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.

COMPLAINT FILED WITH FEC OVER BETRAY US AD  —  Guess what I did at lunch?  That's right, I petitioned my government for redress of grievances, specifically illegal political advertising practices by the New York Times and MoveOn.org.  We are all well aware of the sorry political advertisement calling the General a traitor.

Bush to Order 5,700 Troops Home from Iraq by End of Year  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush plans to reduce troop levels in Iraq by 5,700 by the end of December, and wants to draw down from 20 combat brigades there now to 15 brigades there by next summer, Bush said in a preview of his speech with network anchors Thursday.

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 …

Thompson gives no opinion on Schiavo  —  THE VILLAGES, Fla. - Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson gave no opinion Thursday when asked about efforts by President Bush and Congress to keep Terri Schiavo alive, saying he does not remember details of the right-to-die case that stirred national debate.

Boehner hammered over Iraq 'small price' comment  —  Democrats, anti-war groups and liberal bloggers are pounding on House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) for saying U.S. military deaths in Iraq are "a small price" to pay to stop al Qaeda from carrying out more terrorist attacks and stabilizing the Middle East.

Bush Tells Nation He Will Begin to Roll Back 'Surge'  —  Gen. Petraeus Says U.S. Is Projecting 'Sustainable Security' in Iraq in 2009  —  President Bush tried to turn a corner in the fractious debate over Iraq last night by ordering the first limited troop withdrawals since voters elected an antiwar Congress last year.

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)  —  For whom did you vote for in the 2006 race for U.S. Senate, Ned Lamont …

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:

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 …

A Tale of Two Maps  —  I've lifted both of the graphics you'll see below and the core of the argument from this Ilan Goldenberg post, so all credit for the work is due to him, I just don't think he made the point as clearly as he should have.  To get to the heart of the matter …

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.