Clinton reaches out to Iowans about 2008  —  The senator is calling Democrats to gauge support for a possible White House run.  —  Sen. Hillary Clinton began making calls Monday to Iowa Democrats about the state's political landscape with an eye toward its 2008 presidential nominating caucuses, aides to Clinton said.

NASA Plans Lunar Outpost  —  Permanent Base at Moon's South Pole Envisioned by 2024  —  NASA unveiled plans yesterday to set up a small and ultimately self-sustaining settlement of astronauts at the south pole of the moon sometime around 2020 — the first step in an ambitious plan to resume manned exploration of the solar system.

How to end AP's "60 Minutes Moment" on Iraqi Sources  —  You've probably not read much about it because only a handful of mainstream media outlets have covered it, but the Associated Press - for decades America's largest and most trusted wire news service - is at the center of a credibility crisis largely of its own making.

Mr. Bolton Resigns  —  John Bolton's decision to resign as America's envoy to the United Nations was a wise move.  He averted a distracting and divisive fight at a time when both Congress and the Bush administration have better things to do.  He has also provided President Bush with an opportunity …

Court Reviews Race as Factor in School Plans  —  By the time the Supreme Court finished hearing arguments on Monday on the student-assignment plans that two urban school systems use to maintain racial integration, the only question was how far the court would go in ruling such plans unconstitutional.

Bush Meets With Rival of Iraqi Leader  —  President Bush met today with one of the most powerful Shiite leaders in Iraq — a political rival of Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki — and urged him to "reject the extremists that are trying to stop the advance of this young democracy."

A Dream of Mature Nations  —  A number of Canadians took offense recently to a Boston Herald column in which I slammed Canada and Europe in general for failing to hold up their end in this war for democracy, freedom and security.  Specificially, I slammed them for being smug democracies …

I: About That Cakewalk ...  I remember sitting with Richard Perle in his suite at London's Grosvenor House hotel and receiving a private lecture on the importance of securing victory in Iraq.  "Iraq is a very good candidate for democratic reform," he said.  "It won't be Westminster overnight …

Nearing '08 Decision, Pataki Heads to New Hampshire and Iowa  —  ABC News' Teddy Davis and Karuna Seshasai Report: As he nears a decision on whether to run for president in 2008, Gov. George Pataki (R-NY) is planning to travel to New Hampshire and Iowa on Wednesday.

Hardliners turn on Ahmadinejad for watching women dancers  —  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, who flaunts his ideological fervour, has been accused of undermining Iran's Islamic revolution after television footage appeared to show him watching a female song and dance show.

Census Counts 100,000 Contractors in Iraq  —  There are about 100,000 government contractors operating in Iraq, not counting subcontractors, a total that is approaching the size of the U.S. military force there, according to the military's first census of the growing population of civilians operating in the battlefield.

IRAQ SYMPOSIUM, PART ONE: I've been flooded with email on this in response to my post the other day, so I'm probalby going to have to put it up in pieces.  Here's piece one, anyway.  —  James Ruhland, having served in Iraq, posts his thoughts in "There and Back Again."  Excerpt:

Soldiers Say Army Ignores, Punishes Mental Anguish  —  Medical records show that when Tyler Jennings returned from Iraq last year, he was severely depressed and used drugs to cope.  When the sergeants who ran his platoon found out, they started to haze him.

Islam gets concessions; infidels get conquered  —  What they capture, they keep.  When they lose, they complain to the U.N.  —  IN THE DAYS before Pope Benedict XVI's visit last Thursday to the Hagia Sophia complex in Istanbul, Muslims and Turks expressed fear, apprehension and rage.

With the Democratic Congress, Groups Gear Up for Fight Over Paid Sick Days  —  With the Democratic Congress expected to move quickly to raise the minimum wage, many Democrats, women's organizations and liberal groups are gearing up for a fight on another workplace issue: paid sick days.

Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War  —  Israel's military, which has been accused of abuses in its war against Hezbollah this summer, has declassified photographs, video images and prisoner interrogations to buttress its accusation that Hezbollah systematically fired from civilian neighborhoods …