Purely foolish Democrats  —  Sen. Joe Lieberman's irritating, but his enemies in the party are worse.  —  NED LAMONT'S challenge to Sen. Joe Lieberman in next month's Connecticut primary has blossomed into a full-scale Democratic civil war.  What's at stake is the legitimacy of partisanship.

The end of cowboy diplomacy  —  Why the 'Bush Doctrine' no longer works for Bush administration  —  Editor's note: The following is a summary of this week's Time magazine cover story.  —  Time.com — All the good feeling at the White House at President Bush's early birthday party on July 4 …

Italy Beats France for 4th World Cup Title  —  Italy let France do nearly anything it wanted Sunday, except win the World Cup.  That belongs to the Azzurri, 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.  —  Outplayed for an hour and into extra time, the Italians won it after French captain Zinedine Zidane …

Baghdad Erupts in Mob Violence  —  BAGHDAD, July 9 — A mob of gunmen went on a brazen daytime rampage through a predominantly Sunni Arab district of western Baghdad on Sunday, pulling people from their cars and homes and killing them in what officials and residents called a spasm of revenge …

One Hug at a Time  —  John Edwards is back-with a retooled résumé and a lot of love for Iowans.  —  July 17, 2006 issue - It's Friday night in Iowa and an old politician is trying some new tricks.  John Edwards is back-back, with the familiar deep drawl, dark tan and honeyed hair.

His Hipness, John G. Roberts  —  WRITING in April for a unanimous Supreme Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. found that the police in Brigham City, Utah, acted properly in entering a home without a warrant after they peered through a window and saw a fight in progress that had left one man spitting blood.

What's an Iraqi Life Worth?  —  In Iraq, lives differ in value — and so do deaths.  In this disparity lies an important reason why the United States has botched this war.  —  Last November in Haditha , a squad of Marines, outraged at the loss of a comrade, is said to have run amok …

ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRICT COURT DECISION ON TOM DELAY'S CANDIDACY  —  I have just had a chance to read Texas Democratic Party v. Bensiker, the case from last week in which a federal district court reached the conclusion that Tom DeLay's name could not be removed from the Texas ballot and replaced …

Hoekstra Urges Bush to Impart Intelligence Details  —  The Bush administration briefed top lawmakers on a significant intelligence program only after a key Republican committee chairman angrily complained of being left in the dark, the chairman said yesterday.

Detainee Rights Create a Divide on Capitol Hill  —  Senators Carl Levin, left, and Lindsey Graham talking to reporters in November about legal rights of detainees and enemy combatants.  The two are expected to be among the leaders in the coming debate on the issue.

Death trap  —  Christina Lamb has spent 20 years covering Afghan wars and was lucky to escape with her life after a firefight 10 days ago.  Afghanistan is littered with the debris of invading empires - so why do we refuse to learn from history?  —  When you twice stare death in the face …