Limbaugh Spins Reid's Letter Into Charity Gold  —  Petty bickering about patriotism and Who Loves Our Troops More has never been seen as a financial growth industry, but there's no stopping American capitalism.  This is why a perfunctory bit of political grandstanding, committed …

Giuliani asks Values Voters to trust him  —  Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, walking into a political lion's den, told the year's largest gathering of social conservatives that he is "not always the best example of faith" but that their similarities are much greater than their differences.

With Democrats Like These ...  Every now and then, we are tempted to double-check that the Democrats actually won control of Congress last year.  It was particularly hard to tell this week.  Democratic leaders were cowed, once again, by propaganda from the White House and failed, once again …

Thompson's fall from grace  —  There was a time over the summer when Fred Thompson looked like he'd enjoy enormous support from the GOP's religious right base.  The Dobson crowd had already ruled out McCain and Giuliani, and skepticism over Romney lingered.

Ex-Prosecutor Alleges Pentagon Plays Politics  —  Pressure for 'Sexy' Guantanamo Hearings  —  Politically motivated officials at the Pentagon have pushed for convictions of high-profile detainees ahead of the 2008 elections, the former lead prosecutor for terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay said last night …

Battered Spouses  —  Yesterday I said I felt a hissy coming on and today it's blown in with all the sincerity and gravitas of Tom DeLay speaking at a Martin Luther King day luncheon.  —  The Situation Room just led the half hour with this: … JC Watts later called Stark a "small person with a withered soul."

IEDs Seen As Rising Threat in The U.S.  —  As Preparedness Is Criticized, Bush Works on a Plan  —  The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI agree that the homemade explosive devices that have wreaked havoc in Iraq pose a rising threat to the United States.

An Improbable Favorite Emerges in Cajun Country  —  An Oxford-educated son of immigrants from India is virtually certain to become the leading candidate for Louisiana's next governor in Saturday's primary election.  It would be an unlikely choice for a state that usually picks its leaders …

Rudy's New Minnesota Campaign Official Has An "N-Word" Problem  —  The man named yesterday by the Giuliani campaign to a law enforcement outreach campaign post in Minnesota was forced to resign a government job in 2004 when proof surfaced that he'd admitted to repeatedly using the word "nigger" in the past, Election Central has learned.

Bhutto Gives Powerful Speech - Police Release Photo of Bomber's Head in Pakistan  —  "The only people who are safe are militants because they will not be attacked by the peaceful people.  And we will not be intimidated by this minority.  This is a battle for democracy.  We want to avoid bloodshed.

Update: Saturday Morning  —  And now the real (sorry, Ron) main event: Rudy Giuliani.  —  Giuliani took the stage to a warm reception of applause, answering the immediate question of whether the FRC crowd might rudely snub him from moment one.  Not so: definitely a courteous and even enthusiastic welcome.

Tomorrow's Neocon Today  —  Why Clinton II wouldn't offer much change from Bush II  —  Polls show Hillary Clinton has now opened up a striking 33-point lead over Barack Obama in the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.  The latest poll shows that likely Democratic primary voters favor her in every major policy area.