Rice Makes Unannounced Visit to Beirut  —  BEIRUT, July 24 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made an unannounced stop in Beirut Monday in an effort to shore up Lebanon's fragile government, beleaguered by nearly two weeks of relentless bombing raids that have wrecked much of the country's infrastructure …

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.)

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 …

Joe Lieberman's War  —  The hawkish senator finds himself in an epic battle—with his own party.  —  J  —  oe Lieberman walked into the Athenian Diner looking worn-out but wired.  He'd been up late the night before, unable to unwind after his acrimonious televised debate with Senate challenger Ned Lamont.

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 …

About the American Dream Initiative  —  Editor's Note: Due to the large size of these files, and increased website traffic, these files may take a few moments to load.  —  At the 2005 national conversation in Columbus, Ohio, DLC Chair Gov. Tom Vilsack asked Sen. Hillary Clinton to lead …

Pity Party  —  Washington Post reporter Tom Ricks thinks I'm being a little hard on him because I keep pointing out out the glaring contradictions between his original reporting from Iraq and the very different picture of the war painted in his new book.  He complains that I'm not leaving enough room for "loyal dissent."

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 …

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 …

Civil rights hiring shifted in Bush era  —  Conservative leanings stressed  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is quietly remaking the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, filling the permanent ranks with lawyers who have strong conservative credentials but little experience in civil rights …

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.

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 …

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.

HILLARY GATHERS AN ARMY  —  INCLUDES 3G FOR STYLIST  —  July 24, 2006 — WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign army has increased its ranks to 50 staffers and more than 20 consultants, specialists in everything from fund-raising to speech-writing to hairstyling and makeup.