Democrat poster-child abuse, the nutroots' pushback, and the continued campaign to silence the Right  —  I received an e-mail from a NYTimes reporter this afternoon: … I gave him these comments: … I also told him this: … Here's the NYTimes story, which actually turned out much fairer and more balanced than I expected.

What you missed while watching "Oprah"  —  Salon watches the latest Republican debate (economy special) so you don't have to.  Chevron down!  Alcoa up!  And Fred Thompson goes public.  —  0 minutes.  This debate is sponsored by CNBC, the financial news network, which means that it will be extra boring.

An Israeli Strike on Syria Kindles Debate in the U.S.  —  A sharp debate is under way in the Bush administration about the significance of the Israeli intelligence that led to last month's Israeli strike inside Syria, according to current and former American government officials.

Dead Reverend's Rubber Fetish  —  Autopsy: Pastor found in wet suits after autoerotic mishap  —  An Alabama minister who died in June of "accidental mechanical asphyxia" was found hogtied and wearing two complete wet suits, including a face mask, diving gloves and slippers, rubberized underwear …

4 Democrats Pull Out of Michigan Primary  —  Four of the Democratic presidential candidates announced today that they would not take part in the Democratic primary in Michigan, all but ceding the contest in that major battleground state to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is ahead in the polls there and is staying in.

Seven GW students admit to hanging controversial posters  —  A group of seven GW students sent an e-mail to The Hatchet late Tuesday night admitting to hanging hundreds of controversial posters around campus early Monday morning.  —  The students - Adam Kokesh, freshman Yong Kwon …

Blogs target jihadis online  —  Ordinary Americans are tracking down U.S. Web sites used by al Qaeda and jihadi sympathizers and then using the Internet to persuade the service providers to snuff out the sites.  —  "I do this because it has to be done," says one blogger who calls himself a …

From Former Bush Aide, A Candid Assessment Of the GOP Candidates  —  A former adviser to President Bush has a brutally candid analysis of the Republican presidential nomination contest: Fred D. Thompson is the campaign's "biggest dud," Mitt Romney has "a real problem in the South" …

Residents of a famously liberal city appear to be changing views  —  San Francisco - the liberal, left-coast city conservatives love to mock - could be undergoing a transformation when it comes to homeless people.  Although the city would still be a poor choice for a pep rally for the war in Iraq …

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Torture Appeal  —  The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear an appeal filed on behalf of a German citizen of Lebanese descent who claims he was abducted by United States agents and then tortured by them while imprisoned in Afghanistan.

Iranian-Born German Soccer Player Refuses to Play Israel  —  An Iranian-German soccer player who plays for the German national under-21 side has asked not to play against Israel in a friendly on Oct. 12.  The team has accepted his request, angering Germany's Jewish lobby.

Clinton Cites Lessons of Partisanship  —  CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton pushed back against criticism from fellow Democrats that she is too polarizing to unite the country as president, arguing that the political battles she has been through make her uniquely equipped …

Foreclosures Spurring Blight In Central Valley  —  (CBS) MANTECA In the Central Valley community of Manteca, police have a new job: patrolling hundreds of foreclosed houses left empty and abandoned.  They are half million dollar houses, often bought with nothing down, turned into suburban blight.