Don't Make Trouble  —  Eleanor Clift has penned a column that she clearly wrote while half in the bag after playing spin the Jameson's with Chris Matthews and John McLaughlin at Bob Shrum's St Paddy's Day bash.  A bigger puddle of misguided conventional wisdom I have not seen in quite some time.

Bush Using Straw-Man Arguments in Speeches  —  WASHINGTON - "Some look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude that the war is lost and not worth another dime or another day," President Bush said recently.  —  Another time he said, "Some say that if you're Muslim you can't be free."

The New York Times is used like an old snot rag  —  Editor's Note Appended  —  The New York Times has retracted an anti-American cover story only a week after it was published.  Captain Ed examines the Times' retraction and is merciless.  Deservedly so, since the Times thought it plausible …

What We've Gained In 3 Years in Iraq  —  Some have described the situation in Iraq as a tightening noose, noting that "time is not on our side"and that "morale is down."  Others have described a "very dangerous" turn of events and are "extremely concerned."  —  Who are they that have expressed these concerns?

Veterans' Voices On Iraq  —  Voices of 100 Veterans: The War in Their Words  —  The heat, which is like living under a french-fry lamp, like standing in front of the world's biggest hair dryer, like sitting in a sealed car on the hottest summer day in Washington with the heater blasting and someone throwing sand in your face.

Political offensive targets Bush  —  Senate Democrats have mapped a political battle plan for the March congressional recess that calls on lawmakers to stage press events with active duty military personnel, veterans and emergency responders to bash President Bush on virtually every one of his national security policies.

In pictures: Global anti-war protests  —  Thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities around the world to protest against the war in Iraq, on the third anniversary of the US-led invasion.  —  Across time zones and cultures, their anti-war sentiments and their opposition to the US-led action in Iraq was the same.

Change the Subject  —  POLITICS IS PRETTY SIMPLE.  If the debate in an upcoming election puts your party at a disadvantage, it makes sense to try to change the debate.  At the moment, the 2006 midterm election is framed as a referendum on the Bush administration and congressional Republicans …

The Letter of the Law  —  The White House says spying on terror suspects without court approval is ok.  What about physical searches?  —  In the dark days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a small group of lawyers from the White House and the Justice Department began meeting …

Taliban kill 15 in Afghanistan  —  KANDAHAR: At least nine policemen, a former governor, his four companions and a security guard were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan blamed on the Taliban, Afghan officials said on Saturday.  —  A bomb blast on Friday killed nine policemen …

Major Changes Raise Concerns on Pension Bill  —  With a strong directive from the Bush administration, Congress set out more than a year ago to fashion legislation that would protect America's private pension system, tightening the rules to make sure companies set aside enough money to make good on their promises to employees.

Cooking 101: Add 1 Cup of Simplicity  —  As Kitchen Skills Dwindle, Recipes Become Easy as Pie  —  At Kraft Foods, recipes never include words like "dredge" and "sauté."  Betty Crocker recipes avoid "braise" and "truss."  Land O' Lakes has all but banned "fold" and "cream" from its cooking instructions.

Clear and Present Dangers  —  Four decades ago, Kevin Phillips, a young political strategist for the Republican Party, began work on what became a remarkable book.  In writing "The Emerging Republican Majority" (published in 1969), he asked a very big question about American politics …

Huge protests against French job law, some violence  —  PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of students, workers and left-wing politicians took to the streets across France on Saturday to press the conservative government to scrap a new law they fear will erode job security.