Israel strikes deep into Lebanon  —  Peres estimates end of fighting in a matter of weeks  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — Israeli troops landed Tuesday near the eastern Lebanese town of Baalbeck, Lebanese security sources said, and the Israeli military engaged in fierce fighting with Hezbollah forces just across the border with Lebanon.

Republicans Sponsor Green Candidate in Santorum Campaign  —  It's worse than we knew.  Is the Green Party candidacy in the race for Rick Santorum's seat a wholly Republican sponsored affair?  —  As reported today by the AP and the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Green Party managed …

Mel Gibson's Statement  —  Statement From Mel Gibson Asking for Help From Jewish Community  —  Aug 1, 2006 (AP)— Mel Gibson's statement, released to the news media early Tuesday, five days after his drunken driving arrest in Malibu:  —  There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance …

Democrats Scrambling To Organize Voter Turnout  —  Top Democrats are increasingly concerned that they lack an effective plan to turn out voters this fall, creating tension among party leaders and prompting House Democrats to launch a fundraising effort aimed exclusively at mobilizing Democratic partisans.

'A Moment of Opportunity'  —  President Bush's "moment of opportunity" in the Middle East is increasingly looking like an opportunity for disaster.  —  Bush's official position is that some blood-spilling in the Middle East is worth it in pursuit of the region's positive transformation.

White House Pressroom Gets a Makeover  —  Video Wall, Other Technology Could  —  Inject Drama and Directly Appeal  —  To Public in Briefings  —  WASHINGTON — For a decade, the daily White House news briefing has been televised.  Now it is becoming television.

Rightroots: The Republican Answer To The Lefty Blogosphere's Netroots Endorsed Candidates  —  (This post will be on top of the page all day long.  Scroll down for updates, Click here to see the slate of candidates and here to see their bios.)  —  As you all probably know …

Report: Burns irked by Boise fire management  —  Released documents include more details about senator's run-in  —  HELENA - More details emerged Monday from U.S. Forest Service documents about Sen. Conrad Burns' recent confrontation with firefighters, including the senator's complaints that managing fires from Boise doesn't work.

Vets set sights on Murtha  —  The "Swift Boat" veterans who grabbed national headlines in 2004 when they attacked John Kerry in his failed presidential bid now are turning their sights to Johnstown.  —  Their target is U.S. Rep. John Murtha, a critic of the Iraq war and a de facto spokesman …

Lieberman Through the Looking Glass  —  Over at MyDD, Matt Stoller poses one of the first interesting questions I've read in weeks amidst the hourly torrent of abuse towards Joe Lieberman.  Prompted by a Josh Marshall post depicting Lieberman's current political travails as "tragic," …

Paulson vows to stay on Social Security fight  —  New Treasury chief wants workable solutions, rebuts Democrats on taxes  —  WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Although his two predecessors were carried off the field after bruising political battles, new Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Monday …