'No more confirmations of Bush high court nominees'  —  New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer, a powerful member of the Democratic leadership, said Friday the Senate should not confirm another U.S. Supreme Court nominee under President Bush "except in extraordinary circumstances."

What Beltway media stars mean by "centrism" and "extremism"  —  As always, when wielded by Beltway media stars, the terms "centrist" and "moderate" and "mainstream" mean "whatever views I personally happen to hold on a topic, regardless of how many Americans actually share it."

U.S. Set to Offer Huge Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia  —  The Bush administration is preparing to ask Congress to approve an arms sale package for Saudi Arabia and its neighbors that is expected to total $20 billion over the next decade at a time when some United States officials contend that the Saudis …

Labels Matter: Progressive Better than Liberal, Reagan-Like Better than Conservative  —  During last Monday's Democratic Presidential debate, Senator Hillary Clinton indicated that she preferred to be called "progressive" rather than "liberal."  The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds …

Aide: Iraq PM relations with Petraeus poor  —  BAGHDAD — A key aide says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's relations with U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus are so poor the Iraqi leader may ask Washington the withdraw the well-regarded U.S. military leader from duty here.

Romney Will Skip YouTube Forum  —  Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said Friday that he will not participate in a debate on Sept. 17 co-sponsored by CNN and YouTube, saying the debate did not show the proper respect for the process of selecting a presidential nominee.

Democrats as victims?  —  There's an interesting meme of Democratic victimology developing here...  In addition to former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC, saying that media attention on his hair stems from powerful interests who "want to shut me up", it should be noted that Sen. Hillary Clinton …

As U.S. Rebuilds, Iraq Won't Act on Finished Work  —  Iraq's national government is refusing to take possession of thousands of American-financed reconstruction projects, forcing the United States either to hand them over to local Iraqis, who often lack the proper training and resources to keep …

Partisans Gone Wild  —  A funny thing is happening in American politics: The fiercest battle is no longer between the left and the right but between partisanship and bipartisanship.  The Bush administration, which has been notorious for playing to its hard-right base, has started reaching across the aisle …

Parents' Ire Grows at Pedophile's Unabashed Blog  —  The search for the self-described pedophile in the large-brimmed black hat commences nearly every day here, with findings posted on chat rooms frequented by mothers.  —  He was spotted at a fair in Santa Clarita.

Taliban in first heat-seeking missile attack  —  Taliban militants have used a heat-seeking surface-to-air missile to attack a Western aircraft over Afghanistan for the first time.  —  The attack with a weapon believed to have been smuggled across the border with Iran represents a worrying increase …

Obama goofed by not including caveat  —  One in an occasional series on presidential candidates' views about Latin America.  —  I was not terribly surprised when Sen. Barack Obama said in the Democratic presidential debate Monday that he would sit down with Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chávez if elected president.

Rich Man, Boor Man  —  We live in an age of great wealth—and lousy manners.  —  So we are agreed.  We are living in the second great Gilded Age, a time of startling personal wealth.  In the West, the mansion after mansion with broad and rolling grounds; in the East, the apartments with foyers in which bowling teams could play.

Frederick of Hollywood and the Tiny Silicone Penis  —  I have been reading a fascinating book called "The Wimp Factor " by Stephen J Doucat that thoroughly examines the strange phenomenon of anxious Republican masculinity and the way it's informing our politics.

Chickenhawk Congressman Smears Military Expert  —  Center for American Progress military expert Lawrence Korb testified before the House Armed Services Committee this morning, challenging escalation proponents to have the courage of their convictions and call for a draft if they would like the surge to continue indefinitely.