Compromise on Oil Law in Iraq Seems to Be Collapsing  —  A carefully constructed compromise on a draft law governing Iraq's rich oil fields, agreed to in February after months of arduous talks among Iraqi political groups, appears to have collapsed.  The apparent breakdown comes just as Congress …

Black and White and Re(a)d All Over: The Conservative Advantage in Syndicated Op-Ed Columns  —  Executive Summary  —  This project did something that has never been done before: It amassed data on the syndicated columnists published by nearly every daily newspaper in the country.

White House candidates split over Iraq strategy  —  For the Democrats, pictured in an MSNBC debate setting, and for Republicans, the newest administration stance on the war in Iraq will provide a fine line of demarcation for a campaign trail debate ahead.  MSNBC photo/AP.  —  by John McCormick and Christi Parsons

President Petraeus?  Iraqi official recalls the day US general revealed ambition  —  The US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, expressed long-term interest in running for the US presidency when he was stationed in Baghdad, according to a senior Iraqi official who knew him at that time.

Tonight, the Petraeus plan becomes the Bush plan  —  President Bush, announcing the "surge'' in a nationally televised addressed from the library of the White House in January, said: "The year ahead will demand more patience, sacrifice, and resolve.'' White House photo

Spy Master Admits Error  —  Intel czar Mike McConnell told Congress a new law helped bring down a terror plot.  The facts say otherwise.  —  In a new embarrassment for the Bush administration top spymaster, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell is withdrawing an assertion …

A woman's right to Hsu's  —  I know what Mark Hemingway means when he praises the MSM coverage of the Hsu/Clinton scandal, but honestly, the difference between Democrat and Republican scandal fever is very telling.  I loved the New York Times headline:

Do you care if national security criminal Sandy Berger is re-embraced by The Triangulatrix?  —  This is a story about a buffoon who became one of our nation's top national security officials, and then became a confessed national security criminal.  His probation ended last week …

Okay, if this isn't portrayed as a major gaffe, with wall-to-wall condemnations from the pundits, it'll be stunning.  (Editor's note: That was meant to be bitterly ironic.)  —  I've just received some advance excerpts of an interview CNN's Wolf Blitzer has done with GOP House leader John Boehner.

Jon Stewart Tears Apart Petraeus' Dog and Pony Show  —  Last night Jon Stewart did what the media fails to do: namely, take General Petraeus' long record of rosey predictions into account when judging the accuracy and objectivity of his report on Iraq.  —  Download (10629) |  Play (17000) Download (4923) |

Austria Arrests Three in Latest Islamist Terror Plot in Europe  —  Austria became the latest European country to grapple with the threat of terrorism as it arrested three people with links to al Qaeda who posted an online video threatening attacks against Austria and Germany.

Challenge to Scientific Consensus on Global Warming: Analysis Finds Hundreds of Scientists Have Published Evidence Countering Man-Made Global Warming Fears  —  WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A new analysis of peer-reviewed literature reveals that more than 500 scientists …

Chemerinsky says UC Irvine rescinds offer to become law school dean  —  The constitutional scholar says university officials told him the deal was off to head the new school because he was too 'politically controversial.'  —  Just days after he signed a contract to become the first dean …

Public Gives Bush Slight Reprieve  —  U.S. War Dissatisfaction Eases a Bit,  —  But Opinion Favors Democrats  —  WASHINGTON — Public discontent with the Iraq war has eased slightly, a new Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll shows, suggesting President Bush may have a little more maneuvering room …