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 …

Inhofe optimistic on Iraq  —  It's well on the way toward handling its own security, he says  —  U.S. involvement in Iraq has been incredibly successful and developments there have been "nothing short of a miracle," Sen. James Inhofe said Monday.  —  During his half-hour speech …

Military upbeat on Baghdad clampdown  —  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Violence in Baghdad has declined in the past two weeks and all but ended in some formerly deadly neighborhoods, the U.S. military said in a cautiously upbeat report on Tuesday on a major security clampdown in the city.

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.

Point of No Return?  —  It is hard to think of a time when a nation — and a whole civilization — has drifted more futilely toward a bigger catastrophe than that looming over the United States and western civilization today.  —  Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran and North Korea mean …

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.

George Allen Campaign Manager Retracts Apology  —  Allen campaign manager Dick Wadhams just put this memo out.  He blames the media, pundits, Democrats, liberal groups, and Moveon.org for Allen's racist gaffe.  He says that it's the Democrats that are playing the race card.

Buchanan Argues For Immigration Moratorium To Preserve White Dominance  —  In his new book, State of Emergency, Pat Buchanan argues for "an immediate moratorium on all immigration."  Why?  To preserve the dominance of the white race in America.  Buchanan explains on pg.  11:

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.

Abbas forced to drop anti-Kassam plan  —  ramallah  —  Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was forced earlier this week to call off plans to deploy PA security personnel in the northern Gaza Strip when several armed groups, including militias from his own Fatah movement …

Push grows to reform the way Congress spends  —  The House vows to tackle earmark reform as a backlash grows from activists and bloggers.  —  WASHINGTON - House Republican leaders promise that even if lobby reform stalls - as it has - they will do something to rein in earmarks when they return to Capitol Hill next month.

Is a Federal Tax on Damages for Emotional Distress Unconstitutional?  —  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today held that a federal statute, which imposes a tax on awards of compensatory damages for emotional distress and loss of reputation …

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.

Journo kidnappings no longer the story it once was  —  From BOB LAURENCE, TV critic, San Diego Union-Tribune: I'd like to offer a couple of possible reasons for the lack of attention given to the kidnapping of the two guys from Fox:  —  One is that, sadly, they are far from the first to be kidnapped, injured or killed.

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.

Educators Question Absence of Evolution From List of Majors Eligible for New Grants  —  Like a gap in the fossil record, evolutionary biology is missing from a list of majors that the U.S. Department of Education has deemed eligible for a new federal grant program designed to reward students majoring …

GOP operatives say state law is too confusing.  —  The law that helped drive U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay from office and put two of his allies under criminal indictment can't be understood by the "man in the street," defense lawyers argued this morning.  —  Lawyers for Jim Ellis and John Colyandro …

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 …

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.

Malaga passenger defends actions  —  A man on board a flight to Manchester from Malaga has defended passengers' actions after their suspicions led to two men being removed from the plane.  —  David Wearden, 42, from Chester, said it was reports that the pair had been overheard claiming …