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 …

Edwards eyes millions from public kitty for race  —  ABOARD THE CNN ELECTION EXPRESS, New Hampshire (CNN) — Former Sen. John Edwards Thursday said he will accept public financing for his presidential campaign, and challenged his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to follow his lead.

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 …

Foto Funnies Pt. II  —  From Little Green Footballs, 9/21/07:  —  Above: Screen-capture of LGF post  —  That's a reprinted press release from David Horowitz's FrontPageMag.  The text reads, "The photo accompanying this article, which shows a teenage girl buried before being stoned to death …

WHY DID VERIZON REALLY AX NARL'S TEXT MESSAGING?  MEET TOM TAUKE, ANTI-CHOICE FANATIC AND VERIZON EXECUTIVE VP  —  Verizon claims it was— oops!— all a great big misunderstanding; they meant no harm and it was certainly nonpartisan.  Big mistakey-poo.  Sorry, sorry, sorry; you can trust us.

Matthews To Dodd: 'Do You Find It Difficult To Debate A Woman?'  —  During last night's post-Democratic presidential debate analysis, MSNBC host Chris Matthews was hung up on the fact there is a woman running for president.  After questioning Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) about Sen. Hillary Clinton's …

Can't Win with 'Em, Can't Go To War without 'Em: Private Military Contractors and Counterinsurgency  —  Foreign Policy at Brookings, Policy Paper #4, September 2007  —  Executive Summary  —  The recent incident involving Blackwater contractors in Iraq has brought to light a series …

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.

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 …

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 …

Dems could do far more to end Iraq war  —  The vast majority of Democrats in Congress are powerfully clear about what they think about the war in Iraq.  It is the greatest strategic blunder of a generation.  —  It is a lost cause.  Above all, it is immoral — with more men and women dying each …

Barney Frank Takes Up Fight — for Republicans  —  David Rogers reports on Congress.  —  It doesn't happen often, but a Democratic chairman today joined House Republicans in protesting a Democratic-backed rule that limited floor amendments to a flood-insurance bill.