Poll Finds Most Americans Displeased With Congress  —  With the midterm elections less than seven weeks away, Americans have an overwhelmingly negative view of the Republican-controlled Congress, with substantial majorities saying that they disapprove of the job it is doing and that its members …

Bombshell: ABC independently confirms success of CIA "torture" tactics  —  Ace e-mailed me the instant this finished airing on O'Reilly with the subject header "must record".  He was right, as you'll see.  —  Anti-"torture" absolutists like Sullivan adamantly deny that harsh tactics produce reliable information.

Bush would send troops inside Pakistan to catch bin Laden  —  NEW YORK (CNN) — President Bush said Wednesday he would order U.S. forces to go after Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan if he received good intelligence on the fugitive al Qaeda leader's location.  —  "Absolutely," Bush said.

House passes bill to make voters show ID  —  WASHINGTON - The House voted Wednesday to require Americans to show proof of citizenship in order to vote, and the Senate moved to build a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border as Republicans sharpened attacks on illegal immigration before the midterm elections.

Allen's Mother Revealed Jewish Heritage to Him Last Month  —  Henrietta "Etty" Allen said Wednesday that she concealed her upbringing as a Jew in North Africa from her children, including Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), until a conversation across the dining room table in late August.

Independence Days  —  American politics reached a critical turn last week.  The revolt of several Republican senators against President Bush's insistence on a free hand in treating terrorist detainees signaled the emergence of an independent force in elections and government.

Keith Olbermann and Jane Hamsher Discuss Politics and Blogs  —  Keith had Jane from Firedoglake on tonight to talk about the meeting last week with Bill Clinton and progressive bloggers, as well as Hillary's possible 2008 run.  —  Video -WMV Video - QT  —  It is good to see Bill Clinton …

Everybody Has One: Bloggers and the Death of Opinion Journalism  —  Not that long ago, many people thought the Internet would break down partisan boundaries and improve the quality of political debate in this country — a prediction that sounds as silly today as previous hype about the educational potential of television and radio.

Ideals and Realities Clash In Bush 'Freedom Agenda'  —  At the United Nations lectern this week, President Bush hailed the spread of democracy.  "From Beirut to Baghdad," he said, "people are making the choice for freedom."  Yet even as he spoke, tanks were rolling through the streets …

Panel Leans Toward Phased Iraq Withdrawal or International Talks  —  WASHINGTON — A panel mandated by Congress to develop new Iraq policy is leaning toward recommending either a phased withdrawal of soldiers or a new engagement initiative with Iran and Syria to end the violence in Iraq.

False Claims About Body Armor  —  A new group falsely accuses Republicans of voting against body armor for troops.  Both sides have misled the public about this issue.  —  Summary  —  A new ad claims Republican Sen. George Allen of Virginia "voted against giving our troops" modern body armor.

Hamid Mir On Glenn Beck Show  —  Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir was on both the Glenn Beck radio and t.v. shows today.  —  Sandcrawler crewmembers are (hopefully) working on getting some audio.  If we can't do it, you can subscribe to Beck's Insider thingie for a month for a measly 7 bucks to hear it.

State Judge Voids Georgia Law Requiring a Photo ID of Voters  —  A state judge ruled Tuesday that a Georgia law requiring voters to present government-issued photo identification violates the State Constitution and could not be enforced.  —  In issuing a permanent injunction against the latest version …

Rangel Vows Bipartisanship, Action on Trade as House Panel Head  —  Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) — Democratic Representative Charles Rangel vowed to reach out to Republicans if his party wins control of the House in November, while acknowledging that they may find his plans for changing tax policy unpalatable.

Muslims & Christians In Iraq Join to Renounce Violence!  —  We will know the world is winning the War on Terror when:  — Muslim Imams do not preach violence  — Muslim textbooks do not teach violence  — Muslim entertainment does not glorify violence

Times Draws Ragged Line Between Fact and Opinion  —  The New York Times has a rule about presenting opinions in its news columns: Henceforth, they must all conform to the left.  —  this morning, if you're reading a brand-new copy of The Observer—The Times has instituted a sweeping but subtle redesign …