HALF THE STORY: Don Surber notes, quoting a correspondent: … Well, that's half the numbers.  Filling in the other half (which, to Surber's credit, is linked from his post), we see that Bush is at 45% job approval and 54% disapproval, while Pelosi is at 43% favorable and 39% unfavorable.

Army asks dead to sign up for another hitch … WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army said Friday it would apologize to the families of about 275 officers killed or wounded in action who were mistakenly sent letters urging them to return to active duty.  —  The letters were sent a few days after Christmas …

Get serious, Democrats  —  DEMOCRATS in Congress plan to restore pay-as-you-go budget rules.  The rules preclude tax cuts, unless paid for by other tax increases or spending cuts.  This is mostly a good idea — but unless Democrats get serious about repealing Bush's tax cuts for the rich …

Late Nite FDL: Spocko vs. The Rat  —  Evenin', fellow firedogs!  Tonight I'm going to attempt to get us all up to speed about a situation that I suspect we're going to be hearing a lot about in the near future.  This story was brought to my attention by ¡El Gato Negro!.  —  Where to begin?

A Winnable War  —  The argument against the orthodox history of Vietnam.  —  Triumph Forsaken  —  The Vietnam War, 1954-1965  —  by Mark Moyar  —  Cambridge, 542 pp., $32  —  In the late summer of 1963, President John Kennedy dispatched two observers to South Vietnam.

Death in Haditha  —  Eyewitness Accounts in Report Indicate Marines Gunned Down Unarmed Iraqis in the Aftermath of a Roadside Bombing in 2005  —  U.S. Marines gunned down five unarmed Iraqis who stumbled onto the scene of a 2005 roadside bombing in Haditha, Iraq, according to eyewitness accounts …

Behind Negroponte's Move  —  The Director of National Intelligence resigns to take a job as Condi Rice's deputy.  Is it a loss for intelligence or a gain at State?  —  Will it create more problems than it solves?  That's the question Washington is pondering in the wake of a personnel whipsaw at the top of the Bush Administration.

McCain calls for substantial, sustained surge  —  Cites Lieberman's re-election as proof Americans don't want Iraq exit  —  WASHINGTON - The 2006 election has not changed Sen. John McCain's support for victory in Iraq one iota.  —  While some Democrats have interpreted their party's triumphs …

Al-Qaeda, Islamic Courts gather the new Somali Jihad  —  Zawahiri, Islamist Courts lay the groundwork for the insurgency  —  While the Islamic Courts repeatedly denied any connection to al-Qaeda, the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming.  Hassan Dahir Aweys, the 'spiritual leader' …

In Condemnation of One-Equation Economics  —  I really don't like one-equation economics.  —  One-equation economics assumes that certain economic quantities are fixed in stone, examines one equation—usually an accounting identity—and concludes that somebody else's preferred policies will be ineffective and counterproductive.

Bush Facing Deep Divide Over More Troops for Iraq  —  The new Democratic leaders of the Senate and the House warned President Bush on Friday against sending additional troops to Iraq, setting the stage for what could become a major confrontation over a new war strategy.

Iraqi Premier Announces Baghdad Security Plan  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Iraq's prime minister said Saturday that Iraqi forces would launch a new effort — with U.S. troops in a supporting role — to wrest control of Baghdad's neighborhoods from militias and other sectarian killers.

Images of Hanging Make Hussein a Martyr to Many  —  In the week since Saddam Hussein was hanged in an execution steeped in sectarian overtones, his public image in the Arab world, formerly that of a convicted dictator, has undergone a resurgence of admiration and awe.

Safe as Milk?  —  The Food and Drug Administration's assessment that food from cloned animals is safe to eat is a victory for biotech companies and a loss for everyone else.  Like many decisions on the cutting edge of agricultural technology, it was hurried along in a way that is more sensitive …