Dems Seek to Bar U.S. Attacks on Iran  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders in Congress lobbed a warning shot Friday at the White House not to launch an attack against Iran without first seeking approval from lawmakers.  —  "The president does not have the authority to launch military action …

The Glenn and Helen Show: Gordon Crovitz on the WSJ, Old and New Media, and Blogging as an Art Form  —  People in the newspaper business seem awfully gloomy about the future right now, and with reason.  But there's one bright spot: The Wall Street Journal's publisher Gordon Crovitz …

Obama Smeared As Former 'Madrassa' Student, Possible Covert Muslim Extremist  —  This morning, Fox News featured a segment highlighting a right-wing report that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) attended an Islamic "madrassa" school as a 6-year-old child.  —  Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy pointed …

U.S. May Cut Troops in Iraq by Summer, General Says  —  Gen. George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, said today that the additional troops being sent to Iraq could begin to be withdrawn by late summer if security conditions improve in Baghdad.  —  "I believe the projections are late summer …

WHCA Chief Says He Did Not Tell Comedian to Back Off Bush and Iraq  —  NEW YORK Earlier this week word emerged that impersonator Rich Little would be the star performer at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington in April.  Organizers admitted they wanted a somewhat more …

First Twin Jenna Shops a Book  —  You can soon add the title of author to first daughter Jenna Bush's résumé.  —  Whispers learns that the 25-year-old blond twin of Barbara Bush is shopping a book proposal to major publishers in New York City.

The Manipulative Mr. McConnell  —  [CHS notes: The fabu Cliff Schecter will join us, along with the scintillating TRex, for a very special edition of this week's Book Salon.  Do NOT miss it, Sunday at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT.]  —  If you've done any reading about Mitch McConnell throughout …

A Plausible Plan B  —  If we were allied with an Iraqi government that, however weak, was truly national — cross-confessional and dedicated to fighting a two-front war against Baathist insurgents and Shiite militias — a surge of American troops, together with a change of counterinsurgency strategy …

Gonzales: 'There Is No Express Grant of Habeas Corpus In The Constitution'  —  Yesterday, during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed there is no express right to habeas corpus in the U.S. Constitution.  Gonzales was debating Sen. Arlen Specter …

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REVEALS NORTH KOREA'S MISUSE OF U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FUNDS AND OPERATIONS  —  NEW YORK — Has North Korean leader Kim Jong Il subverted the United Nations Development Program, the $4 billion agency that is the U.N.'s main development arm, and possibly stolen tens …

Ordeal by Appliance: Weekend Home Tales  —  FOR some people, the most elusive aspect of owning a vacation home that sits beyond big-city borders isn't finding the time to enjoy it.  It's finding someone to service the deluxe appliances inside.  —  "We called Viking over the holidays every year …

Jane  —  As most of you are already aware, the lovely and brilliant Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake underwent surgery for breast cancer today and so far, so good.  I consider Jane a friend of mine and I'll be the first to admit that I don't cultivate many friends because I'm unnaturally shy and private by nature (no! really!).

"PROBLEM OF CHRONOLOGY"  —  Melbourne's Herald Sun reports: … Read on for Lane's defiant response: … Earlier pieces on Lane's park problem here, here, and here.  Meanwhile, US commutoonist Garry Trudeau seems to have dodged mainstream criticism despite falling for the same "chronology problem" as Lane.

A Charles Murray Reader  —  Charles Murray has another execrable article in the Wall Street Journal arguing that most children aren't genetically capable of reading well (it's possible these inferiors can, with great persistence and dedication, learn to sound words out), and so we should stop trying to teach them.

The Most Depressing Poll Ever  —  In the latest Fox News poll, just out today, the pollsters asked the following question: … Here are the results: … Friends, I'll allow you a minute to wrap your minds around this, for we are truly through the looking class.