PM Olmert declares Hizbullah attack 'act of war' by Lebanon  —  Seventeen days after IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in Gaza, a second front was opened on Israel's northern border Wednesday morning as Hizbullah, under cover of a barrage of Katyusha rockets and mortar shells, kidnapped two more army troops.

My role in the Plame leak probe  —  WASHINGTON — Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has informed my attorneys that, after 2-1/2 years, his investigation of the CIA leak case concerning matters directly relating to me has been concluded.  That frees me to reveal my role in the federal inquiry that …

U.S. Will Give Detainees Geneva Rights  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration, called to account by Congress after the Supreme Court blocked military tribunals, said Tuesday all detainees at Guantanamo Bay and in U.S. military custody everywhere are entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions.

Justice Department Lawyer To Congress: 'The President Is Always Right'  —  The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday heard testimony from Steven Bradbury, head of the Justice Department's office of legal counsel.  When questioned by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on whether the President's interpretation …

Video: 50 year study says conservatives 'followers'  —  In an interview with MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, former Nixon counsel John Dean explained a largely unknown 50 year academic study.  The data shows that conservatives are much more likely to follow authoritarian leaders.

Wave of Violence in Baghdad Puts 3-Day Death Toll Past 100  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 11 — More than 50 people were killed in Baghdad on Tuesday in violence that included a double suicide bombing near busy entrances to the fortified Green Zone, scattered shootings, mortar attacks …

Army to End Expansive, Exclusive Halliburton Deal  —  Logistics Contract to Be Open for Bidding  —  The Army is discontinuing a controversial multibillion-dollar deal with oil services giant Halliburton Co. to provide logistical support to U.S. troops worldwide, a decision that could cut deeply …

Online Venture Seeks To Elevate the Debate  —  Civility Is In, Rancor Out on Web Site Begun by Democratic, GOP Strategists  —  A group of political strategists who have spent years firing heavy artillery at each other came together at the Hay-Adams Hotel yesterday, put aside their weapons …

Lieberman's Real Problem  —  I am about to become a traitor to my class.  Among my estimable colleagues in the Washington commentariat, the idea that Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman is facing a serious challenge from a fellow Democrat over Lieberman's support for the Iraq war seems to evoke incredulity and exasperation.

U.S. Terror Targets: Petting Zoo and Flea Market?  —  WASHINGTON, July 11 — It reads like a tally of terrorist targets that a child might have written: Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo, the Amish Country Popcorn factory, the Mule Day Parade, the Sweetwater Flea Market and an unspecified "Beach at End of a Street."

Prominent Right-Wing Blogger Calls For Lynching of Five Supreme Court Justices  —  (Via Glenn Greenwald) From the Anti-Idiotarian Rotweiler (emphasis mine): … Now, why did I have to spend the last month going through endless process stories with the media about such mundane things as Advertise Liberally …

Dan Rather's Carry-On Baggage  —  Former CBS newsman Dan Rather says he'll have complete editorial control over the content of the weekly newsmagazine he will kick off for Mark Cuban's HDNet in October.  —  "News at its best is a wake-up call, not a lullaby, and I'm not in the lullaby business …

Losing the Next Alito Fight  —  I've been meaning to blog about what we should in the event of a new Supreme Court opening.  I wrote a prescription for what the anti-Alito forces could have done better.  I know it was forwarded around to various leaders, but apparently these leaders have learned very little.