George Allen's America  —  "MY FRIENDS, we're going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas," Sen. George F. Allen told a rally of Republican supporters in Southwest Virginia last week.  "And it's important that we motivate and inspire people for something."

The Triumph of Unrealism  —  Five weeks have passed since the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers provoked Israel to launch its most unsatisfactory military operation in 58 years.  What problem has been solved, or even ameliorated?  —  Hezbollah, often using World War II-vintage rockets …

Hizbullah likely to retain weapons  —  Hizbullah will not hand over its weapons to the Lebanese government but rather refrain from exhibiting them publicly, according to a new compromise that is reportedly brewing between Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Seniora and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

ANALYSIS: The IDF's military victory is not enough  —  The question being asked in Israel at the end of the war is: Who won?  This was also asked at the end of the Yom Kippur War and the 1982 Lebanon War, and also following the last, limited confrontation with the Palestinians.

Kossacks : 'Mike Wallace was totally rude and a jingoistic idiot'  —  While many commentators have roundly criticized Mike Wallace for letting the Iranian President walk all over him in the recent 60 Minutes interview, the reality-based community at Daily Kos is upset that Wallace was so terribly rude to Amadinnerjihad:

Let us adopt Islamic family law to curb extremists, Muslims tell Kelly  —  Muslim leaders have urged Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities, to support Islamic family law in Britain to stop youths joining Islamic extremists.  —  Following three hours of meeting with Muslim groups in Whitehall …

`Vets For Freedom' Creates Stir  —  Group With GOP Ties Backs Lieberman; White House Declines To Endorse Schlesinger  —  Connecticut's U.S. Senate race continued Monday along its unpredictable way: The White House declined to endorse the nominee of state Republicans - and a new "Vets for Freedom" …

Clinton Sounds Off on Terror, Republicans  —  Taking a break from his work at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto on Monday, former President Clinton warned Republicans not to politicize the London terror arrests, slammed Sen. Joe Lieberman, whom he campaigned for just a couple weeks ago …

No Joke: Lieberman Backer Mark Pryor is Vice-Chair of The DSCC  —  Even though I cover the Senate, I'm the first to admit that I don't know it all about the body's customs and every procedural nuance of the legislative process.  But what I'm about to tell you seems pretty easy to figure out.

EXCLUSIVE: Lou Beres of the Christian Coalition Confesses to Molesting Family Members  —  GayRightsWatch.com Exclusive:.  In a just released police report (pdf), Lou Beres, former head of the Oregon Christian Coalition, finally confessed to the charges that he so vehemently denied last October.

Latest Bush Approval Rating at 37%  —  Little fundamental change in rating since June  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll finds George W. Bush's presidential job approval rating at 37%, consistent with recent polling.  His approval rating has bounced between 36% and 40% since early June …

Andrew Sullivan blogs from a parallel world  —  After a somber beginning, the president finally found his voice last night.  It's been hard for him to connect viscerally to the public, and the formality of a congressional address doesn't exactly help.  He remains awkward, stiff, emotionally detached.

In Wake of Plot, Justice Dept. Will Study Britain's Terror Laws  —  Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on Monday ordered a side-by-side review of American and British counterterrorism laws as a first step toward determining whether further changes in American law are warranted.

War Warps the Mind a Little  —  The events in this essay took place on August 11 and 12.  —  NORTHERN ISRAEL - War does strange things to the mind.  The first time you hear the loud BOOM, BANG, and CRASH of incoming and outgoing artillery, you will jump.  You will twitch.  You will want to take cover.

Anti-partisan Lieberman may be on to something  —  WASHINGTON - When I left New York last week for a family vacation in Southern California, Sen. Joe Lieberman had just lost the Democratic primary in Connecticut and was preparing for his first day as an independent candidate for higher office.

Women in Top Ranks Pull Up the Pay of Others  —  Study Says Existing Salary Gap Fades When Female Managers Are in Charge  —  MONTREAL — American women earn substantially more money and narrow the long-standing gender gap in income if other women in their workplaces reach the ranks of senior management …

How to Make Sure Children Are Scientifically Illiterate  —  Voters in Kansas ensured this month that noncreationist moderates will once again have a majority (6 to 4) on the state school board, keeping new standards inspired by intelligent design from taking effect.

Happy Birthday Fidel  —  San Franciscans honor the life of the world's longest reigning revolutionary leader  —  Members of Dance Brigade perform a dance ode to honor the life of Cuban President  —  Fidel Castro at Dance Mission Theater on Saturday.  —  The event was co-sponsored by Casa Cuba Resource Center.

Poll Shows Pa. Senate Race Narrowing  —  MANNS CHOICE, Pa. - Democrat Bob Casey is holding onto his lead over Republican Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record) in one of the nation's hottest Senate races, despite the recent appearance of a Green Party candidate who is considered a spoiler for Casey, a poll released Tuesday shows.

MyDD / Courage Campaign Poll: Republicans Divided On Iraq, Accountability  —  Please continue to donate to the MyDD / Courage Campaign Polling Project.  This important work cannot continue without your support.  Also, check out the official, public, PDF version of the report.

Cardin promises cancer cure … With a month to go before primary voters head to the polls to choose Senate nominees, Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin kicked off yesterday a weeklong effort to highlight his congressional record and vision on health care by making the mother of all campaign promises - to cure cancer.

The New Pork Database  —  A while back, several groups including the Club for Growth, were able to get their hands on the 2007 Labor-HHS appropriations bill that was introduced in the House (but has not yet passed), along with the committee report.  What we found were 1,867 pork projects hidden in the bill.