Bloomberg And Hagel For 2008?  —  Chuck Hagel, the senator from Nebraska, describes himself as a "tidal" politician, one who believes that larger forces in society shape careers more than the ambitions of individuals.  "The only mistakes I've made," he told me last week, "were when I tried to go against the tide."

Question: If Brian Baird Used His Brain. . .  What would you get?  —  Answer: Jan Schakowsky (emphasis and photo added): … Anyone want to guess how many CNN and talking head appearances Rep. Schakowsky will get over the next week?  —  Any idea where the Congressional leadership is in amplifying this message?

Warner may back Dems' bill on withdrawal  —  WASHINGTON - GOP Sen. John Warner, who wants U.S. troops to start coming home from Iraq by Christmas, said Sunday he may support Democratic legislation ordering withdrawals if President Bush refuses to set a return timetable soon.

Thompson warns of weaker, troubled America  —  INDIANAPOLIS — Fred Thompson thinks the country faces a tough road ahead and he's not glossing over the problems we face.  In fact, he's anxious to outline the daunting litany and appears to be basing his forthcoming campaign on the assumption that his party shares the same outlook.

The Ongoing Hunt for Osama bin Laden  —  He's still out there.  The hunt for bin Laden.  —  The Americans were getting close.  It was early in the winter of 2004-05, and Osama bin Laden and his entourage were holed up in a mountain hideaway along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

In the Twilight of His Deployment [Steve Clemons]  —  I just came across this blog of an American military guy that the Pentagon has not yet shut down called "Army of Dude."  —  Here are some choice entries:  —  Stupid S**t of The Deployment Awards! … I Can Taste It

Call at National Guard conference for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq greeted with standing ovation  —  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A call by Puerto Rico's governor for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq earned a standing ovation Saturday from a conference of more than 4,000 National Guardsmen.

I Believe That Children Are Our Future  —  Miss Teen USA 2007 finalist, Lauren Caitlin Upton of South Carolina, on her fellow Americans' poor grasp of geography:  —  /via friend T.

Rebounding George Allen, rising Fred Thompson  —  Former Sen. George Allen of Virginia, scarred by his own remark, conceding defeat to Jim Webb last fall.  Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images  —  by David Lerman  —  WASHINGTON — Former Sen. George Allen, who made ``macaca" …

FROM STAFF REPORTS  —  Durham police have arrested a 93-year-old man on cocaine-trafficking and related charges.  —  William C. Tinnen was arrested Thursday during a raid at 204 Teel St., police said in a news release issued today.  Police spokeswoman Kammie Michael said she assumed police …

As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes  —  No country in history has emerged as a major industrial power without creating a legacy of environmental damage that can take decades and big dollops of public wealth to undo.  —  But just as the speed and scale of China's rise …

The Obama Doctrine  —  EVERY AMERICAN president since Harry Truman has formulated a crucial aspect of foreign policy that later takes his name.  The "Truman Doctrine," framed in the aftermath of World War II and in direct response to the Soviet Union's expansion into Eastern Europe …

Reckless Abandonment  —  Over the past two years since Hurricane Katrina, I've seen waves of hardworking volunteers from nonprofits, faith-based groups and college campuses descend on New Orleans, full of compassion and hope.  —  They arrive in the city's Ninth Ward to painstakingly gut houses one by one.

Still Stupid After All These Years  —  The U.S. military are amazed that Afghanis are upset about the name of Allah being on soccer balls the military dropped from helicopters over Afghan villages.  Did no-one think to ask an actual Muslim if the soccer balls were acceptable first, just for sh**ts and giggles?