Largest Iraq Air Assault Since '03 Begins  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — U.S. forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched the largest airborne assault since the U.S.-led invasion, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.  —  The military said the operation …

House rejects spending for birth control  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An attempt to resume state spending on birth control got shot down Wednesday by House members who argued it would have amounted to an endorsement of promiscuous lifestyles.  —  Missouri stopped providing money for family planning …

Rice: Iran 'terror's central bank'  —  SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday urged Iran to resume negotiations over its nuclear program, while also calling the country a central banker for terrorism.  —  Rice was speaking after meeting …

Hey, Big Spender  —  Should we have known that President Bush would bust the budget?  —  This week's column is a question, a brief one addressed with honest curiosity to Republicans.  It is: When George W. Bush first came on the scene in 2000, did you understand him to be a liberal in terms of spending?

Cornered rats  —  There is a palpable increase in the level of extremism and desperation among Bush followers as the Commander in Chief's approval ratings fall lower and lower and as the views which Americans have of both him and his party become more hostile.

A Familiar Face  —  The Pentagon has just released to the public documents captured in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  They can be accessed here in Adobe Acrobat format.  —  This one's interesting; the synopsis describes it this way: … The document hasn't been translated into English …

The lesson, my friends...  ...is that no matter what you do, Rush Limbaugh is going to crow about it, Ken Mehlman is going to do a mass-mailing about it, and the American Family Association will launch a boycott over it.  —  And even if you choose to do nothing, all of them will still attack you …

Cigars, birds, flowers and servants — life inside Jericho jail  —  Palestinian terrorist suspects are said to have served their time in style before the bulldozers arrived  —  BRITAIN made a robust defence yesterday of its decision to pull out of Jericho prison before an Israeli raid …

Researcher Will Face Charges in Steele Case  —  Federal prosecutors have decided to bring charges against a Democratic researcher accused of fraudulently obtaining a credit report on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

Clooney & Huffington's blog of war  —  George Clooney is spitting mad at Arianna Huffington - and the blogosphere is wobbling on its axis.  —  "She said some things that I won't share, but she did tell me that this could be bad for me - bad for my career.  Well, screw you!" …

I'm Blue  —  I have uncovered a sinister plot.  —  As I've mentioned, I was in Austin this week.  Cool city— one of those great, Southern college towns where be-baseball-capped frat guys and be-dreaded hippies mostly-happily coexist, though usually at different bars.

Al Qaeda Threatens U.S. on Video  —  Yesterday we broke the story that a new al Qaeda video was making the jihadi rounds.  Today there is confirmatian.  Yes, we actually break news around here sometimes.  —  The video features 'martyr' Fahd Farraj al-Juwair, the former Emir of Al-Qaeda …

Senate Bill Would Override State Health Coverage Rules  —  GOP backers see the legislation as a way for insurers to offer more affordable plans.  Critics say it would undermine treatment protections.  —  WASHINGTON — The battle over healthcare moved to a new front Wednesday …

Lieberman Takes Issue With Lamont's Tone  —  U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman took issue Thursday with the tone of his Democratic opponent's campaign.  —  Ned Lamont formally announced Monday that he will oppose Lieberman for the party's nomination, becoming Lieberman's first Democratic challenger since …

Scalia Rails Against the 'Judge-Moralist'  —  BOSTON — Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia railed against the era of the "judge-moralist," saying judges are no better qualified than "Joe Sixpack" to decide moral questions such as abortion and gay marriage.