Fred Thompson running for president  —  Fred Dalton Thompson is planning to enter the presidential race over the Fourth of July holiday, announcing that week that he has already raised several million dollars and is being backed by insiders from the past three Republican administrations, Thompson advisers told The Politico.

E. coli conservatism (19): the ne plus ultra  —  Offered without comment.  What is there possibly to say? … Oh, all right.  One small comment.  First, observe the contempt for liberty.  When E. coli conservatives say self-regulation is preferable to government, they're even lying about that.

Economix: Truth, Fiction and Lou Dobbs  —  The whole controversy involving Lou Dobbs and leprosy started with a "60 Minutes" segment a few weeks ago.  —  The segment was a profile of Mr. Dobbs, and while doing background research for it, a "60 Minutes" producer came across a 2005 news report …

Bush envisions U.S. presence in Iraq like S.Korea  —  Source: Reuters  —  President George W. Bush would like to see a lengthy U.S. troop presence in Iraq like the one in South Korea to provide stability but not in a frontline combat role, the White House said on Wednesday.

Right-wing noise machine: Plame not covert  —  (updated below - updated again - Update III)  —  NBC News, yesterday: … The right-wing noise machine spent the last two years repeatedly, continuously and emphatically telling their followers the exact opposite:

ACLU Sues Boeing Subsidiary for Participation in CIA Kidnapping and Torture Flights  —  Group Also Appeals to United States Supreme Court in Khaled El-Masri Lawsuit  —  NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal lawsuit against Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc. …

TB Patient Says He Was Advised Not to Fly  —  A man who may have exposed passengers and crew members on two trans-Atlantic flights earlier this month to a highly drug-resistant form of tuberculosis knew he was infected, and had been advised by health officials not to travel overseas.

The persecution of Lina Joy, continued  —  No, you cannot convert: Three cheers for sharia!  —  Last August, I wrote about the plight of an ex-Muslim woman in Malaysia named Lina Joy.  She had converted to Christianity and wanted to marry a Christian man.

Libertarians, beware the rigid reign of Rudy  —  Behind Rudy Giuliani's impressive lead in the polls is one fact that puzzles the pundits: Many cultural conservatives are backing a pro-choice, pro-gun control candidate.  But what should be equally surprising is the strong support Giuliani …

Clinton Secures Endorsement of the Mayor of Los Angeles  —  Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton have delivered another one-two punch that reflects their combined political power: corralling the endorsement of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles …

Some Hitherto Staunch G.O.P. Voters Souring on Iraq  —  Through four elections, Debbie Thompson has supported Representative Mark Steven Kirk, a Republican and staunch backer of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq.  —  But Ms. Thompson, a mother of two from this affluent suburb of Chicago …

Affleck: Clean-cut Romney GOP pick in '08  —  "Gone, Baby, Gone" director Ben Affleck, who tried mightily - but unsuccessfully - to get Sen. John Kerry elected to the White House, said he expects ex-Gov. Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee in 2008.  —  Chatting about the upcoming presidential race …

Lawyer: Cheney Visitor Logs Not Recorded  —  WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Vice President Dick Cheney told the Secret Service in September to eliminate data on who visited Cheney at his official residence, a newly disclosed letter states.  —  The Sept. 13, 2006, letter from Cheney's lawyer …

Biden's debate  —  The Fox News Channel/Congressional Black Caucus Institute debate isn't quite dead, but it's getting closer.  —  As the Times recently reported, the CBC is still trying to revive the event, and Joe Biden plans to attend, while Bill Richardson's spokeswoman told the Times he hadn't decided.

Lieberman in Iraq sees "progress," says so-called surge "would start to break the insurgency"  —  What a coincidence.  Two years after Cheney said the insurgency was in its last throes, Joe Lieberman made essentially the same prediction.  —  CNN reports that Lieberman is on an unannounced "surprise" visit to Baghdad.

DDT, tobacco and the parallel universe  —  The piles of documents released as a result of litigation against Phillip Morris and Exxon are gifts that keep on giving for those of us interested in the process by which the Republican parallel universe has been constructed.

Justices' Ruling Limits Suits on Pay Disparity  —  The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for many workers to sue their employers for discrimination in pay, insisting in a 5-to-4 decision on a tight time frame to file such cases.  The dissenters said the ruling ignored workplace realities.

DeMint rips war 'wimps'  —  Defeatist Democrats such as Harry Reid share blame for Iraq war deaths, senator tells Upstate constituents  —  SPARTANBURG — Sen. Jim DeMint on Tuesday blamed Democratic "wimps" in Congress for American casualties in Iraq, and cited Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for special censure.