Statement on Campaign Bloggers  —  The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me.  It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion …

GOP makes much ado about the size of Pelosi's plane  —  The House speaker has had the use of a government jet since the Sept. 11 attacks  —  (02-08) 04:00 PST Washington — The way Speaker Nancy Pelosi will travel home to San Francisco and on official business is the latest tempest to hit the House of Representatives.

Al Qaeda in Iraq Crumbling: al Masri on the run  —  Coalition forces in Iraq have delivered a series of stunning blows to al Qaeda in Iraq in the last 48 hours.  —  A key aide to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the man who replaced Abu Musab al Zarqawi as the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has been south of Baghdad.

Russert on the Hot Seat in Libby Trial  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — NBC's Tim Russert got the sort of "Meet the Press" interrogation he usually gives to his guests as attorneys Thursday flashed excerpts of his previous statements on a video monitor and asked him to explain inconsistencies.

Allied With Democrats, Lieberman Easily Aligns With Republicans  —  It came as little surprise that when Senate Republicans blocked debate Monday on a resolution that would have opposed President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, erstwhile Democrat, sided with them.

Mitt changes tax-cut tune  —  After refusing to endorse President Bush's tax cuts when he was governor, Mitt Romney has now made them a central part of his presidential campaign, stirring accusations that he is changing his position to appeal to GOP primary voters.

Gore: Nations Must Take Lead in Warming  —  MADRID, Spain (AP) — Emerging economies such as China are justified in holding back on fighting greenhouse gas emissions until richer polluters like the United States do more to solve the problem, former Vice President Al Gore said Wednesday.

Bush Wants Funding Jump for Anti-Drug Ads Rated as Useless  —  President Bush has proposed a significant jump in funding for an anti-drug advertising campaign that government-funded research shows is at best useless and at worst has increased drug use among some teens.

Jonah Goldberg Day!  —  Two years ago today, Jonah Goldberg threw down the following challenge to Juan Cole: … Since Goldberg enjoys throwing a little smear-job in with his punditry, he also offered this: … Got it.  So we have a prediction, along with the insinuation that Professor Cole …

Reckless Caution  —  Edwards vs. Clinton: Indecision 2008.  —  When NBC's Tim Russert asked John Edwards on Sunday if he, as president, would accept a nuclear-armed Iran, the silver-tongued lawyer got tongue-tied: "I—there's no answer to that question at this moment.

The Snake Eater  —  Give our troops the tools our cops have.  —  Problem: If a cop in Anytown, USA, pulls over a suspect, he checks the person's ID remotely from the squad car.  He's linked to databases filled with Who's Who in the world of crime, killing and mayhem.  In Iraq, there is nothing like that.