Muslims Assail Pope's Remarks on Islam  —  Turkey's ruling Islamic-rooted party joined a wave of criticism of Pope Benedict XVI on Friday, accusing him of trying to revive the spirit of the Crusades with remarks he made about Islam.  Muslim leaders in the Middle East expressed dismay …

Bush wants 'clarity' on interrogations  —  WASHINGTON - Facing a GOP revolt in the Senate, President Bush urged Congress on Friday to join in backing legislation to spell out strategies for interrogating and trying terror suspects, saying "the enemy wants to attack us again."

A Defining Moment for America  —  PRESIDENT BUSH rarely visits Congress.  So it was a measure of his painfully skewed priorities that Mr. Bush made the unaccustomed trip yesterday to seek legislative permission for the CIA to make people disappear into secret prisons and have information extracted …

Novak "Would Hope" Bush Would Pardon Libby  —  Bob Novak took questions on C-Span today.  Some highlights (and I am straining my TiVo here):  — Novak "would hope" that President Bush would pardon Libby.  Whether a pardon should be given before or after the trial seems to be a point …

The Tehran Calculus  —  In his televised Sept. 11 address, President Bush said that we must not "leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons."  There's only one such current candidate: Iran.

Democrats Meander in a New New Direction  —  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the woman who will become speaker of the House if Democrats get lucky in November, began her weekly news conference yesterday holding up a red-white-and-blue brochure.  —  "I hope you all received 'A New Direction for America …

In a Volatile Region of Iraq, U.S. Military Takes Two Paths  —  AL-FURAT, Iraq — With a biker's bandanna tied under his helmet, the Special Forces team sergeant gunned a Humvee down a desert road in Iraq's volatile Anbar province.  Skirting the restive town of Hit, the team of a dozen soldiers crossed …

Lieberman criticizes Republicans who assail war critics  —  FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Sen. Joe Lieberman on Friday criticized Republicans who accuse Democratic critics of the Iraq war of encouraging terrorists, arguing such talk "demeans the freedom we are all fighting for."

A DEADLY KINDNESS  —  AT GITMO, PC RULES LET QAEDAS PLOT ON  —  RICHARD MINITER  —  ON the military plane back from America's most fa mous terrorist holding pen, the in-flight film was "V for Vendetta," a screed that tries to justify terrorism.  It was a fitting end to a surreal, military-sponsored trip.

Ritter tops in poll  —  Democrat holds 17-point lead over Beauprez for guv  —  Democrat Bill Ritter has a remarkable 17-point lead over Republican Congressman Bob Beauprez in the race for Colorado governor, according to a Rocky Mountain News/ CBS 4 poll of likely voters.

Zogby: Battle for Congress Tightens  —  Republican Candidates Trail Democrats by Just 3%; Bush Job Approval Climbs to 39%  —  Following an aggressive media blitz, the latest Zogby America poll finds the standing of President Bush and congressional Republicans climbing as the November elections rapidly approach.

Ace of Spades Reader Spotted Wanted Terrorist?  (Updated: Limited Confirmation From FBI)  —  TKS alerts me of an interesting comment posted here: … Name withheld (and I hope she used a pseudonym).  —  Later, after Purple Avenger provided the contact information for the Texas FBI,  —  she reported:

Obama Watch: Another Hint of '08 Intent?  —  After yesterday's post on Barack Obama's visit to Iowa this weekend, another tidbit of information came to The Fix's attention that will certainly fuel even more chatter that the Illinois senator is seriously pondering a 2008 presidential bid.

Why Oh Why Can't We Have a Better Press Corps?  (CJR Daily Jumps the Shark Edition)  —  UPDATE: Bree Nordenson of Columbia Journalism Review says that she will explain her side of the story about why she wrote that Paul Krugman's references to median earnings of households headed by college graduates was "partisan slipperiness."

Ohio Rep. Ney expected to plead guilty  —  WASHINGTON - Abandoning months of defiant denials, Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) intends to admit guilt in the congressional corruption probe spawned by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to Republican officials.

Senate approves bill to tighten port security  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate approved a port-security bill Thursday that its sponsors said would make the nation safer from terrorist attack, after it rejected a plan to inspect every inbound cargo container for nuclear weapons.

The Great Nuclear Debate  —  To add your voice to the nuclear debate click here. … Nuclear Energy Provides Practical Baseload Power  —  by Patrick Moore  —  When I helped found Greenpeace in the 1970s, my colleagues and I were firmly opposed to nuclear energy.  But times have changed.