"Non-Combatant" Lieberman Won't Back Democratic Candidates  —  Declaring himself a "non-combatant," U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, in remarks at a New Haven press event Friday, raised anew the question of whether his "independent" candidacy will help Republicans hold onto three Congressional seats …

WHY WAL-MART MATTERS.  I'm of the opinion that how to handle Wal-Mart is among the two or three most important issues facing the country.  The conversation hasn't caught up to it, and the arguments being had mostly miss the mark and collapse in their own short-sightedness …

I Hope And Pray We Don't Get Hit Again-BUT.....  I hope and pray we don't get hit again, like we did on September 11.  Even one life lost to the violence of terrorism is too much.  —  If I somehow knew an attack was coming, I wouldn't pause for a second to report it in order to prevent it from occuring.

Dems use ignored rule to oust gay candidate  —  Alabama party committee disqualifies winner, loser in primary runoff  —  MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A Democratic Party committee Thursday night disqualified an openly gay candidate for the Alabama Legislature and the woman she defeated in the primary runoff …

'NYT' Sunday Preview: Barry Goldwater ... Hero of Democrats?  —  NEW YORK An interview in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine with C.C. Goldwater reveals that her HBO film to be aired Sept. 18 paints her late grandfather, Sen. Barry Goldwater, "as a kind of liberal," with testimonials from Al Franken …

Protest permit alarms Utah's Jews  —  'It's scary': Many worry such a rally could blur the line between freedom of speech and anti-Semitism  —  Members of Utah's Jewish community are alarmed by a proposed demonstration that will call for "Death to Israel."

Exclusive: Whistleblowers Say State Farm Cheated Katrina Victims  —  Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee Report:  —  State Farm Insurance supervisors systematically demanded that Hurricane Katrina damage reports be buried or replaced or changed so that the company would not have to pay policyholders' claims …

Fairfax Native Says Allen's Words Stung  —  S.R. Sidarth had built an impressive record of achievements for such a young man: straight-A student at one of Fairfax County's finest high schools, a tournament chess player, a quiz team captain, a sportswriter at his college newspaper …

Do I Want to Talk About the Fact that My Dad Sent a Tip-Off on the Big Story in the Blogosphere Right Now to Another Blogger?  —  No, I don't really wanna talk about it.  (Just givin' you a hard time, Dad.)  —  Turns out Mr. Greg Mitchell, who has so vocally defended the folks making up news …

The persecution of Lina Joy  —  Apostasy.  The last time I visited the subject, an ex-Muslim man's life was at stake in Afghanistan.  Remember Abdul Rahman?  —  Now, meet Lina Joy.  Like Rahman, she was born Muslim, converted to Christianity, and is facing death threats for abandoning Islam.

France Sets Big Force for Lebanon  —  2,000 to Serve As Peacekeepers; 'Clarifications' Set  —  French President Jacques Chirac said Thursday that France would commit 2,000 troops to a new international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.  The decision breaks a stalemate that has held …

Russia rules out UN sanctions against Iran  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia rejected talk for now of sanctions against Iran and France warned on Friday against conflict with Tehran, raising doubts whether it will face swift penalties if nuclear work is not halted by an August 31 deadline.

Family Time at Kennebunkport  —  President Bush returned to his parents' century-old oceanfront retreat here Thursday for the first time in his second term, putting aside the troubles of the world to some extent for a brief spell of fishing and family.  —  After a morning flight on Air Force One …

Pluto vote 'hijacked' in revolt  —  Pluto (L), pictured with its largest moon, Charon, is now a dwarf planet  —  A fierce backlash has begun against the decision by astronomers to strip Pluto of its status as a planet.  —  On Thursday, experts approved a definition of a planet that demoted Pluto to a lesser category of object.

Medicare Ads Paid by Drug Industry  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - The pharmaceutical industry quietly footed the bill for at least part of a recent multimillion-dollar ad campaign praising lawmakers who support the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to political officials.

The Perils Of Using 'The Allies'  —  The cowboy has been retired.  Multilateralism is back.  Diplomacy is king.  That's the conventional wisdom about George W. Bush's second term: Under the influence of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the administration has finally embraced "the allies."

Eiland: Iran leadership poses threat  —  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, if he ever became the supreme decision maker in his country, would "sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel," Giora Eiland, Israel's former national security adviser, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.