U.S. May Escort Ahmadinejad to Ground Zero  —  Talks Underway After Iranian Requests a Visit  —  In a move that has stunned New York, the Bloomberg administration is in discussions to escort the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to ground zero during his visit to New York next week, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said today.

Rather Files $70 Million Lawsuit Against CBS  —  Dan Rather, whose career at CBS News ground to an inglorious end 15 months ago over his role in an unsubstantiated report questioning President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service, filed a $70 million lawsuit this afternoon against the network …

The President Goes to War Over "Betray Us"  —  Kate O'Beirne and I just got back from a meeting with the president in the Roosevelt Room of the White House for a small group of conservative journalists.  —  There was a lot of ground covered, and the president was in a serious but confident mood …

Jackson criticizes Obama  —  Presidential candidate's response to Jena, La., case called too weak  —  The Rev. Jesse Jackson called Tuesday on Democrats seeking the 2008 nomination for president to give S.C. voters "something to vote for" when they go to the polls in January.

BREAKING: Warner, McCain To Propose Toothless, Watered-Down Version Of Webb Amendment  —  Speaking on the Senate floor this morning, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), an ardent opponent of a pro-troop measure to relieve the stress on the overstretched armed forces, announced he will propose a toothless …

King: 'Too many mosques in this country'  —  New York Rep. Peter King, a prominent House Republican, said there are "too many mosques in this country" in a recent interview with Politico.  —  "There are too many people sympathetic to radical Islam," King said.

Senate Rejects to Expand Detainee Rights  —  WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The Senate narrowly rejected legislation on Wednesday that would have given military detainees the right to protest their detention in federal court.  —  The 56-43 vote against the bill, by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. …

Bush, Congress at record low ratings: Reuters poll  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress registered record-low approval ratings in a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday, and a new monthly index measuring the mood of Americans dipped slightly on deepening worries about the economy.

UPDATE: Gunmen Blow Up Iraq's North Export Pipeline -Official  —  AMMAN -(Dow Jones)- Unknown attackers have blown up part of an Iraqi pipeline that pumps crude oil from Kirkuk oil fields to the Turkish export terminal, Ceyhan, a senior Iraqi oil official and a shipping agent said Wednesday.

Why Bush won't attack Iran  —  Despite saber-rattling, and the Washington buzz that a strike is coming, the president doesn't intend to bomb Iran.  Cheney may have other ideas.  —  During a recent high-powered Washington dinner party attended by 18 people, Zbigniew Brzezinski …

Who bears blame for anti-war failures?  —  For many in Washington, the biggest unanswered question from Army.  Gen. David Petraeus' high-profile, low-satisfaction testimony last week was not about military strategy but about political tactics.  Why has the anti-war movement been unable …

RNC Chair Martinez: Passing Troop-Rest Bill Would "Demean The Troops"  —  This is something.  Take a look at Republican National Committee chair Mel Martinez on the House floor today, explaining why passing the Webb bill giving troops more rest would "demean their service":

Habeas Restoration Cloture Vote Tally  —  Senators of the 110th Congress:  —  Akaka, Daniel K.- (D - HI) — AYE  —  Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN) — NAY  —  Allard, Wayne- (R - CO) — NAY  —  Barrasso, John- (R - WY) — NAY  —  Baucus, Max- (D - MT) — AYE  —  Bayh, Evan- (D - IN) — AYE

Introducing This Blog  —  "I was born in 1953.  Like the rest of my generation, I took the America I grew up in for granted - in fact, like many in my generation I railed against the very real injustices of our society, marched against the bombing of Cambodia, went door to door for liberal candidates.