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 …

Ex-Gonzales Aide Testifies She 'Crossed the Line'  —  The Justice Department's former liaison to the White House testified before Congress today that she improperly weighed political factors in considering applicants for career positions in the department, and she said she was sorry.

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.

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.

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.

Memo Urges Clinton to Bypass Iowa  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton's deputy campaign manager wrote a memo this week making the case for the Democratic presidential candidate to bypass the Iowa caucuses and focus on later contests in the nomination fight.

Just 26% Favor Senate Immigration Plan  —  Initial public reaction to the immigration proposal being debated in the Senate is decidedly negative.  —  A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey conducted Monday and Tuesday night shows that just 26% of American voters favor passage of the legislation.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Dodd To Vote No On the Supplemental  —  I like this:  —  Chris Dodd keeps making sense.  It will be interesting to see if there is a chorus of Democrats who start to join him on this.  The other 2008ers in Congress will be interesting too.  —  This is a sign of building momentum against the supplemental.

The Aley explosion and Its consequences  —  After the explosions in (Christian) Ashrafieh and (Sunni) Verdun, Aley, a popular Druze summer destination was hit.  Can Walid Jumblat calm his constituents this time?  —  This time though, the smoke is not natural..

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.

Bush Blames Iraq Violence on Al-Qaeda  —  Critics Dismiss Speech as Effort To Build Support  —  President Bush ratcheted up his campaign to link the violence in Iraq to actions by al-Qaeda, stressing in a commencement address Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy that the terrorist network is the …

Why right to vote, without an ID, is worth fighting for  —  This lawmaker counts his grandmother among reasons  —  In my community in Houston, thousands of first- and second-generation Americans came of age in the "greatest generation."  They volunteered to protect our freedom in World War II.

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.