FBI Chief Disputes Gonzales On Spying  —  FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III yesterday contradicted the sworn testimony of his boss, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, by telling Congress that a prominent warrantless surveillance program was the subject of a dramatic legal debate within the Bush administration.

Army Private Discloses He Is New Republic's Baghdad Diarist  —  The New Republic's anonymous "Baghdad Diarist" identified himself yesterday as Scott Thomas Beauchamp, an Army private in Iraq, and disputed as "maddening" accusations that he had invented his accounts of cruelty by American soldiers.

Strike Two  —  For Barack Obama, it was strike two.  And this one was a right-down-the-middle question from a YouTuber in Monday night's South Carolina debate: "Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else …

U.S. drops Baghdad electricity reports  —  The daily length of time that residents have power has dropped.  The figure is considered a key indicator of quality of life.  —  WASHINGTON — washington — As the Bush administration struggles to convince lawmakers that its Iraq war strategy is working …

Violence won't work: how author of 'jihadists' bible' stirred up a storm  —  Revisionist message from prison cell shakes al-Qaida colleagues  —  Ian Black Cairo  —  The assassination of the Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in 1981 by Islamic militants, a key moment in the development of jihadist groups.

Court throws out city's illegal immigration law  —  HAZLETON, Pa (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday struck down as unconstitutional a local law designed to crack down on illegal immigration, dealing a blow to similar laws passed by dozens of towns and cities across the country.

Novak's heaven: A 'place where there are no blogs.'  —  "I'm 76 years old, and pretty soon I'm going to a place where there are no blogs," said conservative pundit Robert Novak at an American Spectator breakfast on Thursday morning.  Speaking of the land beyond, Novak added …

AP: New Details on Tillman's Death  —  SAN FRANCISCO -  —  Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime …

But Don't Ask Him on YouTube...  Four days after the Democratic debate in Charleston, S.C,. more than 400 questions directed to the GOP presidential field have been uploaded on YouTube — targeted at Republicans scheduled to get their turn at videopopulism on Sept. 17.

Saudis' Role in Iraq Frustrates U.S. Officials  —  During a high-level meeting in Riyadh in January, Saudi officials confronted a top American envoy with documents that seemed to suggest that Iraq's prime minister could not be trusted.  —  One purported to be an early alert from the prime minister …

Private Peter Pan  —  The other day I posted about a pseudonymously written story published in the New Republic by a soldier in the field describing some rather despicable behavior by himself and some of his buddies.  It seemed to me that it was plausible, although of course, I have no way of really knowing.

Felony charges filed against 7 in state's biggest case of voter-registration fraud  —  King and Pierce County prosecutors filed felony charges today against seven people who allegedly committed the biggest voter-registration fraud in state history.  —  The defendants, who were paid employees …

Cindy Sheehan in NYC  —  [ UPDATE: Gathering of Eagles is going to confront the Cindy Brigade in Central Park on Sunday.  Info here. and here. ]  —  Kesher Talk Roving Correspondent Pamela Hall was there when the St Cindy Circus came to town.  —  Lots of photos and lots of video.

FOX PRODUCER JOINS TEAM FRED  —  From NBC's Mike Viqueira  —  The word spreading all over Capitol Hill today is that longtime Fox senior congressional producer Jim Mills is leaving his booth on the House side to join the Fred Thompson quasi-campaign as spokesman.

Junk social science index  —  No one ever accused Congress of being overly meticulous about the scientific evidence it takes in.  But the 110th Congress has been on a binge diet of junk social science.  It's no wonder it's been looking sick lately.  —  Or should we say "sicko?"