The entire government has failed us on Iraq  —  For the president, and the majority leaders and candidates and rank-and-file Congressmen and Senators of either party—there is only blame for this shameful, and bi-partisan, betrayal  —  SPECIAL COMMENT  —  A Special Comment about the Democrats' deal …

McNulty: I'm No Liar  —  During her testimony today, Monica Goodling pointed the finger squarely at Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, saying that he had not been "fully candid" in his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his knowledge of White House involvement …

Edwards: Move Past 'War on Terror'  —  NEW YORK (AP) - Democrat John Edwards Wednesday repudiated the notion that there is a "global war on terror," calling it an ideological doctrine advanced by the Bush administration that has strained American military resources and emboldened terrorists.

Mary Cheney Gives Birth to Baby Boy  —  Mary Cheney gave birth today to perhaps the most anticipated baby in contemporary U.S. politics — her first child, Samuel David Cheney, whom she will raise with her longtime partner Heather Poe.  —  The 8-pound, 6-ounce boy is the sixth grandchild for Dick Cheney.

The Poor Get Richer  —  It's been a rough week for John Edwards, and now comes more bad news for his "two Americas" campaign theme.  A new study by the Congressional Budget Office says the poor have been getting less poor.  On average, CBO found that low-wage households with children …

Remarks As Prepared For Delivery At The Council on Foreign Relations  —  A Strong Military for a New Century  —  Council on Foreign Relations  —  New York, New York  —  May 23, 2007  —  It is wonderful to be back here at the Council.  Thank you for having me.

Four Senators With Balls  —  If I asked you to quickly name what four United States Senators are sticking to their guns and will vote against the ludicrous "compromise" Iraq supplemental bill — you know, the one where George W. Bush gets everything he wants — what would be your first few guesses?

There's Good News from Iraq  —  There is good news from Iraq, believe it or not.  It comes from the most unlikely place: Anbar province, home of the Sunni insurgency.  The level of violence has plummeted in recent weeks.  An alliance of U.S. troops and local tribes has been very effective …

Clinton Campaign Plays Down Iowa Memo  —  Proposal to Skip Caucuses Called Just One Person's Opinion  —  Aides to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) scrambled late yesterday to control the fallout from a leaked memo advocating that she pull her campaign out of Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses, where she is trailing in polls.

France's Sarkozy calls to tighten sanctions on Teheran  —  French President Nicholas Sarkozy called Wednesday for sanctions on Iran to be tightened if the country does not adhere to the West's demands to cease its nuclear agenda.  —  If Iran attains nuclear weapons, Sarkozy warned …

No. 2 Senate Republican Calls for Passage of Immigration Bill  —  The No. 2 Republican in the Senate made an all-out pitch for support of a comprehensive immigration bill on Wednesday as the Senate voted to reduce the size of a proposed guest worker program, infuriating employers.

MIDWEST LUTHERANS LARGELY REJECT VIOLENCE  —  Chicago - By an almost two-to-one margin, Midwest Lutherans voiced solid opposition to decapitation, suicide bombing, and chemical warfare in a new comprehensive survey of their social attitudes.  —  The Pew Research survey, conducted May 13-19 …

PM a short-sighted fear-monger: Amnesty  —  Prime Minister John Howard finds himself alongside Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe in an Amnesty International report which says they are among short-sighted fear-mongers dividing the world.  —  The human rights pressure group has accused …

Taste of Home Runs Low in Iraq  —  Complications Hold Up Embassy Food Convoys  —  Congress and the White House may be sparring over funds for the U.S. effort in Iraq, but the mint chocolate chip is still flowing at the embassy in Baghdad.  At least for now.

Center of Attention … Central Sanity crossed the 500-posts milestone.  "Here's a look back at the 25 most popular, based on percentage of hits among the last 4,000 visits."  —  Bob McCarty quotes Winston Churchill on Islam / Muslims.  —  It ain't nice.  —  Libby writes at The Impolitic that the "Leaker-in-Chief" is back.

GOP Candidates Criticize ABC News Report on CIA-Iran Plan  —  From The Blotter:  —  Two Republican presidential candidates today criticized the ABC News report Tuesday about the CIA's covert plan to destabilize the Iranian regime.  —  "I was shocked to see the ABC News report regarding covert action …