Bloomberg Severs G.O.P. Ties, Fueling Talk of '08 Bid  —  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced Tuesday that he was dropping his Republican affiliation, a step that could clear the way for him to make an independent bid for the presidency.  —  The announcement was released during …

The new Hillary Clinton video is a take on the last scene of "The Sopranos."  —  It's clever, the way the video uses the jukebox business from the last "Sopranos" episode to remind us of Hillary's theme song contest.  In case you care, I'll just tell you that the winner is "You and I," …

National Lampoon's 72 Virgins  —  Two idiot college students unwittingly join an Al Qaeda cell in order to get the 72 virgins promised to terrorists when they die.  From the makers of Animal House, Van Wilder, and the Vacation movies.  Join the Jihad at NationalLampoon.com!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Digby  —  From the Take Back America conference — Joe Wilson, Digby, Rick Perlstein.  —  No Trackbacks to "Ladies and Gentlemen, Digby"  —  dakine01 says: … SeamusD says: … Joe Klein's conscience says: … Jane Hamsher says:

China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter  —  China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, figures released today show.  —  The surprising announcement will increase anxiety about China's growing role in driving man …

Court: Israel must aid Gazans at Erez  —  The High Court of Justice instructed the State Attorney's Office on Tuesday night that "everything Israel can do to save human life must be done today," following a petition submitted by "Doctors for Human Rights" and "Gisha" that Erez Crossing …

Simulation finds 9/11 fireproofing key  —  INDIANAPOLIS - A computer simulation of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks supports a federal agency's findings that the initial impact from the hijacked airplanes stripped away crucial fireproofing material and that the weakened towers collapsed under their own weight.

President Bush Meets With Prime Minister Olmert of Israel  —  PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thanks for coming.  I've been looking forward to this visit.  Last time we were together we had a long and serious discussion about what we can do together to keep the peace.

Thus are reports about the Mideast generated  —  A friend of mine, a Lebanese journalist, tells the following story:  —  Three years ago, when his country was under Syrian control, he was stopped at a surprise Syrian roadblock north of Beirut.  A strong-looking mustachioed officer asked to see his papers.

Father of the Iranian revolution  —  We just don't get it.  The Left in America is screaming to high heaven that the mess we are in in Iraq and the war on terrorism has been caused by the right-wing and that George W. Bush, the so-called "dim-witted cowboy," has created the entire mess.

Edwards looks to N.H. to stay alive  —  John Edwards, battling signs he may be left behind by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, is seeking to reinvigorate his candidacy with a new focus on New Hampshire and a renewed emphasis on his populist "two Americas" message, advisers say.

U.S. Seeks to Block Exits for Iraq Insurgents  —  In more than four years in Iraq, American forces have been confounded by insurgents who have often slipped away only to fight another day.  The war in Iraq has been likened to the arcade game of whack-a-mole, where as soon as you knock down one mole another pops up.

News Corp explores swap of MySpace site for Yahoo! stake  —  News Corporation has discussed swapping MySpace, its internet social networking unit, with Yahoo! in return for a 30 per cent stake in the enlarged group.  —  The discussions remain tentative and could collapse after the departure …

Racial Role Reversal  —  What the Scottsboro Boys and the Duke lacrosse players have in common.  —  Imagine this: In a Southern town, a woman accuses several men of rape.  Despite the woman's limited credibility and ever-shifting story, the community and its legal establishment immediately decide the men are guilty.