The Politico Fails Journalism 100  —  When I was studying journalism way back in the early 1980s, they hammered on us pretty hard about fact checking, verifying sources and not accepting things as fact based on hearsay.  I don't think we covered conference calls specifically …

Chris Matthews on Fred Thompson's sexiness and smells  —  I've written a fair amount recently about the media's obsession with the faux-masculinity of GOP candidates in general, and the tough-guy military persona of Fred Thompson in particular, and don't have all that much to add about that specific topic at the moment.

Street battles leave Gaza in chaos … GAZA CITY (CNN) — Fighters from the Islamic party Hamas claimed full control of Palestinian Authority security agencies in Gaza late Thursday as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved his unity government and declared a state of emergency.

Doing the jobs Americans aren't willing to do  —  Given the recent rhetoric in Republican circles about immigration policy, I found this story spectacularly amusing. … Wait, it gets funnier.  Matthews was hired by Michael Kamburowski, the state GOP's chief operations officer, who is ... wait for it ... an Australian citizen.

Gonzales Meeting With Aide Scrutinized  —  Justice Dept. Checking For Possible Wrongdoing  —  The Justice Department is investigating whether Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales sought to improperly influence the testimony of a departing senior aide, two of its senior officials said yesterday …

Libby Loses Liberty  —  Walton: As a prelude to my ruling, the fact that I've written lengthy decisions does not suggest I think an issue is close.  We are expected to give significant consideration to what we do.  My effort is to try to get it right, so this is why I tke my time so length does …

Senators Agree to Revive Immigration Bill  —  Senate Democratic and Republican leaders announced on Thursday that they had agreed on a way to revive a comprehensive immigration bill that was pulled off the Senate floor seven days ago.  —  The majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada …

Legislators vote to defeat same-sex marriage ban  —  A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was defeated today by a joint session of the Legislature by a vote of 45 to 151, eliminating any chance of getting it on the ballot in November 2008.  At least 50 votes were needed to advance the measure.

THE WAR OVER EARMARKS, CONT.  —  As we noted a few days ago, the House of Representatives has been embroiled in a battle over the Democrats' effort to roll back the earmark reforms that were initiated in the last Congress by the Republicans.  The Democrats are trying to adopt a program …

Clintons Dissolve Blind Financial Trust  —  Millions in Stock Converted to Cash to Avoid Campaign Conflicts  —  Bill and Hillary Clinton have dissolved the blind trust that has managed their investments since they entered the White House in 1993, converting all stocks to cash …

Students and Faith  —  Whether the source is God and Man at Yale or any number of more recent studies, the conflict between a college education and the faith that students bring to campus (secular campuses at least) is well accepted.  The more you pursue a higher education …