George Tiller shot to death at Wichita church  —  WICHITA - George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a national lightning rod in the debate over abortion, was shot to death this morning as he walked into church services.  —  Tiller was shot just after 10 a.m. at Reformation Lutheran Church …

SOMETIMES, A DATE IS JUST A DATE.... Ordinarily, this is the kind of human-interest story that I wouldn't even read.  Apparently, though, it's angered quite a few Republicans, so I guess we might as well take a look at. … Good for them; I'm sure it's nice for the Obamas to get out once in a while.

Jeffrey Rosen vows never to “blog” again  —  (updated below - Update II)  —  NPR has a thorough examination today of the controversy surrounding Jeffrey Rosen's New Republic anonymity-driven smear attack on Sonia Sotomayor's intellect and character.  The audio news report …

I Am Marla's Observations On Artificial Selection In Chrysler Dealerships  —  Ok.  You f**k me, then snub me.  You love me, you hate me.  You show me a sensitive side, then you turn into a total a**hole.  Is this a pretty accurate description of our relationship, Barack?

The Trauma of 9/11 Is No Excuse  —  Top officials from the Bush administration have hit upon a revealing new theme as they retrospectively justify their national security policies.  Call it the White House 9/11 trauma defense.  —  “Unless you were there, in a position of responsibility after September 11 …

‘Obama committed to ejecting Jews from Judea-Samaria,’ says Abbas  —  Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday told reporters in Cairo that he is convinced that US President Barack Obama is firmly committed to finally ejecting the Jews from Judea and Samaria.

The Waves Minority Judges Always Make  —  WASHINGTON — Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first black member of the Supreme Court, ended his 24 years there bitter and frustrated.  He had been unable, he said, to persuade his colleagues in many cases concerning racial equality, the cause to which he had devoted his life.

RANGEL'S SICK JOKE  —  CRACKS WISE ON OFFICER'S DEATH, SAYS PRESIDENT'S NOT SAFE IN HARLEM  —  There's nothing like a tragic police shooting to bring a tasteless guffaw out of Rep. Charlie Rangel.  —  Speaking yesterday at a rally in honor of slain cop Omar Edwards …

A Red State Booster Shot  —  Those in the red states still smarting over Barack Obama's election victory can perhaps take solace in this: The Democrats' No. 1 domestic policy initiative, universal health care, is likely to help red America at the expense of blue.