UPDATE: Maureen Dowd Column Incites Hillary-Obama War of Words  —  NEW YORK Maureen Dowd's column in The New York Times today, in which she quoted former Bill Clinton supporter David Geffen offering a few caustic comments, has incited a strong Hillary Clinton campaign attack on Geffen …

Militants Using Chemical Bombs in Iraq  —  For the third time in a month, insurgents deployed a new and deadly tactic against Iraqi civilians today: A chemical bomb combining explosives with poisonous chlorine gas.  —  A pickup truck carrying canisters of the gas, which burns the skin …

Tell Democrats to Freeze Out Fox News  —  The Nevada Democratic Party is working with Fox News Channel to host a debate with all the Democratic Party presidential candidates in August.  This is, to put it mildly, insane.  Fox News is a partisan Republican propaganda outlet, not a news station …

PELOSI CALLS BUSH TO COMPLAIN OF CHENEY'S COMMENTS ON DEMOCRATS' IRAQ STRATEGY  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday phoned President Bush to air her complaints over Vice President Dick Cheney's comments that the Congressional Democrats' plan for Iraq would "validate the Al Qaeda strategy."

Arguing from ignorance  —  Paul Campos has beclowned himself.  He did it in the usual way, by arguing loudly about things he does not understand.  —  Campos chose to devote an entire column ("The right's Ward Churchill," Feb. 20) to a blog entry of mine from last week …

WHY I VOTED FOR CAROL SHEA-PORTER THIS MORNING  —  Today Russ Feingold started up his Pick A Progressive Patriot Campaign again.  It's a great idea and helps grassroots Democrats get acquainted with our representatives.  The winner will get $5,000 from Russ' PAC.

Iranian official offers glimpse from within: A desire for U.S. ally … TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — As I sat down recently with a senior Iranian government official, he urgently waved a column by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times in my face, one about how the United States and Iran need to engage each other.

Liveblogging the Carson City AFSCME Forum  —  In the interest of as clear disclosure as possible, my trip to Nevada has been sponsored by AFSCME.  —  I'm now in the Carson City Community Center for the first Democratic presidential forum ahead of the Nevada caucuses.

February 21, 2007 - Giuliani Tops Clinton In 2008 Presidential Race, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Republican Runs Strong In Red, Blue And Purple States  —  Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani leads Sen. Hillary Clinton 48 - 43 percent among American voters …

Blair to Draw Down British Troops  —  Tony Blair is taking 1600 troops out of Basra in the next few months and will aim to be down to only 3,000 or so (from 7,100 now) by the end of the year.  Denmark is also going home.  —  This is a rout, there should be no mistake.

National Guard May Undertake Iraq Duty Early  —  The Pentagon is planning to send more than 14,000 National Guard troops back to Iraq next year, shortening their time between deployments to meet the demands of President Bush's buildup, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

SDF deploys perky mascot to boast cuddly image  —  Perky cartoon character Prince Pickles — with saucer eyes, big dimples and tiny, booted feet — poses in front of tanks, rappels from helicopters and shakes hands with smiling Iraqis.  —  The cutesy icon hardly calls to mind the Japanese military …