Lawyer: Rove didn't delete e-mails in fired attorneys case … WASHINGTON (AP) — Karl Rove's lawyer on Friday dismissed the notion that President Bush's chief political adviser intentionally deleted his own e-mails from a Republican-sponsored server, saying Rove believed the communications …

Wolfowitz Contradicted on Family Planning Claim  —  Emad Mekay  —  Despite denials by World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz Thursday, newly disclosed internal documents indicate that the Bank may have in fact reversed a longstanding policy of promoting family planning on his watch.

Democratic politicians lose a soapbox with Imus  —  His show gave many of them a way to reach a national audience of white males — a crucial voting bloc.  —  WASHINGTON — They came by the hundreds that hot August day in tiny Johnson City, Tenn., gathering on an asphalt parking lot to meet …

White House Claims Bush Was In The Dark About Iraq Troop Extensions, Fueling Speculation  —  On Tuesday, President Bush addressed the American Legion and accused Congress of forcing U.S. troops to extend their deployments in Iraq: … The very next day, his own Pentagon announced …

DON'T FEEL TOO SORRY FOR THE DUKIES  —  Mike Nifong, the North Carolina prosecutor who pursued a case of rape and kidnapping against three Duke University lacrosse players, has been found to have been reckless and deceitful in the discharge of his duties according to the state's attorney general.

The Worst Person in the World—Continued  —  Solidarity with Karen...Keith Olbermann and I share a beloved high school English teacher—Arthur Naething.  We've done tributes together for the guy.  I love the way Keith writes and thinks.  I love his program.

CONSERVATIVES DECRY POLITICIZATION OF THE FDA.  Oh, this is rich: The Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America are suing the FDA over the agency's approval of Plan B emergency contraception for over-the-counter sale.  Their complaint?  The FDA's decision was politically motivated.

Our Government In A Nutshell  —  Via Drum, a Republican criticizes the current administration: … The scandal du jour involves too much chumminess between universities and the student loan industry, but he could be talking about any regulatory body in today's government.

In White House Plan, War 'Czar' Would Cut Through Bureaucracy  —  When the commanding general in Iraq needed people for a rule-of-law initiative, he had to send a memo to the U.S. Central Command.  That command forwarded it to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  The Joint Chiefs forwarded it to the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Zogby Poll: Giuliani, Clinton Hold Wide Leads in Nevada  —  Giuliani leads Republicans with 37% support and Clinton tops Democrat rivals at 35% as other major candidates lag behind  —  Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has surged to a double-digit lead over his Republican rivals …

He Said What Now?  —  Charles Krauthammer offers up his latest entry in his unending campaign for the title of America's Worst Journalist: "The news from Anbar is the most promising.  Only last fall, the Marines' leading intelligence officer there concluded that the United States had essentially lost the fight to al-Qaeda.

President Bush Attends National Catholic Prayer Breakfast  —  Washington, D.C.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all; please be seated.  Good morning.  Thank you.  It's good to be with you.  You know how to make a Methodist feel right at home.  (Laughter.)

Attorney Replacements Picked Prior to Firings  —  White House Identified Bush Insiders for Posts, E-mails Show  —  The Justice Department identified five Bush administration insiders as replacement U.S. attorneys almost a year before most of the prosecutors were fired …

On Imus  —  I would have fired Don Imus years ago.  Because he's boring.  And if he should have been fired as a racist, that, also, should have occurred years ago.  Howard Stern has been exposing his racism for more than a decade (odd, by the way, that few if any news reports went to Stern for this perspective).

Q: When is "denial" not denial  —  A: When it's taking a courageous stand on behalf of sinister conspiracies and the greater truthiness.  From feministing, "You will not shame me": … [all emphases mine]  —  Well, Samhita's right about one thing: we certainly can't shame her anymore than she already shames herself here.

Justice Department Doc Dump Comment Thread  —  The House Judiciary Committee has made the new documents available on their website here.  —  We'll be diving in — and looking to see what readers come up with in the comments below.

The prospect of all-female conception  —  Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters, according to a pioneering study published today.  —  Scientists are seeking ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells …