A voluntary 'putsch'  —  In Israeli historical memory, two incidents have been metaphorically defined as a military "putsch": the pressure applied by Israel Defense Forces generals on then prime minister Levi Eshkol to embark on the Six-Day War in 1967, and the |

Will Dole Enter the Fray in Connecticut?  —  Last week's Rasmussen Poll showing Ned Lamont winning handily the Democratic primary and in a tie for the November contest has spurred Connecticut Republicans to renew efforts to toss beleaguered nominee Alan Schlesinger from their ticket.

Gaza groups ready to deal on cease-fire, release of Shalit  —  All groups in Gaza, including Hamas, would now accept a cease-fire deal with Israel which would include releasing Gilad Shalit, according to the Palestinian Agriculture Minister, who also heads the coordinating committee of Palestinian organizations there.

Peace prize winner 'could kill' Bush  —  NOBEL peace laureate Betty Williams displayed a flash of her feisty Irish spirit yesterday, lashing out at US President George W.Bush during a speech to hundreds of schoolchildren.  —  Campaigning on the rights of young people at the Earth Dialogues forum …

The Boxer Meltdown  —  Maura and CTBob had quite the face off with Barbara Boxer today when they tried to dodge the public in an event only annnounced to the press at a local candy store normally closed on Mondays.  (You'll remember Maura from her encounter with Lieberman when the dog ate Joe Biden's train schedule.)

Can Blogging Derail Your Career?  —  7 Bloggers Discuss the Case of Juan Cole  —  With the debut of his Web log, Informed Comment, four years ago, Juan R.I. Cole became arguably the most visible commentator writing on the Middle East today.  A professor of modern Middle East and South Asian history …

RUDY, THE FRONT-RUNNER  —  CRUISING AHEAD OF MCCAIN  —  July 24, 2006 — IT'S early in the game yet, but it's becoming undeniable: Rudy Giuliani will run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 - as the clear front-runner.  —  For months, the media have treated their favored candidate …

Maybe Now We'll Get It  —  Maybe, as this terrible business in Lebanon unfolds, we'll finally get it:  —  Guerrillas like to hide behind civilians.  —  Muslim guerrillas take it a step further: "Civilians" are a weapon to them — as much a part of the fight as the AK-47 or RPG they carry.

U.S. Says It Knew of Pakistani Reactor Plan  —  Congress Learned of Nation's Nuclear Expansion From Independent Analysts  —  The Bush administration acknowledged yesterday that it had long known about Pakistan's plans to build a large plutonium-production reactor, but it said the White House …

Gore Makes Personal Environmental Appeal  —  Former Vice President Al Gore said his conscience is regularly challenged by a consumerism that contributes to the global warming he has made it his mission to reverse.  —  "It is so hard for those of us who want to live according to our values …

The Digital Brown Shirts  —  I don't know who Al Gore had in mind when he spoke of Nazi-like tactics being used against the media two years ago; it's usually best not to give examples when you're making things up.  When it comes to finding examples of the mythical digital Brown Shirt …

The New King of Big TV's Is Queen-Size  —  Will buying a TV set one day involve choosing between full, queen and king sizes?  —  Panasonic said last week that it would begin selling a 103-inch flat-panel plasma television in the United States in time for the holiday season.

Kos, Hezbollah, and Israel  —  WHEN THE BOMBS began to fall in the Middle East, the Daily Kos had a problem.  And the Daily Kos's problem could soon be the Democratic party's problem.  —  On the one hand, one of the most solid blocks of support for the Democratic party is America's Jewish community.