House OKs Iraq troop withdrawal bill  —  WASHINGTON - A sharply divided House brushed aside a veto threat Wednesday and passed legislation that would order President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by Oct. 1.  The 218-208 vote came as the top U.S. commander in Iraq told lawmakers …

Americans siding with Dems against Bush  —  NBC/WSJ poll: Skepticism on Iraq policies reflected in 2008 candidates  —  INTERACTIVE  —  A look at the democratic candidates and their performance on the campaign trail  —  Far-Out Americana  —  See photos of quirky landmarks that you sent in!

Blogswarm alert!  —  It looks as if David Broder's column tomorrow may be making the rather creative case that Harry Reid is as inept as...Alberto Gonzales.  —  How do I know this?  Over at the Dallas Morning News, which prints Broder's column from time to time, they've done a teaser …

Joint letter issued for Gonzales  —  And in case Gonzales thought the worst had passed with his punishing testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the chairman and top Republican issued a new demand: Refresh the memory that Gonzales claimed had failed him 71 times during the seven-hour session.

Fox's Gibson: U.S. invasion "unmasked" Iraqis as "knuckle-dragging savages from the 10th century"  —  On the April 23 broadcast of his Fox News Radio show, John Gibson argued that the Iraqi people — whom he described as "knuckle-dragging savages from the 10th century" — are at "fault" for the situation in Iraq.

Meet the Iraqi Police in Kirkuk  —  This is the second in a two part article.  Read Part One, Where Kurdistan Meets the Red Zone, here.  Scroll down for video.  —  KIRKUK, IRAQ - Kirkuk, like Baghdad, is one of the most dangerous places in the world.  Car bombs, suicide attacks, shootings …

Harvard: How the Media Partnered With Hezbollah  —  During Israel's war against Hizballah, at LGF we were continually outraged by the media's uncritical promulgation of terrorist propaganda, and their overwhelming bias against Israel.  The barrage of staged and manipulated disinformation culminated …

Taliban leader says Bin Laden alive  —  Mullah Dadullah, a senior Taliban commander, has told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview that Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaeda's leader, is alive.  —  Dadullah said Bin Laden planned and supervised the "suicide" operation which targeted Dick Cheney …

MC Bush.  —  Today is Africa Malaria Day.  Over one million people die each year from the treatable and preventable disease; 80 percent of the deaths take place in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Today, President Bush called for "a smart and sustained campaign" that involves distributing insecticide-treated bed nets …

MICHELLE MALKIN: Malkin's Site Now Requires Adult ID Check  —  For just $4.95 per month billed discreetly to your credit card, you can watch the rest of this video.  —  Spastic Backyard Cheerleader Video [YouTube]

Longer Iraq Tours Good for "Army Stress," Pentagon Says  —  You have got to be kidding me.  Check out this pure-propaganda pronouncement, from the Pentagon's official news organ, the "American Forces Press Service": … Yeah, yeah.  Water is dry, ice is warm, and up is down, too.

Analysis: "Blackout" on campaign ads in doubt  —  With Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justice Antonin Scalia exhibiting considerable distaste for a key provision of federal campaign finance law, Congress' latest attempt to reduce the flow of corporate and union money …

Dow Closes Above 13,000 for First Time  —  Dow Ends Above 13,000 for First Time As Earnings Reports Push Stock Market to Historic Heights  —  NEW YORK (AP) — It looks like a cause for celebration: The Dow Jones industrial average surged from 12,000 to 13,000 in just six months.

Ore. gov. starts week on food stamps  —  SALEM, Ore. - If Gov. Ted Kulongoski seems a little sluggish this week, he's got an excuse: he couldn't afford coffee.  —  In fact, the Democratic governor couldn't afford much of anything during a trip to a Salem-area grocery store on Tuesday …