Campaign call reveals Clinton debate concern  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) top advisers, doing damage control after the candidate's debate performance Tuesday, told supporters on a conference call Wednesday that the campaign needed more money to fight back.

Nominee's Stand May Avoid Tangle of Torture Cases  —  In adamantly refusing to declare waterboarding illegal, Michael B. Mukasey, the nominee for attorney general, is steering clear of a potential legal quagmire for the Bush administration: criminal prosecution or lawsuits …

Father of slain Marine wins case against funeral protesters  —  Pa. man awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages  —  Albert Snyder of York, Pa., the father of a Westminster Marine who was killed in Iraq, today won his case in a Baltimore federal court against members of Topeka …

A Dark Unseen Scandal Star?  —  Mickey Kaus writes: … I'm placing my money on the lesbian-Hillary angle.  —  If you examine the candidates connected by the gossip columnists to current sex scandals, Hillary leads the way with her Huma connection.  —  Here's a picture of Hillary's personal assistant Huma Abedin.

'Criminal' Botnet Stumps for Ron Paul, Researchers Allege  —  If Texas congressman Ron Paul is elected president in 2008, he may be the first leader of the free world put into power with the help of a global network of hacked PCs spewing spam, according to computer-security researchers who've analyzed …

Iraqi Islamic Party says, "Al Qaeda is Defeated."  —  O1 November 2007  —  Iraqi Islamic Party: "Al Qaeda is Defeated"  —  "Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated," according to Sheik Omar Jabouri, spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party and a member of the widespread and influential Jabouri Tribe.

Diplomats upset over forced postings to Iraq  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Several hundred U.S. diplomats vented anger and frustration Wednesday about the State Department's decision to force foreign service officers to take jobs in Iraq, with some likening it to a "potential death sentence."

Violence In Iraq Way Down In October, Peacefulness Confuses Journalists  —  Great news...  ...except that the media isn't quite sure what it all means yet: … The funny thing is that when violence in Iraq is escalating, the journalists always know what it is and the meaning is never disputed.

Atlanta Urinals, Fountain Run Dry as UPS, Coke Fight Drought  —  Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) — Urinals without water.  Fountains without water.  A waterfall without water.  —  Dry is the goal as United Parcel Service Inc., Coca-Cola Co. and other companies in the Atlanta area rally to cut water use …

GOT A STORY?  TXT 63000  —  A SCHOOL was yesterday accused of MAKING teachers dress up as Asians for a day - to celebrate a Muslim festival.  —  Kids at the 257-pupil primary have also been told to don ethnic garb even though most are Christians.  —  The morning assembly will be open to all parents …

TNR's Publisher Responds  —  Along with at least one other person who contacted Canwest Global CFO John McGuire as part of the letter-writing campaign, I received an email from Elisabeth Sheldon, publisher of The New Republic. … I responded to Publisher Sheldon and CC'd CFO Maguire:

L.A. Times Refuses to Correct Clear Errors; Justifies Decision with Sophistry  —  Like Michael Goldfarb, I received an e-mail from the L.A. Times "Readers' Representative" today refusing to correct numerous clear errors in a recent column by Tim Rutten.  (My previous correspondence …

The angry voter: Bad news for Dems  —  Congressional Democrats certainly know the power of a throw-the-bums-out message.  It vaulted them to power a year ago this week.  Little wonder anxiety is boiling over inside the new majority as lawmakers ponder a succession of polls and reach …

Finalists Announced  —  Here is a partial list of the finalists for The 2007 Weblog Awards.  Finalists badges (hosted by Imageshack) will be available Thursday.  Voting is scheduled to begin Thursday evening (late), but at this point we can't pinpoint the exact time polls will open.

Lawyers sue former police commissioner Bernard Kerik for $200,000  —  Bernard Kerik has one more legal problem on his hands.  —  The scandal-tainted former police commissioner is being sued for allegedly stiffing a law firm on a $202,384.04 tab, after its lawyers helped keep him out of jail.

Blackwater Mounts a Defense With Top Washington Talent  —  Blackwater Worldwide, its reputation in tatters and its lucrative government contracts in jeopardy, is mounting an aggressive legal, political and public relations counterstrike.  —  It has hired a bipartisan stable of big-name Washington lawyers …