AP Poll: Public gives Congress low marks  —  WASHINGTON — In the eyes of the public, Congress is doing even worse than the president.  —  Public satisfaction with the job lawmakers are doing has fallen 11 points since May, to 24 percent, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll.

Exclusive: Terror Commander: New Attack Will Dwarf Failed Bomb Plot  —  Brian Ross and Maddy Sauer Report:  —  As senior intelligence and law enforcement officials met again today in the White House Situation Room to deal with the "summer terror threat," a top terror commander said an attack …

Public Defenders Get Better Marks When on Salary  —  Some poor people accused of federal crimes are represented by full-time federal public defenders who earn salaries, others by court-appointed lawyers who bill by the hour.  A new study from an economist at Harvard says there is a surprisingly wide gap …

Iranians arrest 14 squirrels for spying  —  Islamic Republic's intelligence agents allege rodents were carrying advanced Western spy gear  —  Iranian intelligence operatives recently detained over a dozen squirrels found within the nation's borders, claiming the rodents were serving as spies …

The Saturday Cartoons  —  Oh, boy, are you all in for a good time with today's animation.  Our friend Nick Anderson at the Houston Chronicle does some unique mixing of cartoon animation and still pictures and comes up with a winner that's both poignant and funny.  Have a look:

Rivalries Split McCain's Team  —  After Months of Staff Fights, Rick Davis Emerges as the Leader of a Diminished Campaign  —  After weeks of internal struggles over who would run John McCain's presidential campaign, three key aides went to the candidate in January and told him he had to take action.

Conrad Black guilty of multiple fraud charges  —  Conrad Black, the former media tycoon, last night faced years in jail after an American jury found him guilty of criminal fraud and obstructing justice.  —  Conrad Black arrives at court before the verdicts were delivered

Kucinich challenges Edwards and Clinton  —  Dennis Kucinich has challenged Hillary Clinton and John Edwards each to debate him one on one.  —  He has been on the warpath since the two were caught on open mics yesterday at the NAACP debate, apparently proposing to have debates without the long-shot candidates.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOT MUCH, PART TWO  —  It occurs to me that my discussion of lobbying Fred Thompson may have performed in 1991 on behalf of an abortion rights group is somewhat superficial.  It's true that traditionally in this country lawyers are not identified with the positions of their clients.

McCain's Florida Campaign Co-Chair Arrested For Solicitation  —  Another day, another sex scandal involving a god-fearing republican who just happened to be a key supporter of John McCain.  That and the fact that this legislator had also co-sponsored bills on public sex is pretty much par for the course with these guys.

Late Night  —  Reader s sent this in.  —  ...it's Glenn Gould, late in life, performing the first 7 of Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Release of tape in teen sex case may violate child-porn law  —  ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — A federal prosecutor wants a Georgia district attorney to stop giving out copies of a videotape used as evidence in a teenage sex case that has drawn national attention.

Republican State Rep. Exposed Himself to Female Employee, Chased Her Screaming, "Suck It"  —  Howie Klein: Another Republican sex scandal.  Rep. David Almond (R-NC) is forced to resign after a "personal complaint" comes to light.  —  This post, written by Howie Klein, originally appeared on Down With Tyranny!

Ron Paul: U.S. In "Great Danger" Of Staged Terror  —  Congressman & presidential candidate warns of economic collapse precipitated by bombing of Iran  —  Presidential candidate Ron Paul says the U.S. is in "great danger" of a staged terror attack or a Gulf of Tonkin style provocation …