A Not-So-Perfect Picture of Party Unity  —  On both sides of the ticket, the presidential nominating contest is growing increasingly combative, as voters may well witness Thursday during a debate in Las Vegas among the Democratic candidates.  —  So how is John Edwards feeling …

Democrats remain stalled on Iraq debate  —  As the congressional session lurches toward a close, Democrats are confronting some demoralizing arithmetic on Iraq.  —  The numbers tell a story of political and substantive paralysis more starkly than most members are willing to acknowledge publicly, or perhaps even to themselves.

Bush wields veto pen — again  —  NEW ALBANY, Ind. - President Bush, escalating his budget battle with Congress, on Tuesday vetoed a spending measure for health and education programs prized by congressional Democrats.  —  He also signed a big increase in the Pentagon's non-war budget although …

Court takes no action on gun case  —  The Supreme Court on Tuesday announced no action on a new case testing the meaning of the Second Amendment — an issue the Court has not considered in 68 years.  The Orders List contained no mention of either the District of Columbia's appeal (07-290) …

Say It Enough Times It Must Be True  —  First the Clinton campaign whines that the other candidates were picking on the girl.  Then, standing up to Russert is like standing up to Hitler.  Then Bill Clinton compared Russert to the Swift Boat Vets.  Now the Clinton campaign is warning Wolf Blizter that he better not "pull a Russert."

The Daily Show  —  IN many towns and cities, the newspaper is an endangered species.  At least 300 daily papers have stopped publishing over the past 30 years.  Those newspapers that have survived are struggling financially.  Newspaper circulation has declined steadily for more than 10 years.

Movin' On Up  —  A Treasury study refutes populist hokum about "income inequality."  —  If you've been listening to Mike Huckabee or John Edwards on the Presidential trail, you may have heard that the U.S. is becoming a nation of rising inequality and shrinking opportunity.

A 'FORGOTTEN' WAR  —  AS IRAQ IMPROVES, COVERAGE DRIES UP  —  LAST weekend's news coverage of our veterans was welcome, but deceptive.  The "mainstream media" honored aging heroes and noted the debt we owe to today's wounded warriors - but deftly avoided in-depth coverage from Iraq.  Why?

Just 25% Believe Democratic Candidates Are Piling On Hillary  —  Just 25% of Americans believe that the Democratic candidates are piling on Senator Hillary Clinton and attacking her unfairly.  A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 57% disagree and say there has been no piling on.

Panel May Cut Sentences For Crack  —  An independent panel is considering reducing the sentences of inmates incarcerated in federal prisons for crack cocaine offenses, which would make thousands of people immediately eligible to be freed.  —  The U.S. Sentencing Commission …

His Ideas Are Good, But I Want More Bullet Points  —  So we're back to arguing about John Edwards' plan to strip members of Congress of their health care if they don't pass comprehensive reform.  I'm always astonished at how bizarrely literally pundits act when they approach this idea.

Senate GOP leaders target earmarks  —  A multilevel operation aimed at harnessing the power of the Internet represents the most coordinated attack yet on earmarks, considered a cornerstone of legislative dealmaking for the way they have been used to induce votes and curry favor with supporters.

Creative Destruction  —  The best case against universal health care.  —  More than a decade ago, Michael Kinsley, the journalist and former editor of this magazine, developed Parkinson's disease—a degenerative condition that impairs motor and speech control, producing tremors, rigidity, and eventually severe disability.