Should Johnson be unable to continue to serve, it could halt the scheduled Democratic takeover of the Senate.  Democrats won a 51-49 majority in the November election.  —  (CBS/AP) Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was hospitalized and underwent surgery late Wednesday …

Iraq needs a Pinochet  —  The general was no saint, but he's a better model to follow than Castro.  —  I THINK ALL intelligent, patriotic and informed people can agree: It would be great if the U.S. could find an Iraqi Augusto Pinochet.  In fact, an Iraqi Pinochet would be even better than an Iraqi Castro.

Terror Fears as Blind Sheikh Faces 'Medical Emergency'  —  Richard Esposito Reports:  —  The imprisoned al Qaeda spiritual leader known as the "Blind Sheikh" suffered a "medical emergency" at the Springfield federal prison last week, and the FBI is warning his death could lead al Qaeda …

Looking for Jamil Hussein: Accepting Eason Jordan's invitation  —  My new travel partner?  —  Eason Jordan reports on his new website, Iraqslogger, that his team is in Baghdad looking for Jamil Hussein.  They have not found him yet—which is newsworthy in itself—and get this …

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: All right, welcome.  Let me run through the President's schedule for today.  Normal briefings.  He had a meeting with the President of Benin a while ago; also remarks at the White House Summit on Malaria.

Granite Status: More than one Dem eyeing 2008 Senate primary  —  MOVE OVER, JEANNE.  Sure, she'd be the 800-pound gorilla, but former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen isn't the only Democrat strongly considering running for the U.S. Senate against John E. Sununu in 2008.  —  State Sen. David Gottesman of Nashua is strongly weighing a run.

War-Weary Public Wants Congress to Lead  —  Poll Shows Desire for Lawmakers to Set Policy  —  Amid Growing Dismay Over Iraq, President Bush  —  WASHINGTON — Falling public support for the war in Iraq has weakened President Bush's political hand across the board, bolstering the clout …

Jeralyn Merrit: Homeland Security's immigration raids ran amok  —  WASHINGTON - Tuesday's immmigration raids made me recoil in horror.  —  A thousand federal agents swooped down on six meat-packing plants across the country and detained more than 1,200 people.

Bakker, Brown: What the hell happened to Christianity?  —  Editor's note: Jay Bakker, son of former Praise The Lord leaders Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner, is minister of Revolution Church and subject of a new documentary series, "One Punk Under God," on Sundance Channel.  Marc Brown is a Revolution staff member.

Romney Recants  —  Everything he said in the 1990s is now to be dismissed.  He was once for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; now he's against it.  He was once for domestic partnerships for gays; now he's against them.  He was once for ending the ban on gays in the military; now he's for keeping it.

Blogging 'set to peak next year'  —  The blogging phenomenon is set to peak in 2007, according to technology predictions by analysts Gartner.  —  The analysts said that during the middle of next year the number of blogs will level out at about 100 million.

John McCain's War On Blogs?  —  Amanda Terkel has a scary post detailing what she terms "John McCain's War On Blogs." … That certainly sounds intrusive and unnecessary.  —  Looking into the matter-using links Amanda provided-I'm a bit puzzled.  The legislation is entitled …

A message from the DU admins: Please stop posting baseless conspiracy stuff about Senator Johnson.  —  Skinner ADMIN (1000+ posts)  —  A message from the DU admins: Please stop posting baseless conspiracy stuff about Senator Johnson.  —  I have instructed the mods to lock or delete …

Saudi Royal Family, Gov't Split on Iraq  —  AP Photo NY118  —  CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Saudi Arabia's royal family and government leaders are deeply divided over how to handle the growing crisis in Iraq and other looming Mideast problems like Iran, with some favoring strong aid to fellow Sunnis and others more cautious.

A Guide to Grading Exams  —  It's that time of year again.  Students have taken their finals, and now it is time to grade them.  It is something professors have been looking forward to all semester.  Exactness in grading is a well-honed skill, taking considerable expertise and years of practice to master.