"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 …

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.

Wal-Mart Drives Democrats Batty  —  The left's dunderheaded broadsides at the nation's biggest employer.  —  NED LAMONT'S primary victory against Joe Lieberman in Connecticut supposedly represented the triumph of the antiwar, anti-Bush "net roots" within the Democratic Party.

'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 …

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 …

Poll: Majority wants Olmert out  —  Yedioth Ahronoth poll shows majority of Israeli public believes government failed in handling Lebanon war, Olmert, Peretz, Halutz should go home; Likud gained from war deficiencies  —  Political earthquake: A poll published on Friday in the Yedioth Ahrnonoth daily shows …

New York Man Charged With Enabling Hezbollah Television Broadcasts  —  The Staten Island home of Javed Iqbal, a Brooklyn businessman, has eight satellite dishes in the backyard.  He was arraigned Thursday and held in $250,000 bail.  —  For several years, Javed Iqbal has operated a small company …

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 …

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.

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.

Video Discloses Alleged Plot To Target Sears Tower  —  Federal Judge Denies Request To Ban Video  —  (CBS) MIAMI Undercover video acquired by CBS 2's Miami sister station, WFOR-TV CBS 4, reveals an inside look at a suspected terror group leader accused in a plot to target U.S. landmarks, including the Sears Tower.

Chavez says Israel's action in Lebanon "worse" than Hitler  —  BEIJING (AFP) - Visiting Venezuela President Hugo Chavez has denounced Israel's recent attacks on Lebanon as "genocide," likening its action to war crimes committed by Germany's Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Washington, D.C.  —  WASHINGTON, in many ways, is an unsurprising place to visit — an expanse of monuments, symbols and sites familiar to any American who watches the evening news (or, at least, "West Wing").  Which is not to say that Washington can't be, with a little effort, a city of surprises and unfamiliar delights.

Alleged Slur Casts Spotlight On Senator's (Jewish?)  Roots  —  When Senator George Allen of Virginia used a racial slur for dark-skinned North Africans, "macaca," during a recent encounter with a young Indian American cameraman from his opponent's campaign, many wondered where he had learned the word.

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 …