Kill The Bill...Update: Down, but not quite dead 8:55pm Cloture vote fails: 45-50; Roll added Reid vows to "put aside hurt feelings" - sniffle Post-debate thoughts: Yes, this was Bush's bill  —  Wire stories coming in: AP calls the cloture vote failure a "stunning setback."  Reuters: "A major legislative setback."

SHARPTON BLASTS JUSTICE SYSTEM  —  Reverend Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network, and one of the country's foremost leaders for civil rights, is blasting the justice system for what appears to be favoritism in the early release of Paris Hilton.  —  "Though I have nothing …

Is London's future Islamic?  —  It's the capital's fastest growing religion, based on noble traditions and compassionate principles, yet Islam can still be tainted by mistrust and misunderstanding.  Here Time Out argues that an Islamic London would be a better place

Immigration dead  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) just pulled the immigration overhaul bill from the floor after it failed to clear a procedural hurdle.  —  "We bent over backwards" to accomodate Republicans who disliked the bill, Reid said.  "We have to figure out a way to get this bill passed."

Surprise offer defuses U.S.-Russia spat … HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (CNN) — U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Thursday at the G8 summit in Germany to cooperate on missile-defense systems, apparently cooling tensions between the two leaders.

Re: Libby, Ctd.  —  I have been trying to stay out of the Libby fray (too many friends on both sides), and I want nowhere near an argument over Derb's comments.  But as someone who has the battle scars attendant to defending Pat Fitzgerald here on our friendly Corner, I feel constrained …

The ultimate conservative  —  Glenn Greenwald has more on the fact that The Republican Party is the party of Bush, even though most of them are trying to distance themselves from him now because nobody likes him and even some conservatives have noticed that he hasn't exactly upheld the alleged principles of conservatism.

Senate Begins Real Push on Habeas Corpus  —  Today the Senate Judiciary Committee passed an important bill to restore habeas corpus, the sacrosanct Constitutional right to challenge government detention in court, by a vote of eleven to eight.  —  Habeas corpus was revoked …

Judge freezes congressman's assets  —  ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A federal judge Thursday froze the assets of Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who was indicted this week on charges of soliciting bribes.  —  A forfeiture charge is among the 16 criminal counts Jefferson is facing.

Sister Of Slain Soldier: Candidates Didn't Answer Me About When U.S. Will 'Get Out' Of Iraq  —  At Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, one of the most memorable questions came from Erin Flanagan, whose brother died in Iraq last year.  She asked what the candidates would do to end the war in Iraq:

Nothing New About It  —  Kagro X over at Kos responds to Joe Klein's intemperate column today in which he takes bloggers to task for being ... intemperate.  —  He makes one point that I think it important for some of these journalists to understand:

New Vent: Gorilla warfare against the open borders WSJ  —  The Wall Street Journal editorial board thinks conservatives who oppose the immigration bill are either xenophobes or bigots.  Michelle engages in guerilla gorilla warfare to prove them wrong.  —  Blowback

Attorney-general knew of BAE and the £1bn.  Then concealed it  —  Goldsmith hid secret money transfers from international anti-corruption organisation  —  British investigators were ordered by the attorney-general Lord Goldsmith to conceal from international anti-bribery watchdogs …