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 …

Cleric Said to Lose Reins of Parts of Iraqi Militia  —  The radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr has lost control of portions of his Mahdi Army militia that are splintering off into freelance death squads and criminal gangs, a senior coalition intelligence official said Wednesday.

Heralded Iraq Police Academy a 'Disaster'  —  A $75 million project to build the largest police academy in Iraq has been so grossly mismanaged that the campus now poses health risks to recruits and might need to be partially demolished, U.S. investigators have found.

New Hope for Democrats in Bid for Senate  —  Six weeks before Election Day, the Democrats suddenly face a map with unexpected opportunities in their battle for control of the Senate.  —  In Virginia, a state that few expected to be seriously competitive, Senator George Allen, a Republican …

Menendez Dumps Key Adviser Caught On Tape Seeking 'Favors'  —  U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's closest political adviser was secretly recorded seven years ago boasting of political power and urging a Hudson county contractor to hire somone as a favor to Menendez, according to a transcript obtained by The Star-Ledger.

Iraq war 'recruiting extremists'  —  The Iraq war has acted as a "recruiting sergeant" for extremists, a research paper prepared for the Ministry of Defence's Defence Academy says.  —  The paper on Pakistan admitted serious failings in the war on terror, the BBC's Newsnight programme has learned.

Poll: Iraqis back attacks on U.S. troops  —  WASHINGTON - About six in 10 Iraqis say they approve of attacks on U.S.-led forces, and slightly more than that want their government to ask U.S. troops to leave within a year, a poll finds.  —  The Iraqis also have negative views of Osama bin Laden …

Webb Denies Ever Using Word as Epithet  —  Racial Slur Overshadowing All Else in Contest  —  Democratic Senate candidate James Webb on Wednesday sought to explain remarks he had made a day earlier, in which he refused to say whether he had used the "N-word," but he insisted he has never used it as a racial epithet aimed at anyone.

What Do You Know?  —  If you're an American college student, probably not much. … So how is America's modern education system doing in this regard?  Are our citizens enlightened enough to exercise the powers of our democracy?  Do our colleges and universities provide their students …

Arnold's Turnaround  —  A GOP Governor Finds the Key: Independence  —  SACRAMENTO — The Terminator has rescued himself from political ruin by reinventing his approach to government, thus demonstrating in the most dramatic way possible the value of political independence.

Question for Michelle Malkin: Does the Conscience of a Conservative Still Exist?  —  I'm publicly calling out Michelle Malkin, someone whom I often disagree with but usually respect.  I hope she will think about it and respond thoughtfully and not angrily or flippantly.

Marriage gap could sway elections  —  Residents' status often predicts district's vote  —  The wedding band could be crucial in this fall's congressional elections, according to a USA TODAY analysis of 2005 Census data.  —  House districts held by Republicans are full of married people.

Cost of Iraq war nearly $2b a week  —  WASHINGTON — A new congressional analysis shows the Iraq war is now costing taxpayers almost $2 billion a week — nearly twice as much as in the first year of the conflict three years ago and 20 percent more than last year — as the Pentagon spends …

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 …

Musgrave: Gay Marriage 'Is The Most Important Issue That We Face Today'  —  Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), the lead sponsor of the constitutional ban on gay marriage in the House, spoke this weekend at the Family Research Council's "Values Voter Summit."  (Other virulently anti-gay speakers were featured at the event.)

It's your choice.  This is my advice.  Take it or leave it, Blair tells party  —  The key extracts from the prime minister's speech in Manchester yesterday  —  Thank-you  —  Thank you the Labour party for giving me the extraordinary privilege of leading you these past 12 years …