The Politico Fails Journalism 100  —  When I was studying journalism way back in the early 1980s, they hammered on us pretty hard about fact checking, verifying sources and not accepting things as fact based on hearsay.  I don't think we covered conference calls specifically …

Chris Matthews on Fred Thompson's sexiness and smells  —  I've written a fair amount recently about the media's obsession with the faux-masculinity of GOP candidates in general, and the tough-guy military persona of Fred Thompson in particular, and don't have all that much to add about that specific topic at the moment.

Israel's options: Disconnect from Gaza or talk to Hamas  —  Defense Minister Amir Peretz convened security chiefs for a situation assessment on Thursday afternoon, with the focus on the Hamas onslaught on Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip.  —  Two main conclusions were reached: First …

Doing the jobs Americans aren't willing to do  —  Given the recent rhetoric in Republican circles about immigration policy, I found this story spectacularly amusing. … Wait, it gets funnier.  Matthews was hired by Michael Kamburowski, the state GOP's chief operations officer, who is ... wait for it ... an Australian citizen.

Does FOX News have insider info on Cheney and a pardon?  —  Today both CNN and MSNBC said that Cheney and Bush weren't speaking about a pardon at this time soon after Judge Walton ruled Libby has to serve his time in jail during the appeal process.  However, FOX News said that sources told …

Legislators vote to defeat same-sex marriage ban  —  A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was swiftly defeated today by a joint session of the Legislature by a vote of 45 to 151, eliminating any chance of getting it on the ballot in November 2008.  The measure needed at least 50 votes to advance.

Senate Leaders Agree to Revive Immigration Bill  —  Senate Democratic and Republican leaders announced on Thursday that they had agreed on a way to revive a comprehensive immigration bill that was pulled off the Senate floor seven days ago.  —  The majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada …

THE WAR OVER EARMARKS, CONT.  —  As we noted a few days ago, the House of Representatives has been embroiled in a battle over the Democrats' effort to roll back the earmark reforms that were initiated in the last Congress by the Republicans.  The Democrats are trying to adopt a program …

Romney Plans Major Arena Fundraiser To End Quarter  —  Mitt Romney's presidential campaign will commandeer Fenway Park and a Boston arena for a night and a day late next week for a major last-minute fundraising extravanganza.  It even has a fancy title: "America's Calling."  —  And once again, reporters are invited.

To Avoid Any Conflict, Clintons Liquidate Holdings  —  Concerned that their personal finances might become a political liability once again, Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton in April sold the millions of dollars of stocks held by their blind trust after learning that those investments included oil …

Gonzales Meeting With Aide Scrutinized  —  Justice Dept. Checking For Possible Wrongdoing  —  The Justice Department is investigating whether Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales sought to improperly influence the testimony of a departing senior aide, two of its senior officials said yesterday …