The Pope must die, says Muslim  —  A notorious Muslim extremist told a demonstration in London yesterday that the Pope should face execution.  —  Anjem Choudary said those who insulted Islam would be "subject to capital punishment".  —  His remarks came during a protest outside Westminster Cathedral …

Corruption That Shook Capitol Isn't Rattling Elections  —  Abramoff Case and Others Not Necessarily Key Issues  —  HAMILTON, Mont. — Sen. Conrad Burns gazed at a debate audience and asked if anyone could guess who was blocking efforts in Washington to control health-care costs.

Bush Untethered  —  Watching the president on Friday in the Rose Garden as he threatened to quit interrogating terrorists if Congress did not approve his detainee bill, we were struck by how often he acts as though there were not two sides to a debate.  We have lost count of the number …

Head-in-the-Sand Liberals  —  Western civilization really is at risk from Muslim extremists.  —  TWO YEARS AGO I published a book highly critical of religion, "The End of Faith."  In it, I argued that the world's major religions are genuinely incompatible, inevitably cause conflict …

GOP talk of vibrant economy rings hollow  —  FALMOUTH, Ky. - Used boots fetch $3 and old salt-and-pepper shakers bring in a buck at a makeshift flea market along Highway 27, presumably not what President Bush and Republicans have in mind when they herald a vibrant economy.

Harmful chemical leaks in space station  —  HOUSTON - International space station astronauts pulled an alarm and donned protective gear Monday after smelling a foul odor that turned out to be a harmful chemical leaking from an oxygen vent, NASA said.  —  "We don't exactly know the nature of the spill …

State sues over campaign calls  —  Attorney General Steve Carter has filed a lawsuit today in Brown County Circuit Court against a group making automated phone calls targeting Democratic congressional candidate Baron Hill.  —  Carter also is seeking a preliminary injunction …

Major State Union Switches To Lamont  —  AFSCME Council 4 Drops Lieberman, Citing Movement Toward Bush Policies  —  One of the state's largest labor unions has dropped its endorsement of U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman and switched its support to Democratic primary winner Ned Lamont.

Sep 18, Projected U.S. Senate: 50 Democrats 50 Republicans  —  Just one poll today, in Minnesota.  Amy Klobuchar (D) has widened her lead over Mark Kennedy (R) to 24%, 56% to 32%.  Maybe this should not come as a surprise as Kennedy underperformed Bush in 2004 in his own district (MN-06).

Give him another week  —  Almost 50 years ago, a reporter asked President Dwight Eisenhower what major contributions his vice president, Richard M. Nixon, had made to the Eisenhower administration.  Ike's response was telling and hilarious.  He said, "If you give me a week, I might think of one."

Goodnight, Ladies  —  SOMETIMES you see a man with a short haircut, athletic build and a military bearing, and you think to yourself, "I bet that man is a Marine."  —  With Major Pain, there is no question.  You know he is a Marine.  —  Which makes him an ideal wingman for me when it's …

Major Problems At Polls Feared  —  Some Officials Say Voting Law Changes And New Technology Will Cause Trouble  —  An overhaul in how states and localities record votes and administer elections since the Florida recount battle six years ago has created conditions that could trigger a repeat …

Republicans gain in midterm polls  —  Republicans appear to be gaining on the Democrats in the 2006 midterm campaign because of growing confidence in the economy, falling gas prices and President Bush's sustained political offensive on the terrorist threat, according to pollsters and campaign strategists.

Support for Electronic Filing of Senate Candidates' Campaign-Finance Records Gains Momentum  —  In the next few weeks leading up to Election Day, money will pour into candidates' coffers and voters will be able to see which lobby groups are trying hardest to buy their lawmakers' favor.

A Show That Trumpeted History but Led to Confusion  —  It's little wonder that ABC's mini-series "The Path to 9/11" drew stinging criticism earlier this month for its invented scenes, fabricated dialogue and unsubstantiated accounts of how the Clinton and Bush administrations conducted themselves …

NEWSWEEK "Isikoffed" the Gonzales Memo  —  Since Christopher Hitchens is correcting old Dowdified quotes, I thought I'd correct one myself.  This one, from a 2004 NEWSWEEK article, is a major Dowdification — in my view, every bit as egregious as Dowd's original.  What's more, it's still influencing lefties even today.

In Politics, Aim for the Heart, Not the Head  —  In 1935, researchers from Columbia University fanned out around the city of Allentown, Pa., and handed out leaflets ahead of local and state elections.  What residents did not know was that they were part of an experiment in political persuasion …