Tide of Arab Opinion Turns to Support for Hezbollah  —  DAMASCUS, Syria, July 27 — At the onset of the Lebanese crisis, Arab governments, starting with Saudi Arabia, slammed Hezbollah for recklessly provoking a war, providing what the United States and Israel took as a wink and a nod to continue the fight.

Democrats launch 'Six for '06' agenda  —  Party unveils campaign themes, says elections will be about Bush  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Senate's top Democrat says 1994's "Contract with America," the Republican campaign agenda the year the GOP regained control of Congress — was an "urban myth."

For Some Jews, Israel and Iraq Cloud View on Lieberman  —  HARTFORD, July 26 — Lesley Korzennik walked into a diner in Norwalk recently hoping to vent her frustrations with Senator Joseph I. Lieberman — over his continued support for the war, among a litany of other things.  "I'm furious at him," she said.

Simmering Rage Within the GOP  —  My weekend visitor was one of the founders of the postwar Republican Party in the South, one of those stubborn men who challenged the Democratic rule in his one-party state.  He was conservative enough that in the great struggle for the 1952 nomination …

Detainee Abuse Charges Feared  —  An obscure law approved by a Republican-controlled Congress a decade ago has made the Bush administration nervous that officials and troops involved in handling detainee matters might be accused of committing war crimes, and prosecuted at some point in U.S. courts.

A Blight Unto the Nations  —  I've felt many emotions about the Israelis before.  I've admired them for their accomplishments — building a flourishing state out of almost nothing.  I've hated them for their systematic dispossession of the Palestinians — even as they smugly congratulated themselves …

How critical is the Los Angeles Times' condition?  —  A picture, or better yet, a graph, is worth a thousand words.  —  As you can see, in 1970, nearly 1 out of 6 people living in the L.A. basin subscribed to the Los Angeles Times everyday.  While the population has multiplied almost 70% in the 35 years …

Kidnapping Mexican Democracy  —  MEXICO CITY — To illustrate the "ad terrorem" method by which truth was imposed in totalitarian societies, Polish philosopher Leszek Kolakowski told a story: Two girls race each other in a park, the one who is behind repeatedly proclaiming at the top of her lungs, "I'm winning!

Conrad Burns chastises Hotshots over Billings fire  —  HELENA - Republican Sen. Conrad Burns chastised a group of firefighters over the weekend for doing a "poor job" of squelching a 92,000-acre blaze near Billings, a state report shows.  —  Burns and the firefighters …

Cindy Sheehan Buys Property in Crawford  —  War protester Cindy Sheehan has purchased a 5-acre plot in Crawford with some of the insurance money she received after her son was killed in Iraq.  —  The group she helps lead, Gold Star Families for Peace, says on its Web site that it will return next month …

Poll: Johnson has lead over McKinney  —  A new poll by Insider Advantage shows challenger Hank Johnson with a hefty lead over incumbent Cynthia McKinney in the Democratic run-off for the 4th District congressional race.  —  The poll shows Johnson leading McKinney, 46 to 21 percent, with a third of voters undecided.