EDWARDS IN A BIZ HATE & $WITCH  —  John Edwards, who yesterday demanded Democratic candidates return any campaign donations from Rupert Murdoch and News Corp., himself earned at least $800,000 for a book published by one of the media mogul's companies.  —  The Edwards campaign …

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 …

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 nails Bill O'Reilly in the latter's Daily Kos jihad  —  With Yearly Kos going on in Chicago right now, Bill O'Reilly is *obsessed* with Kos, ranting and raving about how it's a far left website that spews hate and all sorts of horrors hereto unknown on the internet.

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.

KOS: "WE ARE THE CENTER!"  —  Is left-wing blog entrepreneur Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, AKA "Kos," the new liberal king maker of the Democratic Party?  At his opening day press conference for the annual YearlyKos Convention in Chicago, Kos told the assemblage: "There is no Jesse Jackson wing of the Democratic Party anymore.

Documents show Kyl's opposition to attorney oustings  —  WASHINGTON - Documents released Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee show that Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican, was upset with Bush administration officials who forced Arizona's top federal prosecutor to resign late last year.

BEACHAMP INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED  —  After a thorough investigation that lasted nearly a week the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division has concluded that the allegation made by Private Thomas Scott Beauchamp, the "Baghdad Diarist", have been

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 …

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 …

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.

DNC shares oppo game plan with netroots  —  CHICAGO — It is not true that Democrats don't listen to Republicans.  They do.  —  The Democrats are listening to every word the Republican presidential candidates say, writing it down and even videotaping them whenever possible.

Doesn't Sound Like A Funding Issue  —  MnDOT officials had concerns about the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River last winter, focusing on the same fatigue and potential cracking that has grabbed the focus of the post-collapse coverage.  Engineers debated whether to apply patches …