Sarkozy's election victory marred by riots  —  Street violence took some of the shine off victory in the French elections for new president Nicolas Sarkozy.  —  Far-left activists had running battles with police across France as 270 people were taken in for questioning and 367 parked vehicles were torched

A Sinking Presidency  —  The president still exudes confidence, but his ship of state is taking on water-fast  —  President Bush's admiration for Abraham Lincoln knows no bounds.  In a recent meeting at the White House, Bush told visitors how Lincoln (whose portrait he has installed in the Oval Office) …

Breaking: Explosion at the Luxor Hotel  —  Scroll for updates...  A backpack explosion at 4am PST this morning.  One dead: … 11am Eastern update: Still sketchy details.  Las Vegas readers, keep us posted.  —  11:29am Eastern update.  Reader David e-mails: "KLAS-TV says the victim was an employee of the hotel."

Iraq War Hampers Kansas Cleanup  —  GREENSBURG, Kan. (AP) — The rebuilding effort in tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas, likely will be hampered because some much-needed equipment is in Iraq, said that state's governor.  —  Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment …

The Seven Year Which???  —  Romney this weekend: … And how gullible and provincial from presidential candidates of the past.  But didn't Romney go to France for his mission?  Think some sweet gamin spun this whole "seven year hitch" fable as an elaborate practical joke?

Star Tribune to reduce its workforce  —  The company's plan called for the reduction of about 145 employees across the company, primarily through voluntary buyouts.  —  The Star Tribune announced plans Monday to reduce its workforce by about 145 employees across the company, primarily through voluntary buyouts.

Zombies  —  More people talking out of their asses about the political blogosphere: … I'll repeat what I said for the benefit of Wee Tucker, from the 2006 Blogads readership survey: … I don't know what it's going to take to kill the "teenagers in their pajamas" stereotype but I suppose I should be grateful.

Locked Out: The Lack of Gender and Ethnic Diversity on Cable News Continues  —  During the recent controversy over former radio and television host Don Imus' remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team, some cable-news viewers may have noticed something unusual: the presence of significantly more African-Americans.

Poll: Clinton gets significant boost over Obama  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, has increased her lead over the Democratic field in the race for the presidential nomination, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Monday afternoon.

George Tenet cashes in on Iraq  —  If you go by the book jacket of his new memoir, "At the Center of the Storm," George Tenet is enjoying the life of a retired government servant teaching at Georgetown University, where he was appointed to the faculty in 2004.

Today our Revolution begins.  Tomorrow we fight.  —  Over the past few years, I've been living and breathing the technology + politics Revolution.  I've worked on House and Senate campaigns, and also in House and Senate official offices.  And, of course, I've always volunteered for Republican campaigns.

The Gatekeepers' Gambit  —  From Ace, citing the media embargo of a Rasmussen poll "finding that 61% of self-identifying Democrats either believe George Bush knew of the 9/11 attacks in advance or are not sure if he did or not": … Factor Ace's observations into my argument earlier today …

A Mini-Interview With Angela McGlowan, Author Of Bamboozled  —  On Friday, I did a phone interview with Angela McGlowan to discuss her new book, Bamboozled: How Americans are being Exploited by the Lies of the Liberal Agenda.  What follows is an edited transcript of our conversation.

FOR LIGHTHEADS ONLY  —  Last week the Wall Street Journal ran Joanne Kaufman's profile of profile of Gordon Lightfoot (subscribers only).  Kaufman introduced Lightfoot as a performer with the kind of square, albeit eccentric, admirers who might have been fans of Lawrence Welk in an earlier era:

Whistle-Blower on Student Aid Is Vindicated  —  WASHINGTON — When Jon Oberg, a Department of Education researcher, warned in 2003 that student lending companies were improperly collecting hundreds of millions in federal subsidies and suggested how to correct the problem, his supervisor told him to work on something else.