Allen on Damage Control After Remarks to Webb Aide  —  Sen. George Allen on Tuesday sought to contain the political damage from remarks he made to a Fairfax County man that dredged up charges of racial insensitivity — allegations that have dogged him for years as governor, senator and now presidential hopeful.

Breaking: London-to-DC flight diverted due to "dangerous situation" on board (Update: Note referencing Al Qaeda?)  —  The plane's on the runway in Boston now; passengers are being offloaded.  Details are sketchy, but Fox said there were three "suspicious" people onboard who confronted the crew …

A Path To Lasting Peace  —  For the past month the United States has worked urgently to end the violence that Hezbollah and its sponsors have imposed on the people of Lebanon and Israel.  At the same time, we have insisted that a truly effective cease-fire requires a decisive change from the status quo that produced this war.

Iran, Syrian leaders laud Hezbollah 'victory'  —  Tehran, Damascus mock U.S. plans for reshaping Middle East  —  TEHRAN, Iran - The leaders of Iran and Syria said Tuesday that Hezbollah defeated Israel, with the Iranian president telling a cheering crowd that "God's promises have come true" …

Dem angst escalates  —  A group of Senate Democrats is growing increasingly angry about Sen. Joe Lieberman's (D-Conn.) campaign tactics since he lost the Democratic primary last week.  —  If he continues to alienate his colleagues, Lieberman could be stripped of his seniority within …

Israel threatens to resume war if Hizbullah refuses to disarm  —  The IDF will have to resume operations in Lebanon if the expanded United Nations force being assembled does not fulfill its obligation to dismantle Hizbullah, an official in the Prime Minister's Office warned on Tuesday.

British Seek to Keep Suspects in Custody  —  British investigators headed to a closed-door hearing Wednesday to argue that suspects arrested in an alleged plot to blow up as many as 10 trans-Atlantic jetliners should be kept in custody without charge.  Meanwhile, Home Secretary John Reid …

Hezbollah Leads Work to Rebuild, Gaining Stature  —  As stunned Lebanese returned Tuesday over broken roads to shattered apartments in the south, it increasingly seemed that the beneficiary of the destruction was most likely to be Hezbollah.  —  A major reason — in addition to its hard-won reputation …

The Democrats Mean Business  —  Washington needs an entrepreneurial approach.  —  In the past week, my victory in the Connecticut Senate primary has been labeled everything from the death knell of the Democratic Party to the signal of our party's rebirth.  Beneath all of this punditry …

Bush Said to Be Frustrated by Level of Public Support in Iraq  —  President Bush made clear in a private meeting this week that he was concerned about the lack of progress in Iraq and frustrated that the new Iraqi government — and the Iraqi people — had not shown greater public support …

German troops may face Jews - as part of mission for peace  —  From Roger Boyes in Berlin and Richard Beeston in Beirut  —  GERMANY was poised yesterday to shatter its most enduring postwar taboo by sending troops into the cauldron of Lebanon, where they risk coming into direct conflict with Israelis.

Scarborough: "Is Bush An 'Idiot'?"  —  Joe Scarborough started his program tonight asking the question "is Bush an idiot?"  (Is that really debatable?).  Not only did he do a great run down of clips involving some of the most famous "Bushisms", but he did have an interesting conversation …

Fox News Airs Call for 'Muslim-Only' Line  —  A Fox News guest proposed having a "Muslims only" line for airport travelers, an idea that "Dayside" co-host Mike Jerrick called attention to it so that viewers did not overlook the proposal.  —  Conservative radio host Mike Gallagher suggested …

Michigan Governor: Granholm, DeVos Again in Toss-Up  —  Granholm (D) 47%, DeVos (R) 46%  —  With Michigan's rickety economy continuing to loom large in minds of many voters—45% say it is the election issue that most concerns them—Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) and Republican Dick DeVos remain locked …

Coffee as a Health Drink?  Studies Find Some Benefits  —  Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink.  Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments …

Plame lawyer plans to force Cheney, Rove testimony  —  Source: Reuters  —  A lawyer plans to use a legal precedent that allowed President Bill Clinton to be sued while in office to force Vice President Dick Cheney and presidential adviser Karl Rove to testify in a lawsuit brought by former CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband.