MSNBC, CBS Radio suspend Imus show  —  But charity event will air as scheduled Thursday and Friday  —  NEW YORK - After a career of cranky insults, radio star Don Imus was fighting for his job Monday following one joke that by his own admission went "way too far."

Obama Ditches CBC/Fox Debate  —  Barack Obama has chosen not to attend September's Democratic presidential primary debate co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and Fox News, an aide said, effectively dooming the event.  —  Obama is the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus running …

Amb.  Holbrooke Slams David Gregory for Reciting Baseless GOP Talking Points  —  On "Hardball" today former ambassador Richard Holbrooke slammed guest-host David Gregory for peddling unfounded GOP talking points about Speaker Pelosi's trip to Syria.  Whether it was Pelosi's "shadow presidency" …

GET REAL, RUDY  —  YOU'RE BLOWING YOUR WHITE HOUSE RUN  —  I'm writing this open letter to you because I'm worried you're blowing it.  —  I still think you stand the best chance among the candidates in the Republican field of winning the general election in 2008, and I think you have it in you to be a great president.

Rusty Gets a Fatwa, Death Threat  —  Did I finally get my fatwa?  I feel so...so...vindicated.  —  A radical Muslim website has issued a fatwa against me, Rusty Shackleford, editor-in-chief of The Jawa Report.  How do I know it's a radical Muslim's website?

Neocon Godmother Considered Iraq War a Mistake  —  From my "Capital Games" column at www.thenation.com....  From the grave, Jeane Kirkpatrick, the godmother of the neoconservative movement, speaks: the Iraq war was something of a mistake.  —  Kirkpatrick, best known as the combative UN ambassador during …

UI Poll: Race Not Key In Candidate Choice; Gender Matters To Some  —  Iowa's registered voters do not consider race and gender key factors in their presidential choice, but candidate gender matters more to men and Republicans than it does to women and Democrats, according a poll conducted …

Shiites Call for U.S. to Leave Iraq  —  BAGHDAD — Tens of thousands of Shiites _ a sea of women in black abayas and men waving Iraqi flags _ rallied Monday to demand that U.S. forces leave their country.  Some ripped apart American flags and tromped across a Stars and Stripes rug.

The Big Six Make Political Fixes  —  Surprising fundraising totals, combined with a couple of notable gaffes last week, have reshuffled the presidential field and prompted top-tier candidates in both parties to make at least minor — and in some cases more substantial — alterations to their strategies.

Six U.S. Attorneys Given 2nd Posting in Washington  —  A half-dozen sitting U.S. attorneys also serve as aides to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales or are assigned other Washington postings, performing tasks that take them away from regular duties in their districts for months or even years at a time …

Killer pet food?  —  WASHINGTON - Pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical may have sickened or killed 39,000 cats and dogs nationwide, based on an extrapolation from data released Monday by one of the nation's largest chains of veterinary hospitals.

Bush Ties Drop in Illegal Immigration to His Policies  —  President Bush said Monday that tougher enforcement and a new fence at the Mexican border had sharply reduced the influx of illegal immigrants, and he pressed Congress to pass a sweeping revision of the nation's immigration laws.