Three Top Democrats Share Lead In Iowa Poll  —  Less than six months before Iowa voters open the 2008 presidential nomination battles, the Democratic contest in the Hawkeye State is a deadlock, with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards in a virtual tie for first place, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

House erupts in chaos  —  In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions, Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them.  —  The flap represents a complete breakdown in parliamentary procedure …

A Statement on Scott Thomas Beauchamp  —  Scott Thomas Beauchamp is a U.S. Army private serving in Iraq.  He came to THE NEW REPUBLIC's attention through Elspeth Reeve, a TNR reporter-researcher, whom he later married.  Over the course of the war, we have tried to provide our readers with a sense of Iraq as it is seen by the troops.

Ruling Limited Spying Efforts  —  Move to Amend FISA Sparked by Judge's Decision  —  A federal intelligence court judge earlier this year secretly declared a key element of the Bush administration's wiretapping efforts illegal, according to a lawmaker and government sources …

Chris Dodd Smacks Down O'Reilly about Daily Kos: The VIDEO  —  Continuing on Nicole's post, I've got the video of Dodd doing a great job of sticking up for Daily Kos in an excellent way.  He told the truth.  And when propagandists like BillO are confronted with the truth—heads explode.

Pakistan slams 'ignorant' Obama attack warning  —  ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan accused Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama of "sheer ignorance" for threatening to launch US military strikes against Al-Qaeda on Pakistani soil.  —  Obama warned Wednesday that if he is elected president …

Gates Offers Blunt Review of Progress in Iraq  —  Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday that he was discouraged by the resignation of the Sunnis from Iraq's cabinet and that the Bush administration might have misjudged the difficulty of achieving reconciliation between Iraq's sectarian factions.

Take your pick  —  a.  This is a brilliant idea, providing an unknown candidate with a cut-through gimmick that helps him be remembered.  The campaign strategist is a genius.  —  b.  This is a lamentable idea, making a no-hope candidate look ridiculous, diminish his effectiveness …

CAIR Executive Director Placed at HAMAS Meeting  —  The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Nihad Awad, participated in a three-day summit of U.S.-based HAMAS members and supporters in 1993.  —  Until now, he had been identified only as Nihad LNU (last name unknown) in FBI reports and analyses.

Maliki's Impact Blunted By Own Party's Fears  —  Hussein-Era Secrecy Persists, Analysts Say  —  BAGHDAD — As the U.S. military attempts to pacify Iraq so its leaders can pursue political reconciliation, Iraqi and Western observers say Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his inner circle …

Judge Backs C.I.A. in Suit on Memoir  —  Valerie Wilson may be the best known former intelligence operative in recent history, but a federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that she was not allowed to say how long she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency in the memoir she plans to publish this fall.

'Egyptians killed 4 Sudanese on border'  —  Egyptian soldiers killed four Sudanese refugees near the Egypt-Israel border overnight Wednesday in full view of IDF troops, a shaken-sounding IDF soldier said in an interview with Channel 10, Thursday evening.  —  According to the soldier …

First Armed Robots on Patrol in Iraq (Updated)  —  Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began.  Now, for the first time — the first time in any warzone — the machines are carrying guns.  —  After years of development, three "special weapons observation …