The Big Question Democrats Are Ducking  —  No matter how you slice it, the National Intelligence Estimate warning that the Iraq war has spawned more terrorism is big trouble for President Bush and his party in this election year.  It goes to the heart of Bush's argument for invading Iraq, which was that it would make America safer.

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.

Bush Blamed More Than Clinton for Failure to Capture Bin Laden  —  Views are predictably partisan; independents mostly blame Bush  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The recent firestorm over former President Bill Clinton's culpability for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was fueled on Tuesday when Secretary …

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 …

OperaRage: Idomeneo and Islam  —  The first thing to remember when reading about the cancellation of Mozart's Idomeneo in Germany and the opera house Deutsche Oper's kowtowing to Islamic bullies is that jihadists hate Western art and music.  —  They hate love songs.  —  They hate Muslim female pop stars.

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 …

Most Iraqis Favor Immediate U.S. Pullout, Polls Show  —  A strong majority of Iraqis want U.S.-led military forces to immediately withdraw from the country, saying their swift departure would make Iraq more secure and decrease sectarian violence, according to new polls by the State Department and independent researchers.

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 …

Spineless Democrats Deserve to Lose  —  From the New York Times: … I'm afraid it's already too late for that, Senator Reid.  —  I am puzzled by and ashamed of the Democrats' moral cowardice on this bill.  The latest version of the bill blesses detainee abuse and looks the other way on forms …

Third Night of Ramadan Rioting in Capital of Europe  —  It looks as if immigrants youths want to turn nightly rioting during the Islamic holy month of ramadan into an annual tradition.  Around 8:30pm last night violence erupted again in Brussels, the capital of Europe.

Pentagon study claims U.S. broadcasts to Iran aren't tough enough  —  WASHINGTON - In another indication that some in the Bush administration are pushing for a more confrontational policy toward Iran, a Pentagon unit has drafted a report charging that U.S. international broadcasts into Iran aren't tough enough on the Islamic regime.

Press downplays Iraq during campaign season.  Again.  —  MSNBC turbo talker Chris Matthews no doubt rattled some glasses amidst the Beltway cocktail circuit last week when he seemed to call out the press corps for turning its back on Iraq.  "It is not on the tube," said Matthews incredulously of the ongoing conflict.

Detainee Bill in Final Stages  —  White House Appears to Be Winning Wide Legal Latitude  —  White House national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley met with Republican senators yesterday in an effort to reach final agreement on legislation that would govern the military trials of terrorism suspects …

Little pressure on Hezbollah to disarm  —  MARJAYOUN, Lebanon - Six weeks after the end of the Lebanon war, the militant Hezbollah group is facing little on-the-ground pressure to give up its weapons and disarm — despite a U.N. cease-fire resolution demanding just that.