Senators Block Vote on Gonzales  —  The Senate yesterday rejected a bid to conduct a vote of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, as Republicans declined to defend the embattled presidential confidant but rejected the effort as a political stunt.

Appeals Court Orders Enemy Combatant Free by Military  —  In a stinging rejection of one of the Bush administration's central assertions about the scope of executive authority to combat terrorism, a federal appeals court ordered the Pentagon to release a man being held as an enemy combatant.

Go Ahead And Shoot At Me  —  I woke up this morning and was going to start my stint as a guest correspondent by trying to kick up a dialogue on how my people in rural America are getting screwed into the stone ages.  As an inexperienced blogger (I think this is the third time I've posted anything) …

Majority of Republicans Doubt Theory of Evolution  —  More Americans accept theory of creationism than evolution  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The majority of Republicans in the United States do not believe the theory of evolution is true and do not believe that humans evolved over millions of years from less advanced forms of life.

Reaganomics Hits France  —  Now that French voters are giving him a decisive parliamentary majority, President Nicolas Sarkozy is going to launch a pro-growth, tax cutting, deregulation, reform plan.  —  In other words, Reaganomics finally comes to France.

Some in U.S. Intelligence See Musharraf on His Way Out  —  Since September 11, 2001, the U.S.'s Pakistan policy can be summed up in two words: Pervez Musharraf.  But within the U.S. intelligence community, and in Pakistan, there's a growing belief that the U.S.-friendly military dictator's days …

CAIR membership plummets  —  ONLINE EXCLUSIVE / DEVELOPING:  —  Membership in the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has declined more than 90 percent since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Audrey Hudson will report in Tuesday's editions of The Washington Times.

Poll: Rural Vote No Longer a Lock for Republicans  —  · A new national poll indicates rural Americans are no longer reliably Republican, and the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq seems mainly to blame.  —  People from the nation's smallest places had the biggest impact in the last two presidential elections.

State Dems lead revolt … HALLANDALE BEACH - Setting the stage for a showdown with the Democratic National Committee, state Democratic Party leaders decided Sunday that Florida will hold one of the first presidential primaries in the country next year.  —  The Jan. 29 primary date set …

Blitzer Promised Not To 'Utter' The Words 'Paris Hilton,' Then Devoted Whole Segment To Her  —  According to the Washington Times, CNN host Wolf Blitzer "vowed" on Friday "that during that afternoon's entire news program, he would not bring himself to utter two words: Paris Hilton."

Rather Attacks Couric: 'Dumb It Down, Tart It Up'  —  As already noted on NewsBusters, former CBS anchor Dan Rather appeared on Monday's edition of "Morning Joe" and lobbied for a "a strategic withdrawal from Iraq."  He also found time to twice bash his "Evening News" successor Katie Couric for dumbing down and "tarting up" the news.