Tancredo protesters turn violent  —  Violence erupted at a Michigan law school Thursday when protestors tried to block a speech by Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo.  —  Police were called after protestors pulled a fire alarm prior to the speech on immigration policies.

Poison plotters claim their second victim  —  Police fear that the murder of a former Kremlin spy may have been part of a double killing plot after a second man was taken to hospital last night with radiation poisoning.  —  The Anti-Terror Group is examining whether the killers …

The Tom Friedman disease consumes Establishment Washington  —  (updated below)  —  Someone e-mailed me several days ago to say that while it is fruitful and necessary to chronicle the dishonest historical record of pundits and political figures when it comes to Iraq, I deserve to be chastised …

A national party no more?  —  The Republicans are in danger of being confined to the South  —  THREE years ago Zell Miller, then a Democratic senator for Georgia, published an anguished book entitled "A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat".

US markets must 'learn from London'  —  A new report highlights the reasons for the US financial markets' declining influence, but does the new Congress have the will to reform Sarbanes-Oxley?  —  Tumbleweeds are not yet blowing through Manhattan's vacant streets, but if New York is to hold onto …

Cheating on an Ethics Test?  It's 'Topic A' at Columbia  —  Cheating is not unheard of on university campuses.  But cheating on an open-book, take-home exam in a pass-fail course seems odd, and all the more so in a course about ethics.  —  Yet Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism …

THE FAKING IMAMS — Pajamas Media Exclusive: Police Report, Passenger Reveals That Flying Imams Were Up to No Good  —  THE FAKING IMAMS — PAJAMAS MEDIA EXCLUSIVE: POLICE REPORT, PASSENGER REVEALS THAT FLYING IMAMS WERE UP TO NO GOOD  —  The Now Notorious Flying Imams Claim Their Only Crime Was …

The Daily Troika: Obama's Secret Meet.  / Popma Endorses McCain  —  Sen. John McCain has signed up an important evangelical activist in Iowa.  Marlys Popma, a two time former exec. dir of the Iowa GOP and former presiden tof Iowa Right to Life, will join McCain's presidential exploratory committee.

STAR WARS REDUX:Democrats to Gut Missile Defense / Bush to Announce "Orbital Battle Station"  —  STAR WARS REDUX:DEMOCRATS TO GUT MISSILE DEFENSE / BUSH TO ANNOUNCE "ORBITAL BATTLE STATION"  —  In 2007 both Democrats and Republicans are going back into space with their pet peeves and passions intact.

Arabs may one day miss George W. Bush  —  The Middle East cheered the Republican defeat in the recent American congressional elections.  The official Syrian daily Al-Baath labeled the elections a "painful blow," while the Saudi daily Al-Watan called for a "wise" policy from Washington …

Education and Entrepreneurship  —  "...we need a completely new stream of teachers to staff a new vision of what our high schools should look like."  — Carl J. Schramm, The Entrepreneurial Imperative, p. 181  —  I have been losing interest in the contests between Democrats and Republicans in Washington.

Has Obama become the front-runner for '08?  —  Ian blogged this yesterday but I got a solid e-mail from a friend about this this morning so I'm going to post on it again.  My politically savvy pal advises us to prepare for full-blown Obamamania: … He's hip, he's hot, he's not Hillary.  (Or is he?)

GOP strategists: Impact of Romney's Mormonism exaggerated  —  WASHINGTON - The Mormon problem for Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's expected presidential run has been overblown, a panel of Republican strategists said Thursday.  —  "The Mormon issue is way overstated," said Mark McKinnon …

Al Sharpton's Strong Suit Is Making a Statement  —  On Monday morning, Al Sharpton was photographed alongside Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly during a news conference at New York's City Hall.  The tableau of men and women — almost all in dark suits …

The breaking of a country: Hizbullah takes to the streets of Beirut  —  Hundreds of thousands of Shias from the south have flooded two squares in downtown Beirut.  According to LBC, the Christian participation is weak, with even lesser participation by Beirut Sunnis.