If the Iranians hate us, let them also fear us  —  It is one thing to be disliked; quite another to be despised.  Iran would not have kidnapped our Servicemen without having considered our rules of engagement, our diplomatic isolation and our likely military response, and made a rough calculation …

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 …

Ex-Bush Aide Dowd Says He "Misplaced" Faith In Bush  —  Note: This was put up under the wrong byline.  Since it's already on the web we'll leave it and put the byline under this.  —  By Joe Gandelman  —  You know a Presidency is in trouble with former — and trusted — aides begin to break prominently from their former boss.

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.

Congress Gone WILD!!!  —  Warning!  The following is for adults only!  "Congress Gone Wild" just got wilder!  It's "Congress Gone Wild" on Spring Break!  Madame Speaker Pelosi will be doing Jay Leno and Rahm Emanuel is bringing his comedy act to the Gridiron Dinner, leaving those freshman Dems …

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 …

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.

U.S. government 'outsourcing its brain'  —  Due to its increasing practice of contracting out to private firms and agencies, the U.S. government is quickly losing its expertise and competence in vital national security and defense programs, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

NYT Clueless on Libertarianism  —  In Sunday's New York Times, Times economics columnist David Leonhardt reviews Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement by Brian Doherty.  —  It might have made sense to get a libertarian …

The Complicated Power of the Vote to Nowhere  —  SO it's yes to timetables for Iraq, both the House and the Senate have now said.  But don't schedule the welcome-home parades yet.  —  For a start, the two very different spending bills passed in the last 10 days have yet to be reconciled …

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 (4136) |  Play (3738) Download (1636) |  Play (2292)

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.