"New Broom" To Head Chiefs Of Staff  —  Pace is out as Chief of Staff, in an unexpected move. … Mullen is obviously intended to repair bridges with America's European defense partners so damaged by Rummie's "Old Europe" policies.  In his bio, his experience in working with NATO and European officers is the big stand-out point.

Defections to Fred Thompson Pose a Major Threat to McCain  —  John Dowd represented Sen. John McCain in his darkest hour, the "Keating Five" scandal.  He supported McCain the first time he ran for president in 2000 and signed up to be a major fundraiser for him in this year's presidential race.

Leading Conservative Activist Seeks Punitive Damages  —  Judge Robert Bork, one of the fathers of the modern judicial conservative movement whose nomination to the Supreme Court was rejected by the Senate, is seeking $1,000,000 in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages, after he slipped and fell at the Yale Club of New York City.

Hilton Ordered Back to Jail!  —  Paris Hilton was just ordered back to jail in Lynwood to serve out the remainder of her sentence!  She'll get credit for at least 5 days already served.  —  Hilton left the courtroom in tears, screaming, "Mom, Mom, Mom."  Hilton was also heard saying "It's not right."

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Lies, Sighs and Politics  —  If early campaign reporting is any guide, the bad media habits that helped install the worst president ever in the White House haven't changed a bit.

Fred Thompson plans late-June trip to NH  —  MANCHESTER - Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson will make his first visit to New Hampshire as a potential presidential candidate later this month, a high-ranking Republican says.  —  State Senate Minority Leader Ted Gatsas, R-Manchester …

Peace Corps Is Edwards Terror Plan  —  Senator Edwards is outlining a new national security strategy that hinges on the creation of a 10,000-person civilian peace corps to stem the tide of terrorism in weak and unstable countries.  —  Mr. Edwards's plan, which he presented in Manhattan yesterday …

Ars takes a field trip: the Creation Museum  —  A museum like no other  —  Here at Ars Technica we've written about the US creationist movement and its attack on science quite regularly.  From attempts to alter the way science is taught in different states across the US to statements …

"His Personality Cult is All Personality and No Cult."  —  I pick on John Edwards a lot, possibly too much, and have (luckily) been asked to explain why.  OK, here's why: There's no reason for him to run and several reasons for him not to run.  Edwards entered politics as a Clintonite Southern psuedo-populist.

Justice Official May Revise Voter-Fraud Testimony, People Say  —  A Justice Department lawyer under fire for bringing criminal voter-fraud charges on the eve of the 2006 election may revise his Senate testimony about the case, which angered other U.S. prosecutors, officials familiar with the matter said.

Two Years of Humble Pie  —  In Britain, Canada and other civilized places, national elections are often called, run and concluded within six weeks.  In America, election campaigns go on forever.  It used to be one year, now it's two.  No one planned this, but like other evolutionary artifacts …