Fugitive fundraiser captured in Colorado tonight  —  (09-06) 20:52 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Fugitive political fundraiser Norman Hsu, who skipped out on San Mateo County authorities this week rather than face sentencing in a fraud scheme, was apprehended tonight by federal and local lawmen in Grand Junction, Colo.

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Time to Take a Stand  —  Gen. David Petraeus has a history of making overoptimistic assessments of progress in Iraq that happen to be convenient for his political masters.

Petraeus, Seeing Gains in Iraq as Fragile, Is Wary of Cuts  —  Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, has told President Bush that he wants to maintain heightened troop levels in Iraq well into next year to reduce the risk of military setbacks, but could accept the pullback …

Groups: Bin Laden plans video on 9/11  —  CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden will release a new video in the coming days ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in what would be the first new images of the terror mastermind in nearly three years, al-Qaida's media arm announced Thursday.

Thompson Runs to The Right  —  Fred D. Thompson took his bid for the White House to the campaign trail Thursday, vowing to compete aggressively for the support of Iowans and pitching steady, experienced and conservative leadership.  —  "I still have the same common-sense conservative beliefs …

HATE TALK FROM THE HEARTLAND  —  Ed Schultz is the Fargo-based left-wing radio talk show host who was at one time a Republican.  He touts himself as providing straight talk from the heartland.  Over the weekend he was at the bar of the venerable Shoreham Hotel in Detroit Lakes …

Hardline takeover of British mosques  —  Almost half of Britain's mosques are under the control of a hardline Islamic sect whose leading preacher loathes Western values and has called on Muslims to "shed blood" for Allah, an investigation by The Times has found.

Killing her softly with his song  —  Barack Obama wants to transform politics.  But can he defeat Hillary Clinton by casting her as the divider and himself as the uniter?  —  Barack Obama speaks with local residents in Storm Lake, Iowa, on Sept. 5.  —  Barack Obama has long been searching …

BURIED LEDE ALERT....Fred Kaplan has a good piece in Slate today about the upcoming Petraeus report and what Congress needs to ask about it.  But I was more taken by an astonishing statement at the end of the piece from Stephen Biddle, a member of Petraeus's advisory panel.

Go 2 Guy: Seahawks duo blitzed by Bush backlash  —  KIRKLAND — Are you still fans of Matt Hasselbeck and Mack Strong after they visited President Bush last week in Bellevue?  Or have their political leanings turned you against them?  —  The Seahawks quarterback and fullback gave …