Voters unhappy with Bush and Congress  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening unhappiness with President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress soured the mood of Americans and sent Bush's approval rating to another record low this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Birth-Control Foe To Run Office on Family Planning  —  The Bush administration again has appointed a chief of family planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who has been critical of contraception.  —  Susan Orr, most recently an associate commissioner in the Administration …

Hmmm ...  It hasn't gotten much attention outside of the Boston suburbs and truly hardcore political junkies.  But there was a congressional election today.  The topline is that the Democrat, Nikki Tsongas, wife of the late Massachusetts senator and presidential candidate Paul Tsongas, won.

Syrian officials admit site attacked by Israel nuclear  —  Israeli reps at UN Disarmament Commission meeting overhear Syrian official say facility targeted by Air Force last month nuclear  —  Syrian officials have admitted that the site attacked by the Israeli air force last month was a nuclear facility …

McKinney registers in Calif., where some want to nominate her  —  Former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has registered to vote in California, where some want her to run for president as a Green Party candidate.  —  McKinney posted a letter on her Web site last month saying she has no interest in the Green Party nomination.

Larry Craig isn't Internet literate?  Don't buy it  —  Bathrooms and buses  —  Among all of the bathrooms Sen. Larry Craig has visited, none has been on the information superhighway.  Or so he says.  —  In his interview with Matt Lauer that aired on NBC's "Matt Lauer Reports" …

Mukasey Strives for Balance in Confirmation Testimony  —  Attorney general nominee Michael B. Mukasey pledged this morning to adhere to the law and protect the civil liberties of Americans if he is confirmed as the head of the Justice Department, subtly signaling a fresh start after the tumultuous tenure of Alberto R. Gonzales.

Does Obama's Message Match the Moment?  —  Reconciliation May Be Hard Sell to Angry Party  —  WASHINGTON, Iowa — A hush fell over the crowd as Sen. Barack Obama crossed the field, his white shirt glowing in the sun, waves of cornstalks rustling behind him.

Timing of gifts stirs 'earmark' debate  —  WASHINGTON — Days after a Senate committee approved $1 million for a Woodstock concert museum, the project's Republican billionaire backer and his family contributed $29,200 to help the Democrats who requested the money, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer.

techPresident Launches 10Questions.com  —  Dear techPresident readers and friends:  —  We're excited to announce the launch of 10Questions.com, a new kind of online presidential forum, one that aims to make the most of what the internet has to offer to politics.

Fenty to Order Switch to Meters for District Taxis  —  D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) said today he will sign a mayoral order mandating that taxis switch from a zone system to time-and-distance meters.  —  The decision came after months of study by the administration.

Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer  —  Fury at James Watson's theory: "All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really"  —  One of the world's most eminent scientists was embroiled …

Rudy Roughs Up Arabs  —  Now comes "Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week."  —  David Horowitz's conservative Freedom Center has designated next week the time to "break through the barrier of politically correct doublespeak that prevails on American campuses, if you want to help our brave troops, who are fighting the Islamo-Fascists abroad."

Clinton Proposes Big Grants for Family Leave  —  Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday proposed giving $1 billion in grants to states that enact paid family leave laws and said that she would support requiring employers to provide workers seven days' annual paid sick leave.

TERROR LAWYER SAYS SHE'D 'DO IT AGAIN'  —  Disbarred terror lawyer Lynne Stewart held court at Hofstra yesterday - unrepentant about the help she gave to a World Trade Center bombing conspirator.  —  Stewart was convicted in 2005 of smuggling secret messages out of prison for Islamic terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman.

Watching Larry Craig  —  I forced myself.  It was excruciating.  Beyond embarrassing.  Extraordinarily painful - especially for his wife.  Why on earth they decided to subject themselves to prolonging this agony is a question worth asking.  And the answer, I think, is: they have to.