U.S. District Judge Who Presided Over Government Wiretapping Case May Have Had Conflict of Interest  —  (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and judicial abuse, announced today that Judge Anna Diggs Taylor …

51% in Poll See No Link Between Iraq and Terror Fight  —  Americans increasingly see the war in Iraq as distinct from the fight against terrorism, and nearly half believe President Bush has focused too much on Iraq to the exclusion of other threats, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Paul Hackett on Hardball  —  Paul Hackett debated the Iraq war with Republican-TX-17 candidate Van Taylor,  —  Taylor who did fight in the Iraq war-for some reason uses the most original "we're fighting them over there" argument which is sounding more and more like an Abbott & Costello routine.

Senator Jokes About House Painter  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, whose re-election campaign is pressing for tighter immigration controls, referred to his house painter as "a nice little Guatemalan man" and suggested that worker as well employees of a roofing company he hired might be in the country illegally.

Iran says it's willing to resume talks  —  Leaders continue to reject U.N. demand to halt nuclear program  —  TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iran's top nuclear negotiator said his country was willing to return to serious talks on its nuclear program as early as Wednesday, Iranian media reported Tuesday.

Mideast Echoes Of 1938  —  In his upcoming book about the horrors of the 20th century ("The War of the World''), the British historian Niall Ferguson has a chapter called "The Pity of Peace.'' It is about 1938 when World War II loomed and Britain — especially and importantly Britain — did precious little to stop it.

Hizbollah won, but Israel didn't lose  —  The concensus is that the Lebanon-Israeli conflict was a complete debacle.  At the outset of the conflict, I mourned that Hizbollah was winning, again.  It's worth reading Greg Djerjian for the definitive post-"cease fire" analysis in terms of what strategic advantage Israel has lost.

Al-Jazeera's Tricky Balancing Act  —  DOHA, Qatar — What do people in the Middle East think five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks?  To get a quick snapshot, I paid a visit here to Ahmed Sheikh, the editor in chief of al-Jazeera television.  It was reassuring, in a perverse way …

Chad-free voting machines can be hacked  —  WASHINGTON - Our house just had a plumbing line break; it was a big deal because here in California, many houses are built on slabs, which means that you have to tear rooms up and jackhammer concrete to get to the lines and fix them.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF  —  I had the opportunity this afternoon to be part of a relatively small group who heard President Bush talk, extemporaneously, for around forty minutes.  It was an absolutely riveting experience.  It was the best I've ever seen him.  Not only that; it may have been the best I've ever seen any politician.

Bush OKs involuntary Marine recall  —  Initial recall is for 2,500, but there is no cap  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush has authorized the U.S. Marine Corps to recall 2,500 troops to active duty because there are not enough volunteers returning for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, Marine commanders announced Tuesday.

WHAT ELSE ARE THEY KEEPING SILENT ABOUT?  —  The Swedish Foreign Ministry was delegated to investigate who knew what about corruption in the U.N.'s oil-for-food program in Iraq.  The report has now been made public by a Swedish radio station.  It says that Ole Kolby, Norway's U.N. ambassador …

Maine Governor: Baldacci Campaign Still Running in Place  —  Woodcock (R) 42% Baldacci (D) 43%  —  Maine's competitive gubernatorial campaign has a caught-in-amber feeling to it, especially when it comes to support for Democratic Governor John Baldacci.  —  Baldacci now leads Republican Chandler Woodcock 43% to 42% (see crosstabs).

August 22nd: The recriminations begin  —  It's after midnight in Tehran.  The apocalypse turned out to be four soldiers getting froggy with some Romanian laborers.  —  I won't name names, but my feelings about the people who were pimping this are the same as my feelings about Amir Taheri …

Paramount cuts ties with Tom Cruise  —  Film distribution giant ends 14-year relationship with actor's production company because of Cruise's recent erratic behavior, says a report.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Paramount Pictures will end its longstanding relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions …

The 'New Middle East' Bush Is Resisting  —  President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may be quite right about a new Middle East being born.  In fact, their policies in support of the actions of their closest regional ally, Israel, have helped midwife the newborn.

The Wagging of the 'Civil' Tongues  —  It's official: The Iraq Civil War has begun — not necessarily in Iraq, but in Washington, where an all-out fight has broken out over whether what is happening on the Tigris can be called a civil war.  —  "You know, I hear a lot of talk about civil war …

For TX GOP, Is Disaster Spelled S-H-E-L-L-E-Y S-E-K-U-L-A—G-I-B-B-S?  —  After Tom DeLay dropped out last week, the Texas GOP was forced to try a Hail Mary, throwing their support behind a write-in candidate.  But the candidate's name — Shelley Sekula-Gibbs — may be a problem.