Hate Crimes and Double Standards  —  There are, I think, two coherent positions on hate crime laws.  The first is opposition to the entire concept, its chilling effect on free speech, its undermining of the notion of equality under the law, and so on.  That's my position.

The Times Names Public Editor  —  The New York Times today named its next public editor, Clark Hoyt, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and editor who oversaw the Knight Ridder newspaper chain's coverage that questioned the Bush administration's case for the Iraq war.

Check this out — the offices of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are denying a Washington Post story today saying that Congressional Democrats have backed down to the White House by offering to remove Iraq withdrawal language from the now-vetoed Iraq bill.  —  Pelosi just went before the Democratic caucus …

Comey Details U.S. Attorney Firings  —  If there was one major revelation during the hearing today, it was that James Comey had been involved in the firing of two U.S. attorneys when he was deputy attorney general.  —  But these firings were worlds away from the firing of the eight U.S. attorneys last December.

May 3, 2007 - Obama Runs Best Against GOP Front-Runner Giuliani Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Clinton Still Leads Dem Primary Race  —  Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has a slight 44 - 41 percent lead over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in a possible 2008 presidential face-off …

LIVEBLOGGING: The GOP Reagan Library Debate  —  7:59PM: LIEBERMAN is there.  At the right debate at least.  —  8:04PM: "If I determine a rebuttal is necessary..." Best line of the night; Matthews only thinks HIS rebuttal is necessary.  —  8:04PM: Who thought Matthews would be the FIRST one to invoke Reagan?

D.C. Law Firm Suspends Woman Who Worked as Escort  —  Brian Ross, Rhonda Schwartz & Justin Rood Report:  —  A legal secretary at one of Washington's most prominent and well-connected law firms, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, has been suspended after telling her bosses she secretly worked …

From the Senate: Hillary Statement on Deauthorizing the War  —  Washington, DC — In remarks on the Senate floor, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that she and Senator Robert Byrd will introduce legislation to end authority for the war in Iraq.  The legislation will propose October 11 …

Virgin Atlantic Loose Change update: Axed Update: Audio added Update: Virgin Atlantic statement added  —  Folks, we made a difference.  After our post about Virgin Atlantic airing the 9-11 conspiracy film Loose Change 2 as in-flight entertainment last night, the producer …

Lawmakers wants VA to explain bonuses  —  WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders on Thursday demanded that the Veterans Affairs secretary explain hefty bonuses for senior department officials involved in crafting a budget that came up $1 billion short and jeopardized veterans' health care.

Reid defends his 'presidentials,' takes jab at Edwards  —  As former Sen. John Edwards's (D-N.C.) TV ad on the Iraq supplemental continues to cause friction in the Democratic presidential field, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) heaped praise Thursday upon "the presidentials" …

Milbloggers Safe?  (Bumped)  —  Yesterday, Wired reported on new Army operational-security regulations that would have meant an end, for all practical purposes, to milblogging from the front lines.  Today, the Washington Times' Jon Ward asked Tony Snow about the new OpSec regulations …

Obama placed under Secret Service protection … (CNN) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, has been placed under the protection of the Secret Service, the agency said Thursday.  —  The government is not aware of any specific, credible threat against Obama …

DOES THE MIDDLE EAST MATTER?....Edward Luttwak asks, "Why are middle east experts so unfailingly wrong?"  I've often wondered the same thing!  He proposes three fundamental mistakes that underlie their unfailing wrongness:  — "Arab-Israeli catastrophism": the idea that we're continually …