Digging out more CNN/YouTube plants: Abortion questioner is declared Edwards supporter (and a slobbering Anderson Cooper fan); Log Cabin Republican questioner is declared Obama supporter; lead toy questioner is a prominent union activist for the Edwards-endorsing United Steelworkers

Foes Use Obama's Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him  —  In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world.  —  Since declaring his candidacy for president in February …

Sudan Sentences Teacher to 15 Days  —  Sudan Sentences Teacher to 15 Days in Prison for Allowing Students to Name Teddy Bear Muhammad  —  British teacher Gillian Gibbons has been convicted of inciting religious hatred for letting her pupils name a teddy bear Muhammad and sentenced to 15 days …

The Chicago Tribune vs. Time magazine  —  (updated below: Klein's GOP source outs himself)  —  As I noted yesterday, The Chicago Tribune reprinted factually false excerpts from Joe Klein's Time column.  But unlike Time — which disgracefully continues to stand behind Klein's falsehoods …

Henry Hyde dies at 83  —  Henry J. Hyde — known for his courtly manners, oratorical skills and historical knowledge during 32 years as the conservative voice of the western suburbs in Congress — died today, according to the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner.  He was 83.

Why Lott Cashed It In  —  Well-connected Republicans in Mississippi were shocked by more than the unexpected nature of Trent Lott's resignation announcement Monday.  They were stunned that Lott, in good health at age 66 and at the top of his game, was leaving the Senate just one year into his fourth term in order to make more money.

Hamas demands UN rescind '47 partition  —  Hamas on Thursday called on the UN to rescind the 1947 decision to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs.  —  The group said in a statement, released on the 60th anniversary of the UN vote, that "Palestine is Arab Islamic land …

Immigrants in the United States, 2007  —  A Profile of America's Foreign-Born Population  —  This Backgrounder provides a detailed picture of the number and socio-economic status of the nation's immigrant or foreign-born population, both legal and illegal.  The data was collected by the Census Bureau in March 2007.

Around the blogroll and elsewhere: Republican Debate Hangover edition  —  Sorry, folks — no pithy analysis here.  My forehead is still raw from its recent run-ins with the icepick, and I was just not up to inflicting any more pain.  So I waited to read the transcript this morning.

Oxford lawyer indicted  — Scruggs among 5 accused in alleged judicial bribery  —  Multimillionaire Mississippi lawyer Dickie Scruggs, portrayed in a 1999 Hollywood film about his legal fight against the tobacco industry, is facing federal charges of conspiring to bribe a judge handling $26.5 million …

Old Allies Abandon Chávez as Constitution Vote Nears  —  CUMANA, Venezuela — Few associates had been as loyal to President Hugo Chávez as the governor of the coastal state of Sucre, Ramón Martínez.  And few are now more determined to defeat Chávez …

Kennedy to Challenge Landrieu  —  Political Wire has learned that Lousiana state Treasurer John Kennedy (R) — who switched his party affiliation to the Republican Party earlier this year — will challenge Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) in 2008.  The official announcement will be early next year though …

Impeachment Is So Yesterday for Clinton, Rogan  —  Maybe there's hope for the Middle East, after all.  If Bill Clinton and one of the men who helped impeach him can make peace, why not the Israelis and the Palestinians?  —  In one of the more startling cases of odd bedfellows …