Iraq terror leader recruits scientists  —  CAIRO, Egypt - In a new audio message Thursday, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq called for explosives experts and nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war against the West.  He also said that more than 4,000 foreign insurgent fighters …

Poll: Lieberman Leads Lamont in Conn.  —  HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) - Sen. Joe Lieberman has a 10-point advantage over Democrat Ned Lamont among likely Connecticut voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.  —  Lieberman, a three-term Democrat running as an independent …

The White House Warden  —  Congress may give the president the power to lock up almost anyone he thinks is a terror threat.  —  BURIED IN THE complex Senate compromise on detainee treatment is a real shocker, reaching far beyond the legal struggles about foreign terrorist suspects in the Guantanamo Bay fortress.

Cafferty: "What Are We Becoming?"  —  Cafferty struck a somber tone tonight after the House passed legislation that includes a war crimes immunity clause.  He rightfully asks, "what are we becoming?"  —  Video - WMV Video - QT  —  Cafferty: President Bush is trying to pardon himself.

Bush Rules  —  Today's Senate vote on President Bush's detainee legislation, after House approval yesterday, marks a defining moment for this nation.  —  How far from our historic and Constitutional values are we willing to stray?  How mercilessly are we willing to treat those we suspect to be our enemies?

Senate Rejects Measure on Detainees  —  The Senate today rejected an amendment to a bill creating a new system for interrogating and trying terror suspects that would have guaranteed such suspects access to the courts to challenge their imprisonment.  —  The vote was 51 to 48 against the amendment …

Bob Woodward: Bush Misleads On Iraq  —  Tells 60 Minutes' Wallace That Kissinger Is Regular Visitor To White House  —  (CBS) Veteran Washington reporter Bob Woodward tells Mike Wallace that the Bush administration has not told the truth regarding the level of violence, especially against U.S. troops, in Iraq.

John Kerry: 'This Bill Permits Torture'  —  Yesterday the House rushed through Bush's 'torture bill' and today as the Senate is in the midst of debate on the bill it is clear there is no stopping this travesty of justice.  The N.Y. Times reports that "House Democrats were prevented from offering …

Sixteen-Year-Old Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-mail Exchange with Congressman  —  Rhonda Schwartz and Maddy Sauer Report:  —  A 16-year-old male congressional page concerned about the appropriateness of an e-mail exchange with a congressman alerted Capitol Hill staffers to the communication.

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.

HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM GROWTH MODERATES SLIGHTLY IN 2006, BUT STILL INCREASES TWICE AS FAST AS WAGES AND INFLATION  —  Enrollment in Consumer-Directed Health Plans Remains Modest At 2.7 Million; Relatively Few Employers Expect To Adopt Such Plans Next Year

How not to argue about Islam  —  This post by Dean Esmay, "calling out Michelle Malkin," is what is known in the business as traffic bait.  —  So go ahead and click it and give Esmay more of the traffic he wants.  I highly recommend you read his post as the classic blogospheric example of how not to argue about Islam.

Mahmoud and Me  —  Ahmadinejad's Wild Week, by His Translator: 'I Heard You Sounded Great!'  ; Meet the Wife; Asks for Michael Moore; Big Dinner at Hilton  —  On Tuesday, Sept. 19, the day of his now-famous speech, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad entered the General Assembly …

Dream world a strange, scary place for liberals  —  Meanwhile, conservatives dream of mundane events and monogamous sex, writes Chris Lackner.  —  Chris Lackner, The Ottawa Citizen  —  If you've recently dreamed about sex with a stranger, flying or the dead coming back to life …

EXCLUSIVE: HUD Secretary Admitted Professional 'Bias' Against Bush Critics, Ignored Warnings From Lawyers  —  An investigation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General reportedly revealed that HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson instructed staff to award HUD contracts …

The Blind Leading the Willing  —  A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THOSE WHO DON'T CARE AND THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO KNOW.  —  Is it still called a compromise when the president gets everything he wanted?  —  A major detainee bill hurtling down the HOV lane in Congress today would determine the extent …