Immigrant bill hurts Martinez in polls  —  The Florida Republican senator's approval ratings are at an all-time low.  —  WASHINGTON — A new poll shows that U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's approval ratings with voters have plunged to an all-time low, apparently reflecting his support for a controversial immigration-reform bill.

A Victim?  Hardly!  —  The Paris Hilton saga has become so compelling that many political bloggers who swore off mentioning her have weighed in on the topic, including myself.  Hilton got hauled off screaming and crying to jail after having been released by Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca five days …

A Failure of Leadership  —  The immigration compromise collapsed on the floor of the Senate Thursday night.  Many of its hard-line foes are celebrating, but their glee is vindictive and hollow.  They have blocked one avenue to an immigration overhaul while offering nothing better …

'Hardball with Chris Matthews' for June 7  —  Guests: Ben Affleck, Loretta Sanchez, Brian Bilbray, Ezra Klein, Karen Hanretty  —  CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Hollywood stars have a big voice in politics.  —  Let's see if one of them, Ben Affleck, can answer some tough questions.  —  Let's play HARDBALL.

Mary Winkler Sentenced to Jail  —  There have been 10 comments posted  —  Selmer, Tennessee (WVLT) Knoxville native Mary Winkler will go to jail in connection with the killing of her minister husband.  —  A judge sentenced Winkler to three years of split confinement in connection …

Dean: Democratic president would end war  —  WASHINGTON - The high hurdles faced by congressional Democrats in their efforts to end the Iraq war make electing a Democratic president in 2008 the best way to finish the conflict, Democratic party chairman Howard Dean said Saturday.

For One Visit, Bush Will Feel Pro-U.S. Glow  —  The highlight of President Bush's European tour may well be his visit on Sunday to this tiny country, one of the few places left where he can bask in unabashed pro-American sentiment without a protester in sight.

Three arrested in arms plot to kill Americans  —  A suspected international arms dealer was arrested yesterday in Spain and charged with conspiracy to sell millions of dollars in weapons to a State Department-designated foreign terrorist organization in Colombia to kill Americans.

Condi insists troop buildup is 'effective' in News sitdown  —  DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF  —  The U.S. troop surge in Iraq has been "effective" cleaning up parts of Baghdad, but the dramatic uptick in spectacular terror bombings is "unnerving," Secretary of State Rice told the Daily News yesterday.

EXTREMISTS....I just heard Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos chatting on the ABC Evening News about the collapse of the immigration bill.  Their conclusion?  It was killed by extremists on both sides: liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans overwhelmed the centrists.

Death or Glory Part II of IV  —  Death or Glory Part II of IV:  —  Into the Desert With the Queen's Royal Lancers  —  Sunrise.  —  The intended target in an ambush never knows when it's over.  Yesterday's ambush, which killed two soldiers and wounded three others, is a case in point.

Romney Brothers Dish on Dad  —  Blog by Presidential Candidate's Five Sons Reveals G-Rated Details of Former Governor's Family Life  —  BOSTON — Tagg Romney, 37, loves the Sox and has a thing for Billy Joel.  Matt Romney, 35, always tunes in to "Saturday Night Live," and Josh Romney, 31, likes to surf and water-ski.

Blue America: Welcome Tom Allen, Next Senator From Maine!  —  Maine is a very independent state and a very moderate state.  Many voters aren't hyper-partisan as much as they are just looking for the right person regardless of party affiliation.  I want to tell you about a Republican elected …

Gingrich: McCain Can't Win GOP Nod  —  McCain Tells ABC Gingrich 'May Be Right' on Immigration's Peril to '08 Bid  —  Newt Gingrich predicts John McCain will never be the Republican nominee for president.  And McCain concedes he might be right.  —  The former House Speaker argued Friday …

Polarization Nation  —  America's current culture war emerged clearly into the light of day about twenty years ago, with the publication of Allan Bloom's The Closing of the American Mind.  Five years later, in 1992, James Davison Hunter's book, Culture Wars, cemented the phenomenon's name.

Report Gives Details on CIA Prisons  —  NATO Pacts Exploited, European Probe Finds  —  The CIA exploited NATO military agreements to help it run secret prisons in Poland and Romania where alleged terrorists were held in solitary confinement for months, shackled and subjected to other mental …