Prickly Peacock nixes Chicks  —  NBC cancels ads for Dixie docu 'Sing' … The Weinstein Co. is claiming that NBC and the CW have refused to air national ads for the new Dixie Chicks docu "Shut Up & Sing."  —  But while the Peacock has specifically said it won't accept the spots …

Cheney's Remarks Fuel Torture Debate  —  Vice President Cheney said this week that dunking terrorism suspects in water during questioning was a "no-brainer," prompting complaints from human rights advocates that he was endorsing the use of a controversial technique known as waterboarding on prisoners held by the United States.

Webb Says His Novels 'Inappropriate' for News Radio  —  (CNSNews.com) - In an interview on Washington Post Radio Friday morning, Jim Webb, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, said excerpts of his novels are "a little bit inappropriate" to be read on news radio.

Oh my god, South Park mocks Irwin  —  The creators of South Park have never been afraid to upset celebrities - and many of the show's viewers.  —  From jokes about religion and homosexuality to four-letter tirades, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have always mixed shock tactics with satire in the hit cartoon series.

Australia Muslim cleric suspended  —  Australia's top Muslim cleric has been barred from preaching for up to three months, after comparing immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat".  —  Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilali's comments, suggesting that women who did not wear a headscarf attracted sexual assault …

Virginia Senate: Allen (R) and Webb (D) in Toss-Up  —  Allen (R) 49% Webb (D) 48%  —  In Virginia's fierce U.S. Senate campaign, Republican Senator George Allen's once double-digit lead over Democrat James Webb has virtually vanished.  Allen now leads 49% to 48%—with leaners added, 50% to 48% (see crosstabs).

Not to Belabor the Point...  ....okay, I have every intention of belaboring it.  —  But tonight's events have really wedged into my craw.  —  I just did an Amazon search on the passage in Webb's book.  It is quite clearly not the leat bit titillating.  The context is that of an American in an exotic …

Salon Interview: Camille Paglia  —  It's been a while since Salon last heard from our favorite intellectual and one of our founding contributors, Camille Paglia.  But with so much tumult in the air, we felt the need to ask her to survey the strange tectonic shifts in our political and cultural landscape …

I.R.S. Going Slow Before Election  —  Mark W. Everson, commissioner of internal revenue, said he regularly discussed the potential impact of agency actions with senior staff members.  "We are very sensitive to political perceptions," Mr. Everson said.  —  The commissioner of internal revenue …

News Release: Gross Domestic Product  —  In order to view the PDF files on this page, the free Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed.  —  Recorded message: (202) 606-5306  —  GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT: THIRD QUARTER 2006 (ADVANCE)  —  Real gross domestic product …

Intelligence Chairman Urges Leak Inquiry  —  The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has proposed a sweeping inquiry into the possible leak of a classified National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq by a staff member, including an audit of staff telephone records …

In the Libby Case, A Grilling to Remember  —  With withering and methodical dispatch, White House nemesis and prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald yesterday sliced up the first person called to the stand on behalf of the vice president's former chief of staff.  —  If I. Lewis "Scooter" …

Staying the Course Right Over a Cliff  —  THE Bush administration has finally been caught in its own language trap.  —  "That is not a stay-the-course policy," Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, declared on Monday.  —  The first rule of using negatives is that negating a frame activates the frame.

THE C-WORD....Ramesh Ponnuru, responding to a sensible letter from a reader, gives the stem cell game away.  After complaining that Michael J. Fox's ad for Claire McCaskill didn't explain the details of stem cell research in enough detail, he says this:

Where the right went wrong  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Fifty years ago, when a 29-year-old Yale graduate named William F. Buckley Jr. funded National Review magazine, conservatism was a small insurgency, fighting the dominant tide of liberalism that had governed the United States for a quarter century.

Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyAbsorbing Gay Pain & Praise, Clinton Says She's Evolved  —  In an appearance early Wednesday evening in front of roughly three-dozen LGBT leaders, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton indicated that she would not oppose efforts by Eliot Spitzer …

Bush stumps for Jeff Lamberti, keeps calling him "Dave."  —  Watch it:

Religious Conservatives Cheer Ruling on Gays as Wake-Up Call  —  The New Jersey court decision that gay couples are entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples was bad news for social conservatives — the bad news they were hoping for.  —  "Pro-traditional-marriage organizations ought …

Democrats Fear Disillusionment in Black Voters  —  Last weekend, Jim Webb, the Virginia Democrat who hopes to oust Senator George Allen, crammed in visits to 12 black churches, and for several weeks he has been pumping money into advertisements on black radio stations and in black newspapers.

Nelson adds another $250,000 to Florida Democrats' coffers  —  Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson — ahead in the polls and in fundraising — transferred another $250,000 to the Florida Democratic Party on Thursday, a sign that his campaign is confident of a win and in his ability to help his party.