A New Explanation For "Macaca?"  —  What does Macaca really mean?  Three Virginia Republicans confirmed to the Hotline that several Allen campaign aides and advisers are telling allies that the word was a made-up, off-the-cuff neologism that these aides occasionally used to refer …

THE MIDEAST'S MUNICH  —  WAR WITH MULLAHS IS COMING  —  HISTORIANS will look back at this weekend's cease-fire agreement in Lebanon as a pivotal moment in the war on terror.  It is pivotal in the same sense that the Munich agreement between Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain was pivotal …

The Alleged UK Terror Plot  —  So far, no one has been charged in the alleged terror plot to blow up several airplanes across the Atlantic.  No evidence has been produced supporting the contention that such a plot was indeed imminent.  Forgive me if my skepticism just ratcheted up a little notch.

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 …

Home Sales Tumble to 9-Year Low  —  Price gains slowed further in the Southland last month.  Economists debate whether the market will have a 'soft landing' or worse.  —  Southern California home sales fell to their lowest level in nine years last month as price appreciation continued to decelerate, data released Tuesday showed.

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 …

Israel pullout to stop if Lebanon army does not deploy  —  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel could withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon within 10 days, but only if the Lebanese army deploys quickly in the area, Israel's army chief of staff, Dan Halutz, said on Wednesday.

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 …

Town sued over strict immigration law  —  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Civil rights campaigners sued the Pennsylvania town of Hazleton on Tuesday, seeking to block one of America's toughest local laws against illegal immigrants.  —  The suit says Hazelton's City Council violated the U.S. constitution …

8/16: Let The Sunshine In  —  Perhaps it's due to the GOP's recent electoral success, but the right side of the 'sphere continues to focus less on campaigns and elections and more on other (still political) projects.  8/16 is yet another example of the trend as a broad coalition …

A Democrat for Main Street  —  If you're looking for a land that time forgot, you couldn't do much better than the mountain country of central Pennsylvania.  On a sparkling summer day it's a tableau of lazy rivers and deeply green forested hills, of cornfields and farmhouses (some abandoned) …

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 …

The Real Winner in Lebanon  —  The success of the ceasefire in Lebanon hinges on a condition that Lebanon and Hizbollah both insist will not happen.  Hizbollah is supposed to disarm, but says bluntly that it will not do so.  The Lebanese government says it will not force Hizbollah to disarm.