POWDER PUFF SPOOKS KEITH  —  MSNBC loudmouth Keith Olbermann flipped out when he opened his home mail yesterday.  The acerbic host of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" was terrified when he opened a suspicious-looking letter with a California postmark and a batch of white powder poured out.

House approves bill on terror detainees  —  WASHINGTON - The House approved legislation Wednesday giving the Bush administration authority to interrogate and prosecute terrorism detainees, moving President Bush to the edge of a pre-election victory with a key piece of his anti-terror plan.

On the NIE, the Right and the Left Are Both Wrong  —  The National Intelligence Estimate regarding trends in global terrorism, partially released by the administration yesterday in response to weekend news leaks, is not centrally about Iraq, and it is certainly not the final word on the subject.

Deja vu — Judith Apter Klinghoffer  —  POLL: AL QAEDA LOST IN IRAQ  —  Al Qaeda has desicively lost the Iraqi battlefield. … Iraqi confidence in Iraqi forces (as opposed to militias) is increasing while its confidence in US forces is decreasing.  Given US policies there can be little doubt …

New Report That Senator Uttered Slurs  —  Another acquaintance of Senator George Allen said Tuesday that she heard him use a racial slur in 1976, contradicting a statement he made Monday in an effort to tamp down similar accusations.  —  Mr. Allen's campaign manager, Dick Wadhams …

TENNESSEE SENATE UPDATE: One thing that everyone in Washington asked me about was the Tennessee Senate race between Bob Corker (R) and Harold Ford, Jr. (D).  Here's what I told them.  I think that Ford's got an excellent, and probably better-than-even chance at winning.

White House refuses to release full NIE  —  WASHINGTON - The White House refused Wednesday to release the rest of a secret intelligence assessment that depicts a growing terrorist threat, as the Bush administration tried to quell election-season criticism that its anti-terror policies are seriously off track.

Ailes: `An assault on all journalists'  —  NEW YORK - Fox News chief Roger Ailes says former President Clinton's response to Chris Wallace's question about going after Osama bin Laden represents "an assault on all journalists."  —  Ailes said Clinton had a "wild overreaction" in the interview, broadcast on "Fox News Sunday."

Students held hostage in Bailey  —  A gunman took five people hostage, and is still holding at least two of them at a Park County school.  Several shots have been fired.  —  Lance Clem, spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol, said it is unclear if anyone was injured at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey.

The Choice: A Longer Life or More Stuff  —  The most authoritative report on the cost of health insurance came out yesterday, and it's sure to cause some new outrage.  —  The average cost of a family insurance plan that Americans get through their jobs has risen another 7.7 percent this year …

Casey increases lead over Santorum  —  Democrat Bob Casey appears to have doubled his lead over Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania's Senate race, according to a poll released today.  —  Mr. Casey had a 14-point lead in the Quinnipiac University Poll, with 54 percent of likely voters saying …

Lawyer looks to block witness  —  Controversial terrorism expert's credentials questioned by defense  —  Click byline for more stories by writer.  —  ALBANY — The credentials of a controversial al-Qaida expert, who has been dubbed "the Doogie Howser of terrorism," are being challenged …

Rushing Off a Cliff  —  Here's what happens when this irresponsible Congress railroads a profoundly important bill to serve the mindless politics of a midterm election: The Bush administration uses Republicans' fear of losing their majority to push through ghastly ideas about antiterrorism …

7-Eleven dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo  —  DALLAS - Convenience store operator 7-Eleven Inc. is dropping Venezuela-backed Citgo as its gasoline supplier at more than 2,100 locations and switching to its own brand of fuel.  —  The retailer said Wednesday it will purchase fuel from several distributors …

Source: Twin Cities Win GOP Convention  —  Republicans have chosen the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul _ in the politically pivotal Midwest _ for the 2008 presidential convention, GOP officials said Wednesday.  —  The selection was expected to be announced later in the day …

France-Bashing  —  The enduring popularity of France-bashing in the United States is a fascinating phenomenon.  Nick Gillespie spies Marty Peretz getting the bug.  What's especially fascinating is the particular form of the contemporary France-bashing narrative, as reflected in Peretz' post.

Feds: NY Pol Pirro Wanted Kerik to Spy on Hubby  —  Boy, it's been a rough year for Jeanne Pirro.  First her fledging challenge to Sen. Hilary Clinton (D-NY) exploded after the worst campaign launch ever.  —  Now she's under federal investigation for plotting — with onetime NYPD chief …

BLUE AMERICA: Angie Paccione (CO-04)  —  [Angie Paccione joins us in the comments today to discuss her candidacy in the CO-04.  Please stop by and give her a great FDL welcome.  As always in Blue America threads, please stay on topic and please be polite.  Welcome, Angie!  — CHS]