The War's Left Front  —  The Daily Kos thinks the politics of Iraq will help him shape the Democratic Party.  —  July 3-10, 2006 issue - Markos Moulitsas Zuniga is sitting on his back porch in Berkeley, Calif., listening to the hummingbirds and explaining his plans to seize control of the Democratic Party.

War's Iraqi Death Toll Tops 50,000  —  Higher than the U.S. estimate but thought to be undercounted, the tally is equivalent to 570,000 Americans killed in three years.  —  BAGHDAD — At least 50,000 Iraqis have died violently since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, according to statistics …

Did feds foil — or foster — terror plot?  —  Some suggest the seven men accused of terror-related offenses were victims of entrapment by federal authorities who manufactured the crime.  Officials argue they thwarted a potential attack on the Sears Tower in Chicago and buildings in Miami.

The Right: The Next Big Thing?  —  Conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt marries the power of talk radio with the reach of the 'netroots.' Watch out, Kos.  —  July 3-10, 2006 issue - Hugh Hewitt is a master of multitasking.  Week after week, the sanguine, persistent pundit hosts his "center-right" …

Nonprofit Groups Funneled Money For Abramoff  —  Newly released documents in the Jack Abramoff investigation shed light on how the lobbyist secretly routed his clients' funds through tax-exempt organizations with the acquiescence of those in charge, including prominent conservative activist Grover Norquist.

Murtha says U.S. poses top threat to world peace  —  SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL  —  MIAMI — American presence in Iraq is more dangerous to world peace than nuclear threats from North Korea or Iran, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said to an audience of more than 200 in North Miami Saturday afternoon.

CNN OMITS CRUCIAL FACTS ABOUT GOP FROM TROOP DRAWDOWN REPORT.  CNN has now picked up today's Times's story saying that the top commander of forces in Iraq projects troop drawdowns through 2007 — in stark contrast to the GOP's stay-the-course position.  And guess what?

Khobar Towers  —  The Clinton administration left many stones unturnd.  —  Ten years ago today, acting under direct orders from senior Iranian government leaders, the Saudi Hezbollah detonated a 25,000-pound TNT bomb that killed 19 U.S. airmen in their dormitory at Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Treason You Can Get Away With  —  June 25, 2006: Because the war on terror is fought in a peacetime atmosphere, treason can be presented as dissent, and you can get away with it.  Case in point is the energetic pursuit, and publication, of U.S. intelligence gathering techniques, by the American media.

Iraq PM unveils unity proposals  —  Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has presented a national reconciliation plan to parliament aimed at stemming sectarian tensions and violence.  —  The 24-point plan offers an amnesty to some insurgents, but not those from groups who have targeted Iraqi civilians, such as al-Qaeda.

Peretz: Palestinian terrorists will pay a 'painful price'  —  Defense Minister Amir Peretz, with Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz at his side, told reporters Sunday evening said that Israel "will do all" to return kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 19, from Mitzpeh Hila in the Galilee …

Another Kennedy Living Dangerously  —  ONE of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s family mementos is a boyhood photo of himself in the Oval Office with his uncle President John F. Kennedy.  Then 9, Mr. Kennedy — who is still known as Bobby — had just given the president a spotted salamander in a small vase.

OUR MOVING TRIBUTE TO AARON SPELLING  —  A good man has shuffled off his mortal coil today.  A man who has had so much impact on our culture he deserves to be honored on our site.  We know we usually bag on a lot of pop culture icons, but this guy changed a lot of us.  Most of us.

Troubles Linger in Regulation of Medicare Customer Service  —  WASHINGTON, June 24 — After enthusiastically promoting Medicare drug plans for three years, the Bush administration is having difficulty regulating these same plans to ensure they comply with federal standards for marketing, customer service and consumer protection.