The Hole in the City's Heart  —  On July Fourth two years ago, eight weeks before the Republican National Convention in New York City, Gov. George E. Pataki traveled from the Hamptons summer home of his senior economic adviser, Charles A. Gargano, to the dusty crater in the center of Lower Manhattan.

The 2,996 Project  —  I am kicking off 24-hour 9/11 anniversary coverage today with my entry for the 2,996 Project.  —  As I mentioned last month, the project launched by D.C. Roe involves more than 3,000 bloggers who have joined together to commemorate each and every one of the victims of 9/11 on this fifth anniversary.

Situation Called Dire in West Iraq  —  Anbar Is Lost Politically, Marine Analyst Says  —  The chief of intelligence for the Marine Corps in Iraq recently filed an unusual secret report concluding that the prospects for securing that country's western Anbar province are dim …

Attacking Iran is not a long-term solution  —  We need to bring about regime change in Iran - but preferably not by force.  —  About Webfeeds  —  Iran's pursuit of a nuclear program in defiance of the United Nations has led some to call for military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities …

A new low in Bush-hatred  —  SIX YEARS into the Bush administration, are there any new lows to which the Bush-haters can sink?  —  George W. Bush has been smeared by the left with every insult imaginable.  He has been called a segregationist who yearns to revive Jim Crow and compared ad nauseam to Adolf Hitler.

War's Critics Abetting Terrorists, Cheney Says  —  He Cites Allies' 'Doubts' About U.S. Will  —  Vice President Cheney offered a veiled attack yesterday on critics of the administration's Iraq policy, saying the domestic debate over the war is emboldening adversaries who believe they can undermine the resolve of the American people.

CAIR'S CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE AND MORE  —  Joel Mowbray has fashioned his investigation into the friends of Keith Ellison into a column for FrontPage: "CAIR's congressional candidate."  Joel's FrontPage column is derived from the column he submitted to the St. Paul Pioneer Press for publication as an op-ed column last week.

Worried CIA Officers Buy Legal Insurance  —  Plans Fund Defense In Anti-Terror Cases  —  CIA counterterrorism officers have signed up in growing numbers for a government-reimbursed, private insurance plan that would pay their civil judgments and legal expenses if they are sued or charged …

For Democrats' Hopes, Less Promise in New York  —  Kirsten Gillibrand campaigned with Hillary Rodham Clinton last month.  She is trying to unseat Representative John E. Sweeney, a four-term Republican.  —  In a year when Democrats hope to take control of the House of Representatives …

Symposium: 9/11: Five Years Later  —  On this fifth anniversary of 9/11, Frontpage Symposium has assembled a distinguished panel to discuss the significance of that terror attack, what we have done right and wrong since then, and what steps must now be taken to confront our enemy.

I'M WATCHING "THE PATH TO 9/11" NOW: Ed Driscoll offers an interesting quote from a 2001 New Yorker article: … After the pants incident, its hard for me to respect Berger, and easy for me to see him as overly concerned with how things will play in the press.  Read the whole thing and form your own opinions.

Democrats already counting their eggs  —  Party leaders prepare agenda in anticipation of gaining control of House and Senate in elections  —  WASHINGTON - If Democrats win one or both houses of Congress in November's elections, as polls suggest is increasingly likely, President Bush's Washington will change dramatically.

Bush's Approval Ratings Slumping Further in Europe  —  President Bush's approval ratings in the United States are nothing to cheer about, but he can count himself lucky that the midterm elections will not be held in Europe.  A comprehensive survey of public opinion in a dozen European nations …

Hezbollah gives hope to Palestinians  —  BALATA, West Bank - Last month, in the midst of this Biblical landscape, Murad abu Shadi Marshoud had a revelation.  —  As he watched the mighty Israeli army held at bay by a small band of Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon …