Ex-Aide Details a Loss of Faith in the President  —  In 1999, Matthew Dowd became a symbol of George W. Bush's early success at positioning himself as a Republican with Democratic appeal.  —  A top strategist for the Texas Democrats who was disappointed by the Bill Clinton years …

Iranian Official: Sailors May Be Tried  —  TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's ambassador to Russia renewed a threat Iranian officials made earlier this week, saying 15 British sailors held by Iran could be tried for violating international law, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported Saturday.

ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES  —  Pope John Paul II One Step Closer to Sainthood?  ; Church Using Sex to Sell God; Keeping Your Pets Safe; Confectionary Christ Raises Controversy; Selling Religion With Sex?  —  THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.  THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

Christopher Booker's notebook  —  It's time Defra tried a bit of mud-slinging  —  Last week a Commons committee produced as damning a report on a Government department as anyone could remember.  After investigating the incredible shambles made by the Department for Environment …

The Rovian Era  —  Turn over a scandal in Washington these days and the chances are you'll find Karl Rove.  His tracks are everywhere: whether it's helping to purge United States attorneys, coaching bureaucrats on how to spend taxpayers' money to promote Republican candidates …

Pelosi Plans Trip to Syria Next Week  —  White House Says Speaker's Damascus Visit Sends the Wrong Message  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will visit Syria next week, her office announced yesterday, prompting the White House to call the trip "a really bad idea."

President's Radio Address  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  In recent days, the House and Senate each passed emergency war spending bills that undercut our troops in the field.  Each of the Democrats' bills would substitute the judgment of politicians in Washington for that of our generals on the ground.

Kossacks blast Michelle's criticism of the chocolate Jesus double standard  —  The post is silver but the comments are gold.  I'll leave you to scroll through, but let's preserve this for posterity: … Never mind his assumption that secular media organizations should internalize Islamic standards of public discourse.

The Crier Wire: If George Were King!  —  Catherine Crier has some really good monologues at the end of her show and this was one of them.  She takes a look at Bush's abuse of power  —  Download (3338) |  Play (2987) Download (1332) |  Play (1914)

2001: A Timeline of What Could Have Been  —  (This is an updated version of an old post of mine over at the old version of my blog; it lost all its formatting and links when Blogger switched formats.  I decided that with all the talk of President Gore lately, it was time to revive and revisit it.)

Sanity Squad: High Stakes Hold'em  —  The Iranian government has seized fifteen British sailors and marines who were patrolling the Shatt al-Arab.  But somehow Iran seems remarkably unafraid that there will be any retaliation for an act that not all that long ago would have been considered an act of war.

Army's War Funds Can Last Through July, Report Says  —  The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has estimated that the Army has enough budget flexibility to pay for its military operations through July in the event that a standoff between the White House and Congress over Iraq holds …

Call that humiliation?  —  No hoods.  No electric shocks.  No beatings.  These Iranians clearly are a very uncivilised bunch  —  I share the outrage expressed in the British press over the treatment of our naval personnel accused by Iran of illegally entering their waters.  It is a disgrace.