It's Something About Those Orange Backgrounds...  In the future, all journalism will be done for us by important people posting their thoughts on blogs.  Two examples from Daily Kos, where, over the weekend, Cindy Sheehan had announced she was quitting the Democrats.  Here's Sheehan again, quitting... the anti-war movement!

Social conservatives bite bullet, back Rudy  —  Rudy Giuliani, whose positions on abortion and homosexuality mark him as the most socially liberal Republican presidential candidate in more than a generation, is so far winning the contest for the support of social conservatives, according to a new analysis of recent polls.

Progress in Iraq likely to miss target  —  Military officers doubt any of the three top goals will be achieved before the September assessment.  —  BAGHDAD — U.S. military leaders in Iraq are increasingly convinced that most of the broad political goals President Bush laid out early this year …

Lawmakers Push for Big Subsidies for Coal Process  —  Even as Congressional leaders draft legislation to reduce greenhouse gases linked to global warming, a powerful roster of Democrats and Republicans is pushing to subsidize coal as the king of alternative fuels.

U.S. and Iranian Officials Meet in Baghdad, but Talks Yield No Breakthroughs  —  The United States and Iran held rare face-to-face talks in Baghdad on Monday, adhering to an agenda that focused strictly on the war in Iraq and on ways the two bitter adversaries could help improve conditions here.

Bush the Neoliberal  —  Years ago, someone coined the term "neoliberal."  I was never sure what it meant, and it has since fallen into disuse, but whatever the case, I'd like to revive (and mangle) the term and apply it — brace yourself — to George W. Bush.  He's more liberal than you might think.

Bush to Tighten Fiscal Penalties Against Sudan  —  President Bush will announce Tuesday that he is imposing stiff economic sanctions against Sudan — including penalties against two senior government officials and a rebel leader — and that he will press the United Nations for additional actions …

Mexico's warm greeting for Miss USA  —  Do you remember what happened in Guadalajara in 2004 during an Olympics qualification soccer match between the U.S. and Mexico?  Let me remind you: … Police in riot gear had to protect the American players.  Bags of urine were tossed at the US team.

You can't play nice with Syria  —  In the Middle East, violence is not the result of poor communication but a tool for political gain.  Nothing proves that point better than Syria's successful use of violence and terrorism to promote its interests.  No amount of dialogue is going to change that reality.

Is Iraq in a Civil War?  —  Many politicians have determined Iraq to be in a civil war.  "We're not fighting terrorism in Iraq," Rep. John Murtha (Democrat-Penn.) said on January 27, 2006, "We're fighting a civil war in Iraq."  [1] He is not alone.  On November 27, 2006 …

Desperate Iraqi Refugees Turn to Sex Trade in Syria  —  MARABA, Syria — Back home in Iraq, Umm Hiba's daughter was a devout schoolgirl, modest in her dress and serious about her studies.  Hiba, who is now 16, wore the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, and rose early each day to say the dawn prayer before classes.

Zoellick frontrunner to lead World Bank  —  Robert Zoellick, former US deputy secretary of state, has emerged as the frontrunner to be the next president of the World Bank.  —  Senior US administration officials expect a decision on the successor to Paul Wolfowitz, who steps down as bank president …

The Rise Of the Bottom Fifth  —  How to Build on the Gains Of Welfare Reform  —  Imagine a line composed of every household with children in the United States, arranged from lowest to highest income.  Now, divide the line into five equal parts.  Which of the groups do you think enjoyed big increases in income since 1991?

Rules 'hiding' trillions in debt  —  Liability $516,348 per U.S. household  —  The federal government recorded a $1.3 trillion loss last year — far more than the official $248 billion deficit — when corporate-style accounting standards are used, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

Campaign Puts New Strain on Secret Service  —  Big Field and Early Start Force Cuts in Other Efforts  —  The U.S. Secret Service expects to borrow more than 2,000 immigration officers and federal airport screeners next year to help guard an ever-expanding field of presidential candidates …