Approval of Congress lowest in a decade  —  Only about a quarter of Americans approve of how it's doing its job, a poll shows; most see 'business as usual.'  —  WASHINGTON — Fueled by disappointment at the pace of change since Democrats assumed the majority on Capitol Hill …

Mystery of President Bush's watch in Albania  —  Now you see it.  Now you don't.  —  George W Bush was visibly cheered when he received a hero's welcome in Albania at the weekend, with Albanians draped in the Stars and Stripes reaching out to hug him and shake his hand.

MURDER INCORPORATED:  —  Iraq has roughly 28 million people, roughly 20 times the population of Gaza.  In percentages, the number of daily dead is becoming nearly identical.  If there is a civil war in Iraq, there certainly is a civil war in Gaza.  And it started soon after Israel withdrew.

Border Security Can Be Implemented Without Senate Bill  —  Today, nine U.S. Senators wrote a letter to President Bush urging him to fulfill the border security provisions listed in the Senate immigration bill whether the legislation passes or not.  Each border security trigger in the bill …

Rudy Giuliani's 12 Commitments  —  Rudy Giuliani gave a speech this afternoon announcing his "Twelve Commitments to the American people, a bold vision aimed at moving America forward through change and reform, overcoming new challenges and increasing accountability in Washington."

President Bush Attends Dedication of Victims of Communism Memorial  —  Washington, D.C.  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming.  Please be seated.  Dr. Edwards, thanks for your kind words.  Congressman Lantos — no better friend to freedom, by the way; Congressman Rohrabacher, the same.

In Parting Shot, Blair Calls Press a 'Feral Beast'  —  In the land that produced "Scoop," Evelyn Waugh's novel of journalistic ambition and ineptitude, it would seem unsurprising for politicians to criticize reporters on occasion.  But was it justified, as Prime Minister Tony Blair did today, to call the press a "feral beast"?

Judges Say U.S. Can't Hold Man as 'Combatant'  —  The federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., ruled yesterday that the president may not declare civilians in this country to be "enemy combatants" and have the military hold them indefinitely.  The ruling was a stinging rejection …

Joe Lieberman Is At It Again  —  After wrongly supporting George W. Bush's strategic blunder of attacking Iraq, and continuing to support Bush's failed policies after the invasion, Senator Joe Lieberman made irresponsible comments this weekend regarding military action against Iran.

Do away with public schools  —  Government is inept at running schools.  It should subsidize education for needy students, then get out of the way.  —  HERE'S A GOOD question for you: Why have public schools at all?  —  OK, cue the marching music.  We need public schools because blah blah blah and yada yada yada.

Opening Arguments Begin in Nifong Trial  —  RALEIGH, N.C. — More than a year after shocking allegations emerged about Duke University's lacrosse team, prosecutor Mike Nifong is heading to trial — as a defendant.  —  The North Carolina State Bar has charged Nifong, the district attorney in Durham County …

CAIR membership falls 90% since 9/11  —  Membership in the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has declined more than 90 percent since the 2001 terrorist attacks, according to tax documents obtained by The Washington Times.  —  The number of reported members spiraled …

U.S. Warns Iraq That Progress Is Needed Soon  —  The top American military commander for the Middle East has warned Iraq's prime minister in a closed-door conversation that the Iraqi government needs to make tangible political progress by next month to counter the growing tide of opposition to the war in Congress.

Disaffected conservatives set a litmus test for '08  —  Want vow to curb presidential power  —  WASHINGTON — A new political group recently asked Mitt Romney to promise not to wiretap Americans without a judge's approval or to imprison US citizens without a trial as "enemy combatants."

A Jolly Good Show, but the Wrong Side of the Pond  —  Give him a sword and a tunic, and Chuck Schumer would have made a passable Oliver Cromwell as he stood on the Senate floor yesterday.  —  The New York Democrat, playing a British parliamentarian, had come to seek a "vote of no confidence" …

Death or Glory Part III of IV  —  Death or Glory III of IV  —  Queen's Royal Lancers  —  There is an entirely different war out in the desert.  I've been telling American soldiers since my return from the British Army that our brothers and sisters are good to go, no matter what their own press says.

Hawks for Thompson  —  Thompson puts together a foreign policy team.  —  FRED THOMPSON IS adding more big-name policy talent as his testing-the-waters committee continues to grow into a real presidential campaign.  Among the new additions: Mark Esper, national security adviser …

What Would Harry Truman Do?  —  Madeleine Albright just walked right in to one of my pet peeves, calling for the United States to adhere to a moderate (i.e., neither isolationist nor imperial) foreign policy, and then sets it up with the old "consider Harry Truman."

Edwards campaign: 'Go to hell' adviser 'speaks for himself'  —  After a top adviser to the campaign of presidential hopeful John Edwards told liberal bloggers to "go to hell," a spokesman for the former Democratic Senator from North Carolina denied that it reflected the candidate's sentiments.

Now That I Have Your Attention...  Many of you have asked about how Democrats can get through the culture of the South and the Heartland...God, guns, gays, and race.  Since I have been stereotyped (by some) as a racist over the last 12 hours or so, let's start with the racial wedges that the Republicans have used against us.

The Bombed Bridges of Baghdad  —  Unlike the film, The Bridges of Madison County, the bombed bridges of Baghdad are not a quaint romantic tale, but a warning sign of potential disaster for U.S. forces in Iraq.  The ongoing attacks on bridges in and around Baghdad creates significant risks …

FCC '700': Why You Can't Get Your iPhone  —  The big news today is a letter that Senator John Kerry, who sits on the Commerce Commitee, sent to the FCC asking for a better internet in light of the FCC's upcoming 700 auction of spectrum space.  Kerry is a tremendous ally of the net neutrality fight …