Prosecutor Asks to Exit Duke Case  —  The district attorney in the Duke lacrosse sexual assault case asked the state attorney general on Friday to take over the troubled prosecution, saying he faced a conflict of interest because of ethics charges filed against him by the state bar, officials involved in the case said.

Betrayal  —  Per Glenn Greenwald, don't miss this audio essay by rightie Rod Dreher. … Like so many loyal soldiers of movement conservatism, Dreher's earliest political memories are of the Carter Administration and the Iranian hostage crisis, followed by the triumphant ascension of Ronald Reagan.

Passing Exchange Becomes Political Flashpoint  —  A passing exchange during a Senate hearing on Thursday turned into a political flashpoint overnight as Senator Barbara Boxer, the California Democrat, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused one another of insensitivity in comments about motherhood and the war in Iraq.

Round Up the Usual Lawyers  —  No one who has followed President Bush's policies on detainees should be surprised when a member of his team scorns American notions of justice.  But even by that low standard, the administration's new attack on lawyers who dare to give those prisoners …