The Libby Trial: Why Did Tim Russert Fight So Hard to Avoid Telling the Grand Jury What He Had Already Told the FBI?  —  Tim Russert hobbled into the courtroom this afternoon on crutches.  When he left the stand at the end of the day (slated to return for more cross-examination tomorrow) …

7 GOP Senators Back War Debate  —  Lawmakers Had Blocked Action on Troop Resolution  —  Senate Republicans who earlier this week helped block deliberations on a resolution opposing President Bush's new troop deployments in Iraq changed course yesterday and vowed to use every tactic at their disposal to ensure a full and open debate.

THE PANDAGON PAPERS  —  [Strong content warning - ed.]  —  Dear Senator Edwards:  —  I am f**king delighted to accept your offer of the position of Official Blogger for the Edwards 2008 presidential campaign.  Please find attached my f**king W-2 form.  —  I would like to express …

Pentagon Rejects Speaker Pelosi's Request for Military Aircraft  —  Speaker Wants Aircraft That Can Handle Nonstop Cross-Country Flight, Citing Security Concerns  —  A source close to the controversy over the request made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for use of a military plane …

The Tragedy of Lisa Nowak  —  The charge of attempted murder lodged against Capt. Lisa Nowak is not just a tragedy for the astronaut and her family.  It strikes at the cherished image of astronauts as superior individuals who can cope with stresses that might crumple the rest of us.

Mormon Candidate Braces for Religion as Issue  —  As he begins campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is facing a threshold issue: Will his religion — he is a Mormon — be a big obstacle to winning the White House?

2008 Field Sprouts Rootless Candidates  —  The 2008 presidential campaign has already produced the next generation of American politicians.  They don't have local accents.  That's because they don't have local roots.  Nor do they boast legions of home-state friends, teachers and mentors …

Copter Crashes Suggest Change in Iraqi Tactics  —  With two more helicopter crashes near Baghdad, including a Marine transport crash on Wednesday that killed seven people, the number of helicopters that have gone down in Iraq over the past three weeks rose to six.

Kaizen, That Continuous Improvement Strategy, Finds Its Ideal Environment  —  Remember when Japanese manufacturing techniques were all the rage?  You could hardly read the business press without encountering mention of "lean manufacturing," "just-in-time inventory systems" and "total quality management."

Atlanta officers to face murder indictment  —  Fulton DA seeks charges in shooting of elderly woman in her home  —  Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard will seek criminal charges, including felony murder, against three Atlanta narcotics officers involved in a botched drug raid …

Railroad Firms Bringing Aboard Lawmakers' Lobbyist Relatives  —  The railroad industry is hiring relatives of Capitol Hill lawmakers and staff members as it faces tighter federal safety legislation, employing a tactic untouched by the Democrats' new ethics proposals: lobbying by congressional family members.

NY Times publisher: Our goal is to manage the transition from print to internet  —  Despite his personal fortune and impressive lineage, Arthur Sulzberger, owner, chairman and publisher of the most respected newspaper in the world, is a stressed man.  —  Why would the man behind the New York Times be stressed?