Two plead not guilty to Boston hoax charges … CHARLESTOWN, Massachusetts (CNN) — Two men pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges they created panic by placing "bomblike" electronic light boards displaying a cartoon character with an upraised middle finger throughout Boston.

BREAKING: DOUBLE THE TROOPS IN "SURGE" (UPDATED)  —  President Bush and his new military chiefs have been saying for nearly a month that they would "surge" an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, in a last, grand push to quell the violence in Baghdad and in Anbar Province.

The Arrogant and Intolerant Speak Out  —  Well, one thing's abundantly clear about who will actually defend our rights to say what we believe: It isn't the hundreds who have written me saying they are soldiers or veterans or war supporters or real Americans — who also advise me to move to another country …

Al Gore nominated for Nobel Peace Prize  —  OSLO, Norway - Former Vice President Al Gore was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world's attention to the dangers of global warming, a Norwegian lawmaker said Thursday.

TWO SENIOR IRAQI GENERALS EYED IN BRAZEN ATTACK ON U.S. SOLDIERS  —  Two senior Iraqi generals are being questioned in connection with last week's attack in Karbala that left five U.S. soldiers dead, Pentagon officials told FOX News Thursday.  —  Military officials also said the level …

The soft bigotry of blowhards  —  Wesley Clark et al should watch what they say and how they say it.  —  WESLEY CLARK, the retired general and once — and no doubt future — presidential candidate, says the United States is going to attack Iran.  How does he know?

U.S. delays report on Iranian role in Iraq  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has postponed plans to offer public details of its charges of Iranian meddling inside Iraq amid internal divisions over the strength of the evidence, U.S. officials said.  —  U.S. officials promised last week …

Bullying Iran  —  Given America's bitter experience in Iraq, one would think that President Bush could finally figure out that threats and brute force aren't a substitute for a reasoned strategy.  But Mr. Bush is at it again, this time trying to bully Iran into stopping its meddling inside Iraq.

The Pollster in Exile  —  Frank Luntz Runs Into a Wall of GOP Denial  —  Pollster Frank Luntz for the past decade has issued warnings to his fellow Republicans that they did not want to hear, but never has he been so out of touch with them as he is today.  "The Republican message machine …

IGNATIUS ON RICE  —  David Ignatius: "But as with any strategy, Rice's realignment idea has the virtue of offering a basis for discussion and careful thinking about a region perched on the edge of a volcano."  Ignatius, sorry to say, is too easily impressed here.  Snippets:

ANTI-SEMITISM ON THE LEFT:  —  Alvin Rosenfeld is a professor of literature and of Jewish history at the University of Indiana, an eminent scholar and a balanced and persuasive writer.  So why has a relatively short essay—it's less than 30 pages—of his caused conniptions among radical Jewish intellectuals?

Request for Ideological Comment  —  "As in a church, everyone has an opinion how things ought to run.  Internet users express their opinions through meetings of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  The IETF is another volunteer organization...  [Requests for Comment] RFCs are the documents that define the Internet.

In Fighting Troop Increase, Senator Finds Few Old Allies  —  Senator John W. Warner, a lawmaker often admired for his demeanor and experience, has long wielded influence on military policy given his own years at the Pentagon and his tenure as the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

2006 personal savings drop to 74-yr.  low  —  WASHINGTON - People once again spent everything they made and then some last year, pushing the personal savings rate to the lowest level since the Great Depression more than seven decades ago.  —  The Commerce Department reported Thursday …