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:

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.

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]."

Edwards Gets Tough on Business  —  Susan Davis reports on the presidential race.  —  John Edwards s targeting Corporate America and what he argues are its corrupt and greedy practices.  In a speech today in Des Moines, Iowa, he is outlining his plan to renew the "social contract" between business and government if elected president.

President Bush Discusses Appropriations  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  I went out to California yesterday to meet with families affected by the wildfires, and to thank the state and local officials for their outstanding work in this difficult time.  While I was there I saw the terrible destruction and heartbreaking loss.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …