Baird sees need for longer U.S. role in Iraq  —  U.S. Rep. Brian Baird said Thursday that his recent trip to Iraq convinced him the military needs more time in the region, and that a hasty pullout would cause chaos that helps Iran and harms U.S. security.  —  "I believe that the decision …

White House spokesman quitting  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — White House press secretary Tony Snow will step down from his position as early as next month, sources inside and outside the Bush administration told CNN on Friday.  —  When contacted by CNN about his possible departure, Snow said, "I'm not making any announcement."

Thompson: Roe 'bad law and bad medicine'  —  DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) - Likely Republican White House hopeful Fred Thompson told CNN Friday that he would work to overturn Roe v. Wade if elected president, and would push for a constitutional amendment that protects states from being forced to honor gay marriages performed in other states.

Jenna and Henry: Now They're Really, Really Official  —  Back in February 2005, Laura Bush was asked about the guy her daughter Jenna was seeing.  "This is not a serious boyfriend — I hate to have to be the one to say it on television," said the first lady.  "But he's a very nice young man."

It Shouldn't Have Taken the Deaths of Three Miners to Get the Media to Focus on Mine Safety  —  So last night, suddenly, after the tragic second collapse at the Utah mine, there was a dramatic shift in the TV coverage of the story.  All at once, faux folksy mining boss Bob Murray …

Taking cultural editing notes from terrorists  —  The New York City Police Department issued a disconcerting report this week called, "Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat."  In a nutshell, investigators and researchers concluded that the most serious threat the nation faces come …

Short of Purple Hearts, Navy tells vet to buy own  —  PEARLAND — Korean War veteran Nyles Reed, 75, opened an envelope last week to learn a Purple Heart had been approved for injuries he sustained as a Marine on June 22, 1952.  —  But there was no medal.  Just a certificate and a form stating that the medal was "out of stock."

For Giuliani, Ground Zero as Linchpin and Thorn  —  As Rudolph W. Giuliani campaigns around the country highlighting his stewardship of New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks, he is widely hailed for bringing order to a traumatized city.  But he has also raised the hackles of rescue …

O'Reilly: "I think everybody's got to relax on all this gay stuff" … On the August 15 edition of his Fox News television show, Bill O'Reilly responded to a viewer's email questioning his August 14 remarks about Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), who had, at a presidential forum the week before …

MICHIGAN TO MOVE UP ITS PRIMARY  —  From NBC News' Chuck Todd  —  According to sources inside both parties, the two state parties in Michigan have agreed to move the state's primary — legislatively — to Jan. 15.  This is a compromise date out of respect for Democratic Sen. Carl Levin …

Democrats and Cannibals  —  The Kos kids try but fail to devour party moderates.  —  Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar is today fond of quoting a famous Lyndon Johnson line: "You know the difference between cannibals and liberals?  Cannibals only eat their enemies."

FISA Court to Gov't: Why Shouldn't We Disclose Surveillance Rulings?  —  Don't get your hopes up yet.  But the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has told the government that it needs to submit an argument for why the court shouldn't disclose rulings from earlier this year …

Michelle Obama Speaks  —  You listen...