BREAKING NEWS: Giuliani fundraiser was mystery initiative backer  —  A close friend and major fundraiser of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has identified himself as the mystery financer of the proposed California initiative to apportion the state's 55 electoral votes by congressional district instead of winner-take-all.

Dems turn to a youngster to make their SCHIP points  —  Democrats are getting a good ride this week out of President Bush's looming veto of the children's health insurance bill, and they're not afraid to tug at the heart strings a bit to play out this issue.

Fox News' attack on the honor and integrity of our war generals  —  As we learned from both our Senate and House last week, in the United States we must never "attack the honor and integrity . . . of members of the United States Armed Forces."  All good patriots from both parties agree on this.

U.S.: Major al Qaeda in Iraq leader killed  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — A U.S. military commander Friday reported the death of a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader, a Tunisian who was considered the "emir of foreign terrorists in Iraq."  —  U.S.-led coalition forces killed militant leader Abu Usama al-Tunisi …

What Bill O'Reilly Really Told Me  —  It started with Bill O'Reilly's grandmother.  And it blew up into charges of O'Reilly being called a racist and me being attacked as a "Happy Negro" (read that as a lackey or Uncle Tom).  —  O'Reilly, controversial host of the top-rated TV cable talk show …

UPDATE 2 - WAXMAN PISSED: Krongard, SUSPEND All Communications  —  Henry Waxman, is starting to see major red where Inspector General Howard Krongard is concerned.  (H/T to Nolo at IndictDickCheney Blogspot)  —  Krongard is "apparently" threatening his employees with retaliation …

First Jell-O, now Santa  —  So long, Halloween parade.  Farewell, Santa's gift shop.  —  The holiday traditions are facing elimination in some Oak Lawn schools this year after complaints that the activities are offensive, particularly to Muslim students.  —  Final decisions …

The Age of Turbulence  —  I  was in the midst of reading up on Alan Greenspan, whose new memoir, The Age of Turbulence, has just been published to wide publicity and boffo sales, when I saw in a local gossip column that he and his wife had been spotted (somehow!) spending yet another Sunday afternoon …

Fight the bully smear merchants at MoveOn.org  —  Update: Another challenge to the MoveOn legal thugs...  Earlier in the week, the LA Times reported that MoveOn.org, the infamous left-wing thugs who sponsored the "General Betray Us" ads, had unleashed its lawyers on Internet retailer Cafe Press …

Holly-cons: in the closet?  —  Are Hollywood conservatives largely in the political closet for fear of social or even workplace retribution, or are they a bunch of whiners?  Why are most of the actor/politicians Republican?  Why do Hollywood Dems always seem to back politicians …

Justice Thomas Lashes Out in Memoir  —  Book Attacks Liberals and the Media, Breaks Near-Silence on Anita Hill  —  Justice Clarence Thomas settles scores in an angry and vivid forthcoming memoir, scathingly condemning the media, the Democratic senators who opposed his nomination to the Supreme Court …

Muzzling in the Name of Islam  —  Special to washingtonpost.com's Think Tank Town  —  Some of the world's most repressive governments are attempting to use a controversy over a Swedish cartoon to provide legitimacy for their suppression of their critics in the name of respect for Islam.

The Long Arm of Iran  —  The top mullahs have been complicit in terror attacks.  —  "I think it would be almost inconceivable that Iran would commit suicide by launching one or two missiles of any kind against the nation of Israel."  —  On March 17, 1992, a suicide bomber crashed …

6 die from brain-eating amoeba in lakes  —  PHOENIX - It sounds like science fiction but it's true: A killer amoeba living in lakes enters the body through the nose and attacks the brain where it feeds until you die.  —  Even though encounters with the microscopic bug are extraordinarily rare …

U.S. carries out successful missile defense test  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. interceptor missile on Friday shot down a dummy warhead replicating an incoming North Korean missile in the seventh successful test of Boeing Co's long-range missile shield, the Pentagon said.