Thompson gets mixed reviews in New Hampshire premiere  —  BEDFORD, N.H. — When Fred Thompson made his debut on the presidential stage here this week, he left some Republicans thinking he needs more work before his nascent campaign matches the media hype it's gotten in advance.

Poll: Calls To Get Out Of Iraq Escalate  —  77% In CBS News Poll Say War's Going Badly, 40% Urge Withdrawal Of All U.S. Troops  —  (CBS) A CBS News poll shows Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with the Iraq war, President Bush and the Congress, as well as the overall direction of the country.

Questions About a Governor's Fall  —  It is extremely disturbing that Don Siegelman, the former governor of Alabama, was hauled off to jail this week.  There is reason to believe his prosecution may have been a political hit, intended to take out the state's most prominent Democrat …

Nuggets from the Pew survey  —  The new Pew survey of global attitudes is full of interesting findings.  Here is one that I think might be surprising.  Respondents thought that the influence of China on their country is more positive than that of the United States in virtually all countries surveyed …

Police hunt Iraqi on run after double bomb plot in London  —  POLICE were last night hunting an Iraqi, suspected of plotting car-bomb attacks in Britain, who went on the run just days before two vehicles packed with petrol, gas and nails were found in central London.

Sen. Martinez slams immigration bill opponents, challenges them to act  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA — The Chairman of the Republican Party on Friday lambasted Democrats and Republicans who helped kill an immigration bill in the Senate and challenged them to come up with a solution beyond ``just build a fence along the border.''

Media Matters; by Jamison Foser  —  Why pay the bigot when you can get the bile for free?  —  In 1996, MSNBC hired Ann Coulter as a contributor.  The Washington Post later quoted an MSNBC official describing Coulter's performance: "What she said was so outrageous she was immediately put on probation, and the next one was even worse."

Obstruct The Obstructionists  —  I know everyone is probably headed out for the holiday, but if you have time for one more thing, read this post by Robert Borosage of the Campaign For America's Future: … This is important for setting the terms of the debate as well as actually getting some of these initiatives off the ground.

The Saturday Cartoons  —  We have two animations today.  The first is by Mark Fiore, featuring Dick Cheney with his "Commandments of Secrecy."  —  Click on the screenshot above or go here to see it.  —  And here's Pulitzer Prize winner Ann Telnaes with a short clip poking more fun at Shotgun Dick:

Critiques of Iraq War Reveal Rifts Among Army Officers  —  Colonel's Essay Draws  —  Rebuttal From General;  —  Captains Losing Faith  —  Last December, Lt. Col. Paul Yingling attended a Purple Heart ceremony for soldiers injured in Iraq.  As he watched the wounded troops collect their medals …

Farfour Mouse dies in last episode  —  Hamas TV on Friday broadcast what it said was the last episode of a weekly children's show featuring "Farfour," a Mickey Mouse look-alike who had made worldwide headlines for preaching Islamic domination and armed struggle to youngsters.

China Passes a Sweeping Labor Law  —  China's legislature passed a sweeping new labor law today that strengthens protections for workers across its booming economy, rejecting pleas from foreign investors who argued the measure would reduce China's appeal as a low-wage, business-friendly investment destination.

Undercover, under fire  —  The Washington press corps is too busy cozying up to the people it covers to get at the truth.  —  EARLIER THIS YEAR, I put on a brand-new tailored suit, picked up a sleek leather briefcase and headed to downtown Washington for meetings with some of the city's most prominent lobbyists.

For Romney, a Fundraising Drop-Off  —  Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who led Republican candidates in money raised during the first three months of the presidential race with $21 million, told top fundraisers yesterday that his campaign will bring in less during the second quarter …

Michael Moore's Wish For America.. Cuban Healthcare (Photos)  —  The Sick "Sicko" Propaganda...  Yahoo defines "Sicko" as a documentary in the Politics/Religion genre.  Truly, the socialism pushed in the movie is nothing short of a religion to many.  —  "Sicko" the movie, is opening this week to rave reviews by the Left.

Iraq, al-Qaeda and Tenet's Equivocation  —  On Aug. 15, 2002, I presented my part of a composite Pentagon briefing on al-Qaeda and Iraq to George Tenet, then CIA director.  In his recent book, "At the Center of the Storm," Tenet wrote that I said in opening remarks that "there is no more debate …

Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade Are in Mortal Peril  —  The United States Supreme Court is moving to reverse long-cherished American notions of constitutional law.  —  The divisions that plague American society have invaded the sanctity of the court, with angry dissents …

The Cult of the Amateur  —  Digital utopians have heralded the dawn of an era in which Web 2.0 — distinguished by a new generation of participatory sites like MySpace.com and YouTube.com, which emphasize user-generated content, social networking and interactive sharing …

Bush Turns Iraq into Israel/Palestine;  —  Gaffe endangers US Troops  —  Bush said in a speech on Thursday that he hopes Iraq will be like Israel, a democracy that faces terrorist violence but manages to retain its democratic character: … These words may be the stupidest ones ever uttered by a US president.