A Gap In Their Armor  —  The Democratic Party has a self-image problem.  —  Talk to Democrats at every level about the strong position the party is in for this fall's elections and the conversation inevitably ends with a variation of: "Yeah, if we don't blow it."

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."

Our World: The Olmert government must go  —  From all sides of the political spectrum calls are being raised for the establishment of an official commission of inquiry to investigate the Olmert government's incompetent management of the war in Lebanon.  These calls are misguided.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Stranger and Stranger  —  WHY IS GEORGE BUSH READING CAMUS?  —  On his summer vacation in Crawford, Texas, George Bush read Albert Camus' novel The Stranger.  I'm not sure what to make of this.  It's usually college freshmen who suddenly take up the French existentialist's slim volume …

`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" …

President Discusses Foreign Policy During Visit to State Department  —  Washington, D.C.  —  In Focus: Global Diplomacy  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.  Today I met with members of my national security team, both here at the State Department and at the Pentagon.

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 …

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.

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.

IDF General Staff sources: Halutz cannot escape resignation  —  Senior sources in the Israel Defense Forces General Staff and field officers who took part in the war in Lebanon said on Tuesday that Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, who went to his bank branch and sold an NIS 120,000 investment portfolio …

Has Bush v. Gore Become the Case That Must Not Be Named?  —  At a law school Supreme Court conference that I attended last fall, there was a panel on "The Rehnquist Court."  No one mentioned Bush v. Gore, the most historic case of William Rehnquist's time as chief justice, and during the Q. and A. no one asked about it.

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.

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.

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.