TIMES GIVES LEFTIES A HEFTY DISCOUNT FOR 'BETRAY US' AD  —  The New York Times dramatically slashed its normal rates for a full-page advertisement for MoveOn.org's ad questioning the integrity of Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.  —  Headlined "Cooking the Books …

Sunni World  —  The cheerleaders for the surge have constructed a Disney-esque fantasy of Iraq which might as well be in Orlando for all it has to do with the grim reality on the ground.  And Abu Risha's assassination isn't likely to dim that fantasy.  —  During his visit to Iraq last week …

Clinton, Pelosi, Greenspan, Bloomberg, Gates, Annan Also Say Interviews 'Fakes'  —  Brian Ross Reports:  —  Former President Bill Clinton, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates …

The Other Iraq Surge  —  A sharp increase in contributions from the military to Democrats suggests the Republican commander-in-chief and his party are losing the troops' support.  —  Assessed favorably this week by the war's lead general, the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq appears to be causing …

CT-Sen: Lamont would win rematch  —  Daily Kos commissioned the following poll from independent pollster Research 2000:  —  Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 9/10-12.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (No trend lines) … Lieberman won 50-40-10 in 2006, so the poll tracks closely.

Bush speech to the nation: advance excerpts  —  Here are excerpts of the prepared text of President Bush's 9 p.m. Iraq address from the Oval Office, as released by the White House for use on dinnertime newscasts:  —  On keeping us safe here at home:  —  In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival.

WOULD-BE TERRORIST CAPTURED IN DEARBORN  —  In a story that has gotten amazingly little national publicity, a medical student at Wayne State University named Houssein Zorkot was arrested in Dearborn Saturday night, dressed for combat and armed with an AK-47: … This report by a local television station is also interesting:

FRED: NOT SURE ABOUT NATIONAL CAT FUND, SCHIAVO  —  THE VILLAGES — Republican Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, addressing some Florida-specific questions for a Tampa Bay-area cable program, says he doesn't have an opinion about a national catastrophic insurance fund or the 2005 congressional intervention in the Terri Schiavo case.

Dems Demand Boehner Apologize For "Small Price" Troop Deaths Remark  —  Okay, here we go.  —  Democratic leaders are now opening fire on GOP House leader John Boehner, demanding that he apologize for saying in an interview yesterday that troop deaths in Iraq would be a "small price" …

CALIFORNIA VOTERS CAN'T CHANGE THE 2008 ELECTION RULES ON THEIR OWN.  —  Republican presidential candidates are crossing the country promising voters that they'll pick judges who will be "strict constructionists" of the U.S. Constitution.  Meanwhile, Republican activists in California …

Obama: Congress Won't Challenge Bush  —  MAQUOKETA, Iowa — Despite the unpopularity of the Iraq war, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama predicted Thursday that Congress won't directly challenge President Bush's plans and will focus instead on putting a ceiling on the number of troops deployed to that country.

Is a Fred Thompson Campaign Necessary?  —  Fred Thompson's plunge into the presidential pool — more belly-flop than swan dive — was the strangest product launch since that of New Coke in 1985.  Then the question was: Is this product necessary?  A similar question stumped Thompson the day he plunged.

As Bush Prepares for 'Surge' Address Tonight: Here Is What He Promised in January Speech  —  NEW YORK With President Bush reportedly ready to endorse a full continuation of the "surge" in Iraq through next summer in a speech to the nation tonight, a look back at what he promised in his address …

How the CIA Broke the 9/11 Attacks Mastermind  —  Richard Esposito Reports:  —  When Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was strapped down to the water-board, he felt humiliated — not by the treatment but by the fact that a woman, a red-headed CIA supervisor, was allowed to witness the spectacle, a former intelligence officer told ABC News.