GROW UP  —  Am I the only one embarrassed by the dingbat brouhaha over Iranian President Ahmadinejad's attempt to visit Ground Zero to lay a wreath?  Given relations between our countries I could see denying him a visa, but as long as we're hosting the UN that's not an option.

Reso Condemning MoveOn Passes Overwhelmingly, With Lots Of Dems  —  The GOP-introduced resolution condemning MoveOn just passed by a huge margin, 72-25.  Roughly half the Democrats in the Senate supported it.  —  A couple of the more interesting votes: Jim Webb, who just yesterday was a Netroots hero …

Wes Clark Interview, Part One: The Petraeus Ad  —  If anyone can recommend an audio hosting service, please email me at stoller at gmail.com so I can post the audio file of the interview.  —  I just did an interview with Wes Clark, and there's a bunch of newsworthy stuff in there …

Obama opts out  —  The empty, symbolic fight over the MoveOn ad also appears to be testing something that was, from the beginning, a central question in the primary: Do Democrats want somebody who will be above partisan fighting (Obama), or do they want a partisan fighter (Clinton)?

How Dare You!  —  Goodness gracious. oh, my paws and whiskers.  Some of the meanest, most ornery hombres around are suddenly feeling faint.  Notorious tough guys are swooning with the vapors.  The biggest beasts in the barnyard are all aflutter over something they read in the New York Times.

Obama Betrays Us, Of Course  —  In Dante's Inferno, the Opportunists were "the people who refused to take sides on the whole good vs. evil thing, but just looked after themselves.  As a result, they're doomed to forever run after a banner while being stung by wasps and hornets... These people aren't technically in hell.

Late Nite FDL: We Are the New Saddam  —  This MacLean's cover story is probably the most clear-eyed and spin-free analysis of the situation in Iraq that I have ever read.  It figures that you have to go to Canada to find writing this trenchant and penetrating about the mess we've made over there.

Courage for Dan Rather  —  Gee, just when I was all excited about Wednesday's big premiere of the new CBS cultural triumph Kid Nation, my old friend Dan Rather went and blew my whole evening out of the water by filing a massive lawsuit against the company.  —  Here we go again.

GENERAL BETRAY US?  —  THE ANTI-WAR GROUP MOVEON.ORG ATTACKED GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS IN A SEPTEMBER 10 FULL-PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, ACCUSING HIM OF BEING "CONSTANTLY AT WAR WITH THE FACTS."  HERE IS AN ANNOTATED FACT CHECK OF MOVEON.ORG'S BROADSIDE AGAINST PETRAEUS.

Countdown Special Comment: The President Of Hypocrisy  —  In light of President Bush's disgraceful presser today, Keith Olbermann decided to make a Special Comment on tonight's Countdown and wow, did he make the most of it.  Olbermann blasts the president for his cowardly and un-American behavior …

Press Conference by the President  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  In just 10 days the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as S-CHIP, is set to expire.  This important program helps children whose families cannot afford private health insurance, but do not qualify for Medicaid to get coverage they need.

Bush Claims He "Got A B In Econ 101"  —  In a Thursday morning morning press conference at the White House, the President engaged in a little bit of grade inflation about his academic record.  —  "You need to talk to economists," he answered when asked if there was a risk of recession in the US economy.

Rest in Peace, 1LT Travis Manion  —  1LT Travis Manion (center) shares a laugh with fellow Marines prior to an evening mission in January.  (View larger image)  —  On a Sunday afternoon in late April, 1st Lt. Travis Manion spoke to his father via satellite phone from a dusty Iraqi Army barracks in downtown Fallujah.