President on Another Planet  —  For a moment there, I was almost encouraged.  George W. Bush, the most resolutely incurious and inflexible of presidents, was reported last week to have been surprised at seeing Iraqi citizens — who ought to be grateful beneficiaries of the American occupation …

Iran Rejects Offer For Nuclear Talks  —  The Iranian government has told senior European officials that it will not accept the only condition set by the Bush administration and its Western allies for talks on the country's nuclear program and will continue enriching uranium …

Exclusive Poll Results Show Allen Losing Ground  —  GOP Allen's Once Large Lead Evaporates: In an election for the United States Senate in Virginia today, 8/21/06, incumbent Republican George Allen edges Democrat challenger James Webb 48% to 45%, according to an exclusive SurveyUSA poll conducted for W*USA-TV in Washington, DC.

New York Times' Eavesdropping Story Wasn't The Only One Squashed For Bush During 2004 Campaign  —  This Sunday the New York Times' Bill Keller got dresed down on the paper's letters page, with scores of readers taking the executive editor to task for being evasive in his previous explanations regarding why …

Washington Whispers  —  Don't laugh, but a loaner training kayak in the pool of the House of Representatives gym made the difference in President Bush's House victory for a pork-busting line-item veto.  "That's spot on," says Colorado Rep. Mark Udall, who helped talk 34 other Democrats into backing the measure 247 to 172.

Poll: GOP up after terror arrests  —  WASHINGTON — The arrest of terror suspects in London has helped buoy President Bush to his highest approval rating in six months and dampen Democratic congressional prospects to their lowest in a year.  —  In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday …

Israel, US foil Iran arms transfer  —  ANKARA, Turkey  —  Israeli and American intelligence agencies alerted Turkish authorities last Friday that several Lebanon-bound Iranian planes, loaded with military hardware meant for the Hizbullah, were making their way through Turkish airspace, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Scientists Offer Proof of 'Dark Matter'  —  Analysis of Galactic Collision Said to Reveal Mysterious Substance  —  For decades, many scientists have theorized that the universe is made up of nearly undetectable mysterious substances called dark matter and dark energy.

Judge Orders Justice Department Investigation of Leak to CBS Report  —  A federal judge has ordered a Justice Department probe into how CBS News obtained a story two years ago disclosing an FBI investigation into a pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Late Nite FDL: Faster, Pantywaist!  Shill!  Shill!  —  Ladies and gentlemen, meet Dan Gerstein, Joe Lieberman's director of media relations and Public Enema No. 1.  —  This very enlightening piece at LamontBlog lays out a list of his crimes, in order, and one has to wonder, exactly …

Calendars show Armitage met reporter  —  WASHINGTON - Then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003, the same time the reporter has testified an administration official talked to him about CIA employee Valerie Plame.

Smoking cuts for classic cartoons after UK complaint  —  LONDON (Reuters) - Turner Broadcasting is scouring more than 1,500 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including old favorites "Tom and Jerry," "The Flinstones" and "Scooby-Doo," to edit out scenes that glamorize smoking.

Officials Seek Broader Access to Airline Data  —  United States and European authorities, looking for more tools to detect terrorist plots, want to expand the screening of international airline passengers by digging deep into a vast repository of airline itineraries, personal information and payment data.

Sec/Def Lieberman?  —  Plus Steely Dan, Hot Tuna and more  —  Frank Rich writes here of these same folks who gave us the catastrophe that is Iraq and cheered Israel toward its folly who now "apoplectically fret that Mr. Lamont's victory signals the hijacking of the Democratic Party by the far left …