A Scott Beauchamp Update  —  Since our last statement on "Shock Troops," a Diarist by Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp that we published in our July 23 issue, we have continued our investigation into the article's veracity.  On Wednesday, for a brief period, The Drudge Report posted several documents …

FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA  —  FEMA has truly learned the lessons of Katrina.  Even its handling of the media has improved dramatically.  For example, as the California wildfires raged Tuesday, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator, had a 1 p.m. news briefing.

Some cool graphs of rich states and poor states  —  I'll take advantage of Paul Krugman's recent link to our paper on income and voting by putting up some cool scatterplots that we made recently.  It started with our maps of which states Bush and Kerry would've won if only the votes of the poor, middle-income, and rich were counted:

Internal Dem memo faults party message  —  Democrats are losing the battle for voters' hearts because the party's message lacks emotional appeal, according to a widely circulated critique of House Democratic communications strategy.  —  "Our message sounds like an audit report on defense logistics …

Wilson freed in teen sex case  —  ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) — Genarlow Wilson was released from prison Friday, after spending more than two years behind bars for a teen sex conviction.  —  The Georgia Supreme Court earlier Friday ordered that he be released, ruling 4-3 that his sentence was cruel and unusual punishment.

Fox News Tells McCain Not To Use Fox Footage On Web Site — But Lets Rudy (And Romney) Use It  —  What on earth is going on between Fox News and John McCain?  —  Yesterday, Fox News lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to John McCain's campaign, demanding that he halt use of a new ad …

Right Wing Enraged: Laura Bush Is A 'Butt-Kisser' For Wearing Headscarf In Mideast  —  When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wore a headscarf while visiting the Umayyad mosque in Damascus in April, the right wing pounced on her, attacking her as "subservient" and calling the act "disgust[ing]."

Patriots Stand Up  —  Sen. Chris Dodd gave a great statement on the floor of the Senate this morning.  You can watch video here on his Senate website.  I asked for a written copy of the remarks, because there wasn't a transcript available, and am reprinting them here with permission because I've had several e-mails asking for this.

The Case Against Mukasey  —  He might look like a welcome change after Alberto Gonzales, but Mukasey's refusal to disavow the use of torture and excesses of executive power in the war on terror makes him a thoroughly unacceptable choice for attorney general.

Flip-Flop Alert: Senators Suddenly on the Fence  —  Sens. John Sununu, Norm Coleman, and George Voinovich all voted for the Law of the Sea in 2004.  According to sources in the Senate, all are now reconsidering their votes under heavy pressure from the likes of John Bolton, Frank Gaffney …

Bill Clinton Takes On 9/11 Conspiracy Protesters  —  Bill Clinton addressed a crowd in Minneapolis, Minnesota at a fundraiser for his wife's campaign on Tuesday.  —  Clinton's 50-minute speech, which started about an hour behind schedule, was derailed briefly by several hecklers in the audience …

The New Right-Wing Smear Machine  —  On February 27, 2001, two members of the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization of women who've lost sons or daughters in combat, dropped by the temporary basement offices of the new junior senator from New York, Hillary Clinton.

GOP LUNACY....Ron Brownstein looks at the ongoing Republican interest group panderfest from a slightly different angle: … Every two years the losing party has this exact same conversation: (a) move to the center to appeal more to swing voters, or (b) move left (right) in order to stay true …