Can 'Magazines' of The Times Subsidize News Coverage?  —  A PERFUME critic?  Yes, The Times now has one.  Chandler Burr's Scent Strip column appears in the high-gloss T: The New York Times Style Magazine, where the often-fluffy lifestyle coverage is a world apart from the kind of journalism in the daily sections of the paper.

Lamont Questions Lieberman's Spending  —  HARTFORD, Conn. — Ned Lamont's campaign says Sen. Joe Lieberman has failed to account for $387,000 in petty cash his campaign spent days before the state's August Democratic primary.  —  "Whenever this much cash is floating around it certainly raises suspicions …

Obama Says He'll Consider A 2008 Bid for The Presidency  —  Democratic Senator to Decide After Elections  —  Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) opened the door to a 2008 presidential campaign yesterday, saying he has begun to weigh a possible candidacy and will make a decision after the November elections.

How I Came to Love the Veil  —  I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures — until I was captured by the Taliban.  —  In September 2001, just 15 days after the terrorist attacks on the United States, I snuck into Afghanistan, clad in a head-to-toe blue burqa …

FDL Book Salon: Anntichrist, Superstar  —  (Today's book salon guest is Joe Maguire, who is a) author of Brainless and b) a former Reuters employee.  His activities in "a" seem to have played a role in liberating him from "b."  Please stop by in the comments section and welcome him — JH.

Campaign Ad Linking Democrat to 'Sex' Call May Backfire on GOP  —  NEW YORK It seemed like a "gotcha" moment for Republicans in one of the most closely watched congressional races in the country: catching the Democratic candidate calling a sex phone line and billing the call to the local taxpayers.

French Police Face 'Permanent Intifada'  —  On a routine call, three unwitting police officers fell into a trap.  A car darted out to block their path, and dozens of hooded youths surged out of the darkness to attack them with stones, bats and tear gas before fleeing.  One officer was hospitalized, and no arrests made.

Diplomat: U.S. arrogant, stupid in Iraq … (CNN) — A senior U.S. State Department diplomat told Arab satellite network Al Jazeera that there is a strong possibility history will show the United States displayed "arrogance" and "stupidity" in its handling of the Iraq war.

What the Dems Would Do  —  They've waited 12 long years to reclaim the steering wheel.  How the party out of power would rule if they retake the House.  —  Khue Bui for Newsweek  —  Whose House?  The Dems could take the Capitol next month  —  John Dingell likes to reminisce about the days when Democrats ruled Capitol Hill.

A Nadir of U.S. Power  —  It's not exactly morning in America.  —  In Iraq, things get ever uglier, and the old remedy of extra troops now seems tragically futile.  The Bush team has recently tried putting thousands of additional soldiers into Baghdad, and the result after two months is that violence there has increased.

Fighting for The Spoils  —  Lawmaker and Rainmaker Rahm Emanuel Wants a Nov. 7 Victory For the Democrats So Bad He Can Almost Taste It.  If Only He Had Time to Eat.  —  CHICAGO  —  This must be how Machiavelli ate his corned beef sandwiches.  —  Sitting in a South Side deli …

Sweden's Muslim minister turns on veil  —  THE latest media darling of Scandinavian politics is not only black, beautiful and Muslim; she is also firmly against the wearing of the veil.  —  Nyamko Sabuni, 37, has caused a storm as Sweden's new integration and equality minister by arguing …

Blair gives Iraq 12 months to be ready for handover  —  Tony Blair will put pressure on the Iraqi government today to demonstrate that its security forces will be ready to take over from the British army in southern provinces within roughly a year.  —  Amid mounting international concern …

Melanie Morgan's lunacy: "I think we should have gone in and just blitzed Iraq.  We haven't had a, a serious war, really, since WWII."  —  Melanie Morgan is one of those grade B talk show hosts that's treated like the almighty when she appears on Teevee.  On Hardball Friday-she proves …

Call to Action: Google-Bombing the Election  —  First, I want to thank everyone who has participated in the Use It Or Lose It campaign, designed to drive Democratic money from safe incumbents toward competitive Democratic challengers.  That campaign will continue throughout next week …

Survivor!  —  The GOP Victory  —  JUBILANT DEMOCRATS SHOULD RECONSIDER their order for confetti and noisemakers.  The Democrats, as widely reported, are expecting GOP-weary voters to flock to the polls in two weeks and hand them control of the House for the first time in 12 years — and perhaps the Senate, as well.

Bush: 'We've Never Been Stay The Course'  —  During an interview today on ABC's This Week, President Bush tried to distance himself from what has been his core strategy in Iraq for the last three years.  George Stephanopoulos asked about James Baker's plan to develop a strategy for Iraq that is …

In the Land of the Taliban  —  One afternoon this past summer, I shared a picnic of fresh mangos and plums with Abdul Baqi, an Afghan Taliban fighter in his 20's fresh from the front in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.  We spent hours on a grassy slope under the tall pines of Murree …