Romney hits Dems on gay issue  —  Leading the way on an issue almost certain to be resurrected during the general election, Mitt Romney issued a statement this morning condemning the Democratic candidates for their refusal at last night's debate to rule out teaching about gay issues to second-graders.

Limbaugh: Service members who support U.S. withdrawal are "phony soldiers"  —  During the September 26 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh called service members who advocate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq "phony soldiers."  He made the comment while discussing …

Transcript Reveals Impeachable Offenses by Bush Re: Iraq War  —  El Pais published a transcript (reprinted at this link) of the conversation between George W. Bush, Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, and Condoleeza Rice held at Crawford before the Iraq War.  Bush is typically bullheaded, impatient …

Following Bush Over a Cliff  —  The spectacle Tuesday of 151 House Republicans voting in lock step with the White House against expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was one of the more remarkable sights of the year.  Rarely do you see so many politicians putting their careers in jeopardy.

AS LONG AS WE'RE TALKING CONTRACTORS . . .  A friend of the site sent along a reminder of the exchange President Bush had with a student back in April 2006 while speaking at Johns Hopkins University: … Late Update: Here's video of the exchange:

GALLUP: Trust in Federal Government, On Nearly All Issues, Hits New Low — Even Less Than in Watergate Era  —  NEW YORK A new Gallup poll reveals that, as the organization puts it, Americans now "express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade …

Documents point to S.C. terror plot  —  Explosives materials in car  —  In a 12-minute video posted on YouTube, an Egyptian man wearing a white shirt, khaki pants and rubber gloves explains in Arabic how to turn a toy boat into a bomb.  —  His name is Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed …

Bin Laden may have just escaped U.S. forces  —  August mission in Tora Bora almost snared 'high value target'  —  A little more than a month ago, with the anniversary of Sept. 11 approaching and fears of a new al Qaeda attack rising, some U.S. intelligence and military analysts thought …

Singles will check out eligible candidates at Obama rally  —  Looking for a date for Friday night?  Want someone to read thepoliticker.com with and talk to about Eliot Spitzer's fiscal policy late into the night?  —  Like-minded city singles are looking to tonight's Barack Obama rally …

19,000 insurgents killed in Iraq since '03  —  More than 19,000 militants have been killed in fighting with coalition forces since the insurgency began more than four years ago, according to military statistics released for the first time.  —  The statistics show that 4,882 militants …

Craig Remains in Office, for Now  —  Despite His Pledge to Resign, Embattled Senator Will Continue to Work in Senate  —  Though Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, had previously pledged to resign by Sunday, amid allegations he cruised for gay sex in a public bathroom, he now says he will stay in office.

Our Moral Footprint  —  OVER the past few years the questions have been asked ever more forcefully whether global climate changes occur in natural cycles or not, to what degree we humans contribute to them, what threats stem from them and what can be done to prevent them.