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 …

UN: Int'l force may fail without European participation  —  The reinforcement of UNIFIL and deployment of an international force in South Lebanon in accordance with Resolution 1701 are on the verge of collapse, unless European member states immediately declare their participation and the extent …

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 …

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.

Diplomat admits no progress in Wiig's kidnapping  —  A senior New Zealand diplomat has admitted there are no firm leads or information about kidnapped New Zealand cameraman Olaf Wiig but says officials are prepared to stay in the Middle East for as long as it takes to secure his release.

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 …

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.

Who's the senator who wants spending kept secret?  —  The Washington DC Examiner Newspaper, The Examiner  —  WASHINGTON - A Senate staffer — who shall remain nameless here — must have awakened on the wrong side of the bed Monday morning.  Said staffer exploded in response …

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.

A Man, a Plan, a Dam.  Then, an F.B.I. Call.  —  On July 25, Jim Bensman of Alton, Ill., attended a public meeting on the proposed construction of a bypass channel for fish at a dam on the Mississippi River.  Less than a week later, he was under investigation by the F.B.I. — the victim …

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.

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 …

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.