  Senate Vote Puts Kavanaugh on Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit  —  White House aide Brett M. Kavanaugh won Senate confirmation as an appeals judge yesterday after a three-year wait, a new victory for President Bush in a drive to place a more conservative stamp on the courts.

JESSE MACBETH'S DD-214  —  Someone has posted a scanned copy of what appears to be a DD-214 for one Jesse Adam MacBeth.  My initial read of it tells me that he most likely dropped out of boot camp.  —  Blocks 11 and 13 appear to have been crudely "modified" after the fact.  —  Block 11 reads as follows:

Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms General to Be Director of C.I.A.  —  WASHINGTON, May 26 — The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Gen. Michael V. Hayden on Friday as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, despite some senators' criticism of his role in overseeing a domestic electronic surveillance program.

Looking Back at Iraq  —  A war to be proud of.  —  National Review Online  —  There may be a lot to regret about the past policy of the United States in the Middle East, but the removal of Saddam Hussein and the effort to birth democracy in his place is surely not one of them.

U.S. Is Debating Talks With Iran on Nuclear Issue  —  WASHINGTON, May 26 — The Bush administration is beginning to debate whether to set aside a longstanding policy taboo and open direct talks with Iran, to help avert a crisis over Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons program …

"Media Matters"; by Jamison Foser  —  The defining issue of our time is not the Iraq war.  It is not the "global war on terror."  It is not our inability (or unwillingness) to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care.  Nor is it immigration, outsourcing, or growing income inequity.

Capitol Police Probe Report of Gunshots  —  Guns drawn, police briefly sealed off the Capitol Friday and launched a floor-by-floor search of the largest office structure on Capitol Hill after an unidentified caller reported gunfire.  Amid chaos and confusion, police said there were no injuries, arrests or confirmation of the gunfire.

Treasury Secretary to Step Down  —  Treasury Secretary John W. Snow, who has presided during a period of strong economic growth but at times seemed out of sync with President Bush, has informed the White House that he will resign in the coming days after three years as the nation's chief economic officer …

Books: 'Barn Burning, Barn Building'  —  "Tales of a Political Life, From LBJ to George W. Bush and Beyond"  —  Ben Barnes , a political consultant who has been involved in Texas and national politics for decades, was online Friday, May 26, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss his book, "Barn Burning …

Hundreds die in Indonesian quake  —  More than 2,700 people have been killed and thousands more injured by a strong earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Java, officials have said.  —  The quake, measuring 6.2, flattened buildings in a densely-populated area south of the city of Yogyakarta, near the southern coast of Java.