Straw Poll Expectations Setting  —  AMES, Iowa — It's finally here.  —  The Fix drove 45 minutes north from Des Moines this morning through land dominated by corn fields to arrive in this college town that, for today at least, is at the center of the political universe.  —  The atmosphere is like a carnival.

The Army Responds  —  I recently emailed Col. Steve Boylan asking for whatever information he could provide regarding the status of the investigation of Scott Thomas Beauchamp.  Here is his response:

How a 'Good War' in Afghanistan Went Bad  —  Two years after the Taliban fell to an American-led coalition, a group of NATO ambassadors landed in Kabul, Afghanistan, to survey what appeared to be a triumph — a fresh start for a country ripped apart by years of war with the Soviets and brutal repression by religious extremists.

Democrats Say Leaving Iraq May Take Years  —  Even as they call for an end to the war and pledge to bring the troops home, the Democratic presidential candidates are setting out positions that could leave the United States engaged in Iraq for years.  —  John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator …

Johnson & Johnson Jump The Shark  —  Via Raw Story, a tale of such mind-bogglingly venal corporate greed and stupidity as to make your jaw go thunk.  Johnson & Johnson has sued the American Red Cross for using its trademark redcross on a white background emblem "for other than non-profit purposes".

Embattled AG Gonzales visits Baghdad  —  WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, under fire at home with calls for his resignation, is spending some time in Iraq.  —  The Justice Department said that Gonzales arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for his third trip to Iraq to meet …

France's model healthcare system  —  MANY advocates of a universal healthcare system in the United States look to Canada for their model.  While the Canadian healthcare system has much to recommend it, there's another model that has been too long neglected.  That is the healthcare system in France.

THE BUNKER....When Rudy Giuliani finally agreed to build an emergency-command center in New York City back in 1996, the city's emergency management director recommended a site in Brooklyn: it was a safe location, had a low profile, and could be built quickly.  Giuliani refused.

How We Won the Mainstream  —  Three years ago things looked bleak for the Democratic Party.  George Bush had just won a second term while his party consolidated its grip on Congress.  House Majority Leader Tom DeLay crowed about a "permanent Republican majority," and Beltway Democrats acquiesced …

Right-Wing Media Give Favorable Platform To 'Another 9/11′ Columnist  —  In his Thursday column, Philadelphia Daily News scribe Stu Bykofsky seemingly wished for the tragic death of 3000+ Americans when he wrote that "another 9/11 would help America."  —  A host of right-wing media …

Church cancels gay vet's memorial  —  Texas congregation acted out of principle, not malice, pastor says  —  ARLINGTON, Texas - A megachurch canceled a memorial service for a Navy veteran 24 hours before it was to start because the deceased was gay.  —  Officials at the nondenominational …

Sign splits Lebanese, riles Jews  —  Members of the Jewish and Lebanese Christian communities in Windsor are outraged by the appearance of a billboard that appears to promote Hezbollah — an organization the Canadian government considers terrorist.  —  "That organization is banned in Canada …

Everyone Must Agree  —  The conservative cult's mass death wish is obviously based on a faulty premise, that if there's a terrorist attack they and Dear Leader will somehow be vindicated.  Of course the reverse is true.  When it comes to "the war on terra," George Bush and the conservative movement …