FORMER SENATOR FRED THOMPSON IN REMISSION FOR LYMPHOMA  —  WASHINGTON — Former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson announced Wednesday he's in remission from lymphoma.  —  Thompson, who is considering a run for the White House in 2008, told FOX News that the illness is treatable.

3 Generals Spurn the Position of War 'Czar'  —  Bush Seeks Overseer For Iraq, Afghanistan  —  The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies …

HOS AND BITCHES....Now that Don Imus has been universally condemned for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos," the conversation is moving on, as conversations do, to broader questions.  In the LA Times today, civil rights attorney Constance Rice joins in the condemnation …

Iraq in the Balance  —  In Washington, panic.  In Baghdad, cautious optimism.  —  BAGHDAD—For 35 years the sun did not shine here," said a man on the grounds of the great Shia shrine of al-Kadhimiyyah, on the outskirts of Baghdad.  I had come to the shrine at night, in the company of the Shia politician Ahmed Chalabi.

Rare Protests at Brigham Young Over a Planned Cheney Appearance  —  The invitation extended to Vice President Dick Cheney to be the commencement speaker at Brigham Young University has set off a rare, continuing protest at the Mormon university, one of the nation's most conservative.

Republican candidate off the mark on cost of milk, bread  —  MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani hasn't done a lot of grocery shopping lately — at least based on his answers about the cost of milk and bread.  —  Campaigning in Alabama on Tuesday …

Pelosi is open to Iran trip  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, just back from a trip to Syria that brought sharp criticism from Republicans and the Bush administration, suggested Tuesday that the two may be interested in taking another diplomatic trip — to open a dialogue with Iran.

Group Now Smearing Pelosi Was Led By Swift Boat Funder Sam Fox  —  The conservative group currently running an ad campaign attacking Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for her visit to Syria was headed until January by Sam Fox, the Swift Boat Vets funder whom President Bush has appointed as Ambassador to Belgium.

A.G.'s Statement Dropping Duke Rape Case  —  Statement from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper on the Duke University lacrosse rape case.  —  Good afternoon, everyone.  —  On Jan. 13 of this year, I accepted the request of the Durham district attorney to take over three Durham cases.

I'M SORRY FOR SELLING MY STORY, SAYS IRAN HOSTAGE MR BEAN  —  Servicemen have rounded on the sailors who sold their stories of being held captive by Iran.  —  A series of messages on forces' websites ridiculed Arthur Batchelor and Faye Turney, who cashed in after being held prisoner for 13 days.

A Word of Advice During a Housing Slump: Rent  —  A promotional spot for the National Association of Realtors came on the radio the other day.  The spot, introduced as something called "Newsmakers," was supposed to sound like a news report, with the association's president offering real estate advice.

Regarding Imus  —  I'll have some more fleshed-out thoughts on the matter in the magazine this week, but for now, since many people have asked: No, I won't be going on Imus anymore.  Having said that, it's not like they'll be inviting me back.