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.

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.

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 …

Top Democrat vows to block possible Bush nominee  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed on Wednesday to block former Solicitor General Theodore Olson from becoming attorney general if President George W. Bush nominates him to replace Alberto Gonzales.

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 (6176) |  Play (8742) Download (2733) |

U.S.-IRAQ: Fallon Derided Petraeus, Opposed the Surge  —  In sharp contrast to the lionisation of Gen. David Petraeus by members of the U.S. Congress during his testimony this week, Petraeus's superior, Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM), derided Petraeus …

Obama Offers Most Extensive Plan Yet for Winding Down War  —  Senator Barack Obama yesterday presented his most extensive plan yet for winding down the war in Iraq, proposing to withdraw all combat brigades by the end of next year while leaving behind an unspecified smaller force to strike at terrorists …

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 …

U.S. Confirms Israeli Strikes Hit Syrian Target Last Week  —  After days of silence from the Israeli government, American officials confirmed Tuesday that Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes inside Syria last week, the first such attack since 2003.  —  A Defense Department official …

MoveOn's 'Betray Us' ad a smart move  —  We could be wrong, but here's a prediction about the power of viral campaigns: By the time the dust settles on the storm kicked up by MoveOn.org's highly provocative "Petraeus/Betray Us" ad in The New York Times on Sept. 10, the online group will have seen …

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 …

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 …

Led Zeppelin confirm reunion gig  —  Rock group Led Zeppelin are to reform for a tribute concert to the Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun.  —  Singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones will perform together for the first time in 19 years.

DNI McConnell: I Lied To The Senate  —  Earlier this week, in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell claimed the new expansive FISA legislation passed by Congress prior to the August recess …

CBS News Gets Snippy When Fact Checked  —  This MoveOn.org Video on Katie Couric and CBS News' repetition of Bush Administration talking points and lack of critical reporting has stirred up quite the hornet's nest at CBS.  We posted this over the weekend, along with a number of other folks …

Iranian Intel Officer & Al Qaeda Leader Killed in Same Iraq Raid!  —  As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker were testifying in front of Congress yesterday about Iran seeking to "create a Hezbollah-like force" in Iraq, US forces killed an Iranian Intelligence officer in a raid in Samarra.

Manekin Pis dries up  —  The other day Andrew Stuttaford posited a Belgian divorce as French-speaking Walloons and Flemish-speaking, er, Flemings decide they can live without each other.  But Andrew may have spoken too soon: The country could have a glorious future ahead of it, free of domination by either of its ancient tribes.