Bush Pick for No. 3 at Justice Withdraws  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush's pick to be the No. 3 official in the Justice Department asked to have his nomination withdrawn Friday, four days before he was to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  —  Bill Mercer sent a letter …

Talk talk talk  —  Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okl, claims he overheard Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and Barbara Boxer, D-Calf, chatting about how out of control talk radio had become.  —  "They said we've got to do something about this," Inhofe told a talk radio host.

Top Targets Fled Before U.S. Push, Commander Says  —  The operational commander of troops battling to drive fighters with Al Qaeda from Baquba said Friday that 80 percent of the top Qaeda leaders in the city fled before the American-led offensive began earlier this week.

White House refuses to say if VP is in executive branch  —  Reporters finally pushed the White House today on the Vice President's belief that his office is some kind of fourth branch of government — not executive, not legislative, not accountable to anyone.  WH spokesperson Dana Perino's responses were almost comical.

A Mighty Heart  —  "A Mighty Heart" begins with shots of the teeming streets of Karachi, Pakistan, a city with a population that seems jammed in, shoulder to shoulder.  Terrorists will emerge from this sea of humanity, kidnap the American journalist Daniel Pearl and disappear.

A Tale of Two Prosecutors  —  Mike Nifong is punished, but Patrick Fitzgerald isn't.  —  This week the Duke-Nifong drama oozed to its finale, with a payout to the victims, a confidentiality agreement, the usual salutes to the healing process, and plans on the part of the principals to begin putting the case behind them.

Barrasso appointed to Wyoming seat  —  Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D-Wyo.) appointed Republican state senator John Barrasso this morning to fill the vacated Senate seat held by the late Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.).  The appointment is effective today, and has been forwarded to the Secretary of the U.S. Senate.

BEFORE IT WAS FARCE!  Today, the Post plays the fool about Gore.  Long ago, they were bent on destruction:  —  PIMP V. SLIME: In the past two days, the New York Times has run a remarkable pair of candidate stories.  One of these news reports beats the bushes, looking for ways to suggest that John Edwards has been misbehaving.

Bush Advisers Weigh Closing Guantánamo Prison Sooner  —  President Bush's top advisers have reopened an internal debate over how quickly to close the American detention unit for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to administration officials familiar with the deliberations.

WSMV-TV: Thompson Announcement Set For Nashville  —  Headquarters To Be Based At Fall School building  —  Reported By Dennis Ferrier  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Channel 4 News Nationwide Exclusive  —  Fred Thompson is set to announce that Nashville will be the home of his national campaign headquarters, WSMV is reporting.

NANCY PELOSI IS ALL FOR INCREASING VETERAN'S FUNDING, IF THE VETS ARE CANADIAN (UPDATED)  —  ***UPDATE: It's been pulled from the Pelosi website.  Details below.  Really, this again points out how very little the Democrats know about our military.  This is simply basic stuff …

Graham's approval plunges on immigration  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) approval rating is taking a pounding in his home state as a result of his strong support for a bipartisan immigration reform bill, a new poll showed Friday.  —  Graham's approval rating has sunk to 31 percent …

'Sicko' leaves top Democrats ill at ease  —  Leading candidates are sidestepping direct comment on filmmaker Michael Moore's proposals for universal healthcare.  —  WASHINGTON — With the release of Michael Moore's "Sicko," a movie once again is adding sizzle to an issue that's a high priority …

LAYOFFS AT ABC NEWS  —  Now we know why ABC News lost out in the bidding for that Paris Hilton interview.  In order to save cash—er, rather, "maintain and enhance the reputation of ABC News for its unparalleled reporting"—news division head David Westin just announced a wave of lay-offs expected to eliminate a total of 35 jobs.