Emmy Plane Crash Skit Called Insensitive  —  It was meant to be funny.  But a fake plane crash during the opening Emmy awards skit made many cringe on Sunday _ the same day 49 people died in a fiery plane crash in Kentucky.  —  The skit, aired live at the start of NBC's Emmy telecast …

'Gaza is caught in anarchy and thuggery'  —  "When you walk in the streets of Gaza City, you cannot but close your eyes because of what you see there: unimaginable chaos, careless policemen, young men carrying guns and strutting with pride and families receiving condolences for their dead in the middle of the street."

Dozens killed in Iraq; 8 U.S. troops die  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Violence in Iraq left nearly 50 people dead Monday in a suicide car bombing and clashes between Shiite militia and Iraqi security forces, a brutal contradiction of the prime minister's claim that bloodshed was decreasing.

Year After Katrina, Bush Still Fights for 9/11 Image  —  When the nation records the legacy of George W. Bush, 43rd president and self-described compassionate conservative, two competing images will help tell the tale.  —  The first is of Mr. Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks …

Life and Death  —  Western guilt blinds us to the nature of Islamic extremism.  —  The simple back-and-forth of war can create the illusion that both sides have a legitimate point to make even when this is not so, and it is clear that Hezbollah's cause has greatly benefited from war's "equalizing" effect.

Homicide Charges Rare in Iraq War  —  The majority of U.S. service members charged in the unlawful deaths of Iraqi civilians have been acquitted, found guilty of relatively minor offenses or given administrative punishments without trials, according to a Washington Post review of concluded military cases.

America: More Like Sweden Than You Thought  —  One of the joys of my working life is that I get to read papers like "The State of Working America" from the Economic Policy Institute.  They are, as you may know, the people who urge that the USA become more like the European countries, most especially the Scandinavian ones.

Shopping for Support Down the Wrong Aisle  —  Once upon a time, smart Democrats defended globalization, open trade and the companies that thrive within this system.  They were wary of tethering themselves to an anti-trade labor movement that represents a dwindling fraction of the electorate.

Bin Laden, Most Wanted For Embassy Bombings?  —  Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is a longtime and prominent member of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list, which notes his role as the suspected mastermind of the deadly U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa on Aug. 7, 1998.  —  is nowhere to be found on the same FBI notice.

Major black candidates at record high  —  Six African-Americans are making serious bids for senator or governor in 2006.  —  WASHINGTON - From Maryland to Tennessee to Ohio, the 2006 elections already hold a place in the history books: More black candidates from both major parties …

SADDAM BEING FORCED TO WATCH 'SOUTH PARK' MOVIE!  —  This is great news about Saddam (auditioning for "Inherit the Wind," left): … Stone, incidentally, voiced Saddam's character in the "South Park" movie.  —  We know that Parker and Stone have a knack for seeing ahead with their work …

WHY A PAC?  —  If you've checked the Blue America ActBlue page in the last couple of days, you may have noticed a new addition.  That ain't no candidate's face the second from the top.  No, it's the graphic symbol that our sometime art director, Adam, did to represent our "campaign" …