SENATE GRIDLOCKED ON IRAQ TROOP BUILDUP  —  Feb. 16: Sgt. John Guerra, 21, from Dallas, Tex., walks with his platoon from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during a patrol in Iraq.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate gridlocked on the Iraq war in a sharply worded showdown on Saturday …

Not the 'Real Vote'  —  REP. JOHN MURTHA (D-Pa.) has a message for anyone who spent the week following the House of Representatives' marathon debate on Iraq: You've been distracted by a sideshow.  "We have to be careful that people don't think this is the vote," the 74-year-old congressman …

Antiwar Anger at '02 Vote on Iraq Follows Clinton  —  One of the most important decisions that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton made about her bid for the presidency came late last year when she ended a debate in her camp over whether she should repudiate her 2002 vote authorizing military action in Iraq.

Forget Iraq.  McCain wants to be the anti-sex candidate.  He's preaching abstinence now.  —  fark it!  Oh, this is rich.  John McCain can't make the votes on Iraq — the dominant issue of these times.  No, McCain has more pressing matters on his plate.  He's too busy working on his no-sex agenda.

Video: SLC Killer's Father Believes Son Was Trained  —  Here's video from Salt Lake City's KSL TV, showing an interview with the father of Sulejman Talovic, in which he voices his suspicion that his son was influenced and trained to commit the murders.  (Hat tip: Gateway Pundit.)

Workers are fine with fewer unions  —  Wealth and productivity have soared while union membership has declined.  —  LABOR UNIONS' importance in the workplace has fallen steadily since 1950, when roughly a third of American workers were unionized.  Today, that number is well below 10% in the private sector.

Rudy's inner diva is outed  —  Demands private jet, fancy hotel — and 100G — to give speech, sez Web site  —  Move over, J.Lo.  There's a new diva on the scene - and his name is Rudy Giuliani.  —  At least that's the impression given by a copy of the basic contract the former mayor …

Trial in Error  —  Could someone please explain to me why Scooter Libby is the only person on trial in the Valerie Plame leak investigation?  —  Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald charged Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff with perjury on the theory that Libby had a nefarious reason …

Dissent and Wars of Choice  —  There's been a lot of buzz around the blogosphere about a phony Abraham Lincoln quote that Bush Iraq War supporters keep throwing out there (most recently senior House GOPer Don Young of Alaska), suggesting that dissenters in Congress during wartime are "saboteurs" …

WHILE CONGESS WAS VOTING...  ...this happened in Iraq:  —  Iraqi Government and 1st Iraqi Army Division assumes control … IA Captures Al Qaeda In Iraq Cell Leader, Recovers Weapons Cache … BOMB-MAKING FACILITY DESTROYED … IA, CF target terrorist cells in Muqdadiya

Trita Parsi's Role in Promulgating Knowledge of 2003 Iran Proposal  —  Gareth Porter has an important article out today, "Rove Said to Have Received 2003 Iranian Proposal."  —  Porter writes: … The revelation that Trita Parsi made about Congressman Ney's interaction with the White House …

Iraq and Homeland Security  —  Both the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century and the follow-on  —  Council on Foreign Relations report a year after 9-11 concluded that the backbone of  —  homeland security is the 50-state National Guard.  Properly trained and equipped,

BAGHDAD TODAY: A REPORT FROM THE CITY  —  "The Surge is showing signs of success.  The progress made so far invites hope and optimism, but it's still too early to celebrate."  Omar Fadhil, PJM's editor in Iraq files this report.  —  Since the multiple bombings in Shroja market district on the 12th …