An Incomplete Field  —  First impressions of the GOP's 2008 candidates.  —  They stood earnestly in a row, combed, primped and prepped, as Nancy Reagan gazed up at them with courteous interest.  But behind the hopeful candidates, a dwarfing shadow loomed, a shadow almost palpable in its power …

Have Bill Frist and right-wing bloggers plagiarized their new Iraq plan?  —  After having created "The Victory Caucus" two months ago only to stand by helplessly as it died a rapid and painful death, right-wing bloggers have now joined forces with former Senator Bill Frist to create a new Victory website …

Where Do You Stop?  —  The Los Angeles Times reports on the suddenly veto-happy White House, which warned Congress yesterday that its expansion of the federal hate-crimes law would not survive if brought to the Oval Office.  The House passed the bill yesterday anyway, leaving it to the Senate …

The U.S. Attorney, the G.O.P. Congressman and the Timely Job Offer  —  There is yet another United States attorney whose abrupt departure from office is raising questions: Debra Wong Yang of Los Angeles.  Ms. Yang was not fired, as eight other prosecutors were, but she resigned under circumstances …

BILL'S HARD DRIVE  —  MICROSOFT EYES SEARCH GIANT IN PROPOSED TAKEOVER  —  Stung by the loss of Internet advertising firm DoubleClick to Google last month, Microsoft has intensified its pursuit of a deal with Yahoo!, asking the company to re-enter formal negotiations, The Post has learned.

Dems Outline Plans for Iraq Bill  —  Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wis.) outlined a new plan for an Iraq funding bill in private meetings Thursday afternoon, congressional aides said.  —  The plan would split the now vetoed supplemental spending bill into two bills, one that would provide two months …

Murtha's Mangled Memory  —  Is anti-war Democrat Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) beginning to show signs of memory loss?  —  As reported yesterday on the liberal Think Progress, Murtha said the following in an exchange with Chris Matthews in an exchange with Chris Matthews on MCNBC's Hardball (my bold):

Military: New Iraqi school had bombs built in … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — American soldiers discovered a girls school being built north of Baghdad had become an explosives-rigged "death trap," the U.S. military said Thursday.  —  The plot at the Huda Girls' school in Tarmiya was a …

McKay made firing list in March '05; was Wales killing a factor?  —  Former U.S. Attorney John McKay's name was on a list of federal prosecutors to be fired in March 2005, 18 months earlier than previously reported, according to a document released by the House Judiciary Committee today.

Bush Wants Phone Firms Immune to Privacy Suits  —  The Bush administration is urging Congress to pass a law that would halt dozens of lawsuits charging phone companies with invading ordinary citizens' privacy through a post-Sept. 11 warrantless surveillance program.

CNN'S DOBBS ON '60 MINUTES': U.S. COULD DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS  —  He has never called for the deportation of all illegal immigrants, but Lou Dobbs believes the U.S. could pull off such a feat if it really wanted to.  The CNN anchor, whose stance against illegal immigration has helped raise …