It's Something About Those Orange Backgrounds...  In the future, all journalism will be done for us by important people posting their thoughts on blogs.  Two examples from Daily Kos, where, over the weekend, Cindy Sheehan had announced she was quitting the Democrats.  Here's Sheehan again, quitting... the anti-war movement!

Social conservatives bite bullet, back Rudy  —  Rudy Giuliani, whose positions on abortion and homosexuality mark him as the most socially liberal Republican presidential candidate in more than a generation, is so far winning the contest for the support of social conservatives, according to a new analysis of recent polls.

Progress in Iraq likely to miss target  —  Military officers doubt any of the three top goals will be achieved before the September assessment.  —  BAGHDAD — U.S. military leaders in Iraq are increasingly convinced that most of the broad political goals President Bush laid out early this year …

Obama offers universal health care plan  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) on Tuesday offered a sweeping health care plan that would provide every citizen a means for coverage and calls on government, businesses and consumers to share the costs of the program.

Rules 'hiding' trillions in debt  —  Liability $516,348 per U.S. household  —  The federal government recorded a $1.3 trillion loss last year — far more than the official $248 billion deficit — when corporate-style accounting standards are used, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

Bush the Neoliberal  —  Years ago, someone coined the term "neoliberal."  I was never sure what it meant, and it has since fallen into disuse, but whatever the case, I'd like to revive (and mangle) the term and apply it — brace yourself — to George W. Bush.  He's more liberal than you might think.

Frist withdraws name from World Bank  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has withdrawn his name from consideration for World Bank president, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.  —  Frist, a Tennessee Republican …

Sooner Rather Than Later  —  COBURN OK  —  Sen. Tom Coburn is mulling an entry into the Republican presidential primary, according to sources inside and outside the Senate.  Coburn, a senator from Oklahoma, is believed to be receiving encouragement from a small group of wealthy businessmen …

Lawmakers Push for Big Subsidies for Coal Process  —  Even as Congressional leaders draft legislation to reduce greenhouse gases linked to global warming, a powerful roster of Democrats and Republicans is pushing to subsidize coal as the king of alternative fuels.

Denial of Service  —  Estonia has been under assault: … This has been interesting for a few reasons.  On the geopolitical stage this seems to be yet another demonstration by Russia that it is still willing and capable to throw its weight around in the near abroad, without much apparent concern for international opinion.

Campaign Puts New Strain on Secret Service  —  Big Field and Early Start Force Cuts in Other Efforts  —  The U.S. Secret Service expects to borrow more than 2,000 immigration officers and federal airport screeners next year to help guard an ever-expanding field of presidential candidates …

Is Iraq in a Civil War?  —  Many politicians have determined Iraq to be in a civil war.  "We're not fighting terrorism in Iraq," Rep. John Murtha (Democrat-Penn.) said on January 27, 2006, "We're fighting a civil war in Iraq."  [1] He is not alone.  On November 27, 2006 …

Editorial: Make a Bad Bill Better  —  The great immigration struggle of 2007 has moved from the Senate chamber in Washington to the continent at large.  With Congress taking the week off, it's time for constituents to weigh in.  You can be sure of this much: The debate will get louder before it gets better.

Desperate Iraqi Refugees Turn to Sex Trade in Syria  —  MARABA, Syria — Back home in Iraq, Umm Hiba's daughter was a devout schoolgirl, modest in her dress and serious about her studies.  Hiba, who is now 16, wore the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, and rose early each day to say the dawn prayer before classes.

The Rise Of the Bottom Fifth  —  How to Build on the Gains Of Welfare Reform  —  Imagine a line composed of every household with children in the United States, arranged from lowest to highest income.  Now, divide the line into five equal parts.  Which of the groups do you think enjoyed big increases in income since 1991?

The Case for Talking to Syria  —  As distasteful as the Syrian government is, Washington must reconsider its policy of non-engagement with Damascus.  Negotiations alone cannot fix the U.S.-Syrian relationship, and we should hold no illusions about the regime of Bashar al-Assad.