Congress launches into new Iraq debate  —  WASHINGTON - The House erupted in impassioned election-year debate over the Iraq war on Thursday, Republicans defending the conflict as key to winning the global struggle against terrorism while Democrats excoriated President Bush and his policies.

Police don't have to knock, justices say  —  Alito's vote breaks 4-4 tie in police search case  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that police armed with a warrant can barge into homes and seize evidence even if they don't knock, a huge government victory that was decided by President Bush's new justices.

Maliki Aide Who Discussed Amnesty Leaves Job  —  Premier Disavows Remarks; Egyptian Seen Replacing Zarqawi  —  BAGHDAD, June 15 — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office on Thursday accepted the resignation of an aide who had told a reporter that Maliki was considering a limited amnesty …

Rep. Jefferson loses Democratic caucus vote  —  Black Caucus leader cites racial unfairness  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — With members of the Congressional Black Caucus crying double standard, House Democrats met behind closed doors Thursday and voted to strip Rep. William Jefferson of his seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

Zarqawi Replacement: Trained Professional  —  Alexis Debat Reports:  —  The mystery man identified by U.S. authorities as the successor to Abu Musab al Zarqawi is an Egyptian with close ties to Osama bin Laden's No. 2 man, Jordanian intelligence officials tell ABC News.

Bush Apologizes to L.A. Times Reporter  —  President Bush, who often teases members of the White House press corps, apologized Wednesday after he poked fun at a reporter for wearing sunglasses without realizing they were needed for vision loss.  —  The exchange occurred at a news conference in the Rose Garden.

Dean V. DSCC Over Lieberman  —  Jim Dean, bro of the DNC chair and head of Democracy for America, is hopping mad at the DSCC and Chuck Schumer.  —  We reported yesterday that Schumer pointedly declined to rule out supporting Lieberman even if Lieberman's allies were to mount an independent bid on his behalf.

What's Black and White and Red All Over?  —  More ink equals more blood, claim two economists who say that newspaper coverage of terrorist incidents leads directly to more attacks.  —  It's a macabre example of win-win in what economists call a "common-interest game," say Bruno S. Frey …

Great Moments in Senate Fashion  —  Rick Santorum (R-PA) pulls off the tricky Great-Gatsby-meets-My-Little- Pony look.

Sacrificing Our Troops on the Altar of Republican Politics  —  Leave it to the Porcine Draft Dodger—Karl Rove—to impugn the character of combat veterans.  Can't blame him for trotting out the same playbook that worked so well in 2004 against the candidacy of John Kerry.  If it worked once it should work again.

A Watershed Moment: Media Use Coulter to Suggest Blogs Are Impotent  —  Anybody who watched Ann Coulter's June 14th appearance on the Tonight Show had to realize that it was a watershed moment in the war between the establishment media and the progressive netroots, a community fresh off the successful YearlyKos convention.

Newly released emails suggest Army Corps lied about Cheney role in Halliburton contract  —  New documents obtained by a conservative watchdog group suggest that the US Army Corp of Engineers may have publicly lied regarding the involvement of the Vice President's office in awarding …

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  MR. SNOW: All right.  First let me begin with a statement by the President on the passage of H.R. 4939, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for the war on terror, Hurricane Katrina recovery and other purposes.  —  "I applaud those members of Congress …