Bush 'Taken Aback' by Musharraf Comment  —  President Bush said today he was surprised by reports that a former top State Department official threatened heavy U.S. bombing of Pakistan if it did not cooperate with the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks …

Bush, senators reach agreement on detainee interrogation legislation  —  WASHINGTON - The White House and dissident Republican senators reached an agreement Thursday that would allow the CIA's controversial terrorist interrogation program to continue and trials of suspected Islamic terrorists …

Nasrallah: No army in the world can disarm Hezbollah  —  By Haaretz Service and News Agencies  —  In his first public appearance since the start of his group's war with Israel, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that "no army in the world" would be able to disarm his group …

Probe Finds Jackson Urged Favoritism in HUD Contracts  —  An inspector general's report charges that top U.S. housing official Alphonso Jackson urged staff members to favor friends of President Bush when awarding Department of Housing and Urban Development contracts.

War price on U.S. lives equal to 9/11  —  WASHINGTON - Now the death toll is 9/11 times two.  U.S. military deaths from Iraq and Afghanistan now match those of the most devastating terrorist attack in America's history, the trigger for what came next.  Add casualties from chasing terrorists elsewhere …

Top Republican Aids Lieberman Fundraiser  —  WASHINGTON — A prominent Republican who chairs I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's legal defense fund co-hosted a fundraiser Wednesday for Sen. Joe Lieberman, who is running for re-election as an independent after losing the Democratic primary.

INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN INEPT.  Bloggers are in an understandable uproar over a Roll Call article in which a hodgepodge of nameless Democratic aides reveal that the leadership is readying to party like it's 2002 and refocus the election on economic issues.  I'm a bit skeptical.

Idiot press  —  I just got a call from an MSNBC booker.  She wanted to know if I wanted to go on the air to talk about Hugo Chavez.  Apparently, he went off on some rant at the UN.  —  I said, "Why would I?  Who cares about Hugo Chavez?"  —  The booker said, "well, it's all over talk radio and the blogs."

Bill O'Reilly's enemies list, available in hardback for $26  —  "My goal," Bill O'Reilly writes in the introduction to his latest book, Culture Warrior, which is published by Random House's Broadway Books imprint and will go on sale September 25, "is to expose and defeat people who have the power to do you great harm.

Navy retires F-14, the coolest of cold warriors  —  VIRGINIA BEACH — Today the Navy holsters the F-14 Tomcat, the top gun in its Cold War arsenal and one of the most recognizable warplanes in history.  —  Maintenance costs for the F-14 have soared, and its replacement, the F/A-18 Super Hornet …

AZ Republic, FactCheck.org lobbed misleading claims in attempt to debunk Vote Vets ad criticizing Allen … In recent days, both The Arizona Republic editorial page and the website FactCheck.org have attacked as "deceitful" and "just plain wrong" a television advertisement …

USA Today hypes gas price-approval link  —  A USA Today article yesterday made some exaggerated claims about the effect of gasoline prices on President Bush's approval ratings: … The problem, however, is that Henwood's analysis is not correct, nor is he a statistician as Page's lede implies …

Streisand shows what not to wear  —  You would think that by the age of 64, most women would be self-conscious enough to ensure their choice of evening wear does not expose parts of the body which have...well dropped below standards.  —  But no one seems to have shared this with legendary …

Pakistanis protest, cleric says Pope should be crucified  —  ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Hundreds of Pakistani Islamists held street protests to condemn Pope Benedict XVI for remarks they regard as anti-Islamic, with one leader saying the pontiff should be crucified.  —  Demonstrators Friday poured …

A Scholar Is Alive, Actually, and Hungry for Debate  —  At a news conference after his spirited address to the United Nations on Wednesday, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela expressed one regret: not having met that icon of the American left, the linguist Noam Chomsky, before his death.

Courtney chides Simmons over sub base politics  —  _ Sub base politics is hitting some very rough waters in Eastern Connecticut.  Democratic challenger Joe Courtney is calling Republican Rep. Rob Simmons a hypocrite for saying he did nothing to help save the base after praising him in a personal phone call.

The Democrats Should Probably Lose In November  —  For the sake of America, I hope the Democrats win.  In the 5+ years of solid Republican rule, the congress has abdicated its constitutional role as a watchdog.  It has become just another cheerleading section for the Republican party and has overseen fraud …

The Democratic Party and Jews  —  The Democratic Party has been a congenial political home for many American Jews since the era of FDR.  The party welcomed them into its ranks (along with many blacks and urban dwellers) and its programs comported well with many values Jews cherish.

Political survivor  —  POLITICS: George Allen had a rocky road to the Senate; now a suddenly difficult reelection race could stand in the way of an expected presidential bid |  Joel Belz  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — When George F. Allen ambled off the floor of the U.S. Senate a couple of Friday mornings ago …