FDL's Libby reporting forces a re-evaluation of blogs  —  It is virtually impossible to closely follow the Libby trial without relying upon the work of the blogging team assembled by Jane Hamsher and FireDogLake.  Hamsher built FDL by becoming (along with her blogging partner …

U.S., Britain Faulted on Child Welfare  —  BERLIN (AP) — The United States and Britain ranked at the bottom of a U.N. survey of child welfare in 21 wealthy countries that assessed everything from infant mortality to whether children ate dinner with their parents or were bullied at school.

Giuliani Says He Is Running for President in '08  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani yesterday removed any lingering doubts that he was running for president, and, without mentioning President Bush by name, offered pointed criticism on how the Iraq war has been handled.

Bush Declares Iran's Arms Role in Iraq Is Certain  —  President Bush said Wednesday that he was certain that factions within the Iranian government had supplied Shiite militants in Iraq with deadly roadside bombs that had killed American troops.  But he said he did not know whether Iran's highest officials had directed the attacks.

POLL: Coleman would easily trump Franken  —  U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman would win easily if he ends up facing comedian Al Franken in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race in 2008, according to an exclusive 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS/SURVEY USA poll.  —  The popular comedian announced that he would seek …

Tim Hardaway: 'I Hate Gay People'  —  Click PLAY Former NBA Player John Amaechi Interview, Full Hardaway Comments … (CBS4) MIAMI Former Miami Heat superstar Tim Hardaway told a local sports radio show that he "hates gay people."  —  Hardaway made the comments while he was being interviewed …

Keith Olbermann, NBC agree on second term  —  'Countdown' host extends through 2011; will contribute more to network  —  MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft  —  NEW YORK - Keith Olbermann will continue to be a thorn in Bill O'Reilly's side for at least four more years.

Iraq adviser: al-Sadr in Iran  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - An adviser to Iraq's prime minister said Thursday that radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is in Iran, but denied he fled due to fear of arrest during an escalating security crackdown.  —  Sami al-Askari said al-Sadr traveled to Iran by land …

A Prewar Slide Show Cast Iraq in Rosy Hues  —  When Gen. Tommy R. Franks and his top officers gathered in August 2002 to review an invasion plan for Iraq, it reflected a decidedly upbeat vision of what the country would look like four years after Saddam Hussein was ousted from power.

Awaiting the Dishonor Roll  —  Congress "supports the troops" while emboldening the enemy.  —  Congress has rarely been distinguished by its moral courage.  But even grading on a curve, we can only describe this week's House debate on a vote of no-confidence in the mission in Iraq …

PandaGate and anti-male bigotry  —  I'm coming a little to the farewell party for Pandagon's Amanda Marcotte as blog coordinator for the Edwards campaign.  Now, Marcotte's sister-in-arms, Melissa McEwan of Shakespeare's Sister, has stepped down as well.  Over on the New York Times political blog …

GOP Looks Beyond War Measure to Fight on Funding  —  With Republicans speaking out against President Bush's war policy on the House floor yesterday, GOP leaders and the White House conceded defeat on a resolution opposing sending additional U.S. troops to Iraq and began looking toward the coming battle over the war's funding.

LAWYER ADMITS LEAKING BALCO TESTIMONY  —  He agrees to plead guilty — prosecutors say they'll end effort to jail reporters  —  A lawyer admitted in court documents Wednesday that he provided a Chronicle reporter with transcripts of confidential grand jury testimony by Barry Bonds …

INSECURITY  —  Justice Kennedy made an unusual appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning, ostensibly to talk about "Judicial Security and Independence."  It was billed as a very big deal.  In a press release last week, Chairman Patrick Leahy called it the …

2008 Presidential Battle Closely Contested for Now  —  John McCain and Rudy Giuliani nearly tie with Hillary Clinton  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Three of the four current frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican nominations for president in 2008 can each credibly claim they would give …