As Senate Deal Sinks, So Does Bush's Power  —  The breakthrough on the "grand bargain" on immigration a few weeks ago had brought new life to a White House under siege, putting a long-sought goal suddenly within reach.  After many grim months, there was almost giddiness at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Why the Senate Immigration Bill Failed  —  Elite newspapers and countless bloggers are writing their own explanations of why the compromise immigration legislation failed last night.  Most of the write-ups discuss legislative tactics, an amendment offered by Senator Byron Dorgan (D) …

A Victim?  Hardly!  —  The Paris Hilton saga has become so compelling that many political bloggers who swore off mentioning her have weighed in on the topic, including myself.  Hilton got hauled off screaming and crying to jail after having been released by Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca five days …

A Failure of Leadership  —  The immigration compromise collapsed on the floor of the Senate Thursday night.  Many of its hard-line foes are celebrating, but their glee is vindictive and hollow.  They have blocked one avenue to an immigration overhaul while offering nothing better …

For One Visit, Bush Will Feel Pro-U.S. Glow  —  The highlight of President Bush's European tour may well be his visit on Sunday to this tiny country, one of the few places left where he can bask in unabashed pro-American sentiment without a protester in sight.

A Patent Lie  —  WHAT a difference 16 years makes.  Last month, the technology world was abuzz over an interview in Fortune magazine in which Bradford Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, accused users and developers of various free software products of patent infringement and demanded royalties.

Mary Winkler Sentenced to Jail  —  There have been 10 comments posted  —  Selmer, Tennessee (WVLT) Knoxville native Mary Winkler will go to jail in connection with the killing of her minister husband.  —  A judge sentenced Winkler to three years of split confinement in connection …

Condi insists troop buildup is 'effective' in News sitdown  —  DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF  —  The U.S. troop surge in Iraq has been "effective" cleaning up parts of Baghdad, but the dramatic uptick in spectacular terror bombings is "unnerving," Secretary of State Rice told the Daily News yesterday.

Death or Glory Part II of IV  —  Death or Glory Part II of IV:  —  Into the Desert With the Queen's Royal Lancers  —  Sunrise.  —  The intended target in an ambush never knows when it's over.  Yesterday's ambush, which killed two soldiers and wounded three others, is a case in point.

Immigration Enigma  —  I cannot forecast to you the action of Congress.  It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.  The key is Congress's own interest.  (But what the heck is Congress's own interest?)  —  Trying to game out what's …

Three arrested in arms plot to kill Americans  —  A suspected international arms dealer was arrested yesterday in Spain and charged with conspiracy to sell millions of dollars in weapons to a State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization in Colombia to kill Americans.

Report Gives Details on CIA Prisons  —  NATO Pacts Exploited, European Probe Finds  —  The CIA exploited NATO military agreements to help it run secret prisons in Poland and Romania where alleged terrorists were held in solitary confinement for months, shackled and subjected to other mental …

Amicus Brief In Libby Case  —  An amicus brief (9 page .pdf) supporting the Libby's team contention that Fitzgerald's appointment may have been unconstitutional has been filed by a cadre of law professors led by Messrs.  Dershowitz and Bork.  —  Josh Gerstein of the Sun has coverage, as does the AP.

Ruling Likely to Spur Convictions in Capital Cases  —  A decision by the Supreme Court on Monday that made it easier for prosecutors to exclude people who express reservations about the death penalty from capital juries will make the panels whiter and more conviction-prone, experts in law and psychology said this week.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff  —  General Peter Pace was sworn in as sixteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sep. 30, 2005.  In this capacity, he serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council.

John Lewis Remembers a Civil-Rights Nemesis  —  Jim Clark, the sheriff of Selma, Ala., led the charge against protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the civil-rights showdown known as 'Bloody Sunday.' He passed away this week.  Rep. John Lewis, who survived the blows of Clark's men, remembers his nemesis.

By The Numbers  —  For those who like to measure progress by numbers, Terrorist Death Watch has an update, with helpful graphics.  —  Chuck Simmins of TDW had been toiling away diligently, recording the deaths of terrorists as reported by MNF-I flaks.  Turns out, they weren't reporting them all.