State of Mexico Addressed, by Invitation Only  —  Calderón Delivers Speech At Ceremonial Palace  —  President Felipe Calderón, blocked from delivering the traditional state-of-the-nation address to Congress, called Sunday for changing the format of an annual rite that has become a chaotic embarrassment for Mexico.

Edwards backs mandatory preventive care  —  TIPTON, Iowa - Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said on Sunday that his universal health care proposal would require that Americans go to the doctor for preventive care.  —  "It requires that everybody be covered.

BBC offers Palestinians 'support'  —  The BBC has been advertising for a "Project Director, Palestinian Territories" to advise Palestinian journalists.  On what?  Impartiality?  —  The BBC have devised another way to spend our money  —  "And I thought WE hated the Israelis," …

Roberts Suggested Miers, Book Says  —  Author Delves Inside Bush Controversies  —  John G. Roberts Jr., now the chief justice of the United States, suggested Harriet Miers to President Bush as a possible Supreme Court justice, according to a new book on the Bush presidency.

The secular elite vs. the popular Islamists  —  Today's political challenge is to allow people to live according to their religion, while at the same time protecting those who are either irreligious or who have a different interpretation of the Koran  —  As a foreigner who is highly interested in …

Combat deaths in Iraq decline; reasons aren't clear  —  WASHINGTON — American combat deaths in Iraq have dropped by half in the three months since the buildup of 28,000 additional U.S. troops reached full strength, surprising analysts and dividing them as to why.

Dean tells Muslims: Run for political office  —  Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told American Muslims gathered in Rosemont to think beyond voter registration drives.  —  "You need to run for political office," Dean said Saturday.  "The only way you can achieve your goals …

Report: U.S. workers are most productive  —  GENEVA - American workers stay longer in the office, at the factory or on the farm than their counterparts in Europe and most other rich nations, and they produce more per person over the year.  —  They also get more done per hour than everyone …

Blitzer Dismantles Rep. Boustany's Assertions Of Progress In Iraq  —  Appearing on CNN's Late Edition this morning, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), who recently returned from Iraq, asserted "some major improvements" are being witnessed in Iraq.  Echoing claims made by Gen. David Petraeus, Boustany said "sectarian deaths are down."

Baghdad's New Owners  —  Shiites now dominate the once mixed capital, and there is little chance of reversing the process.  —  It was their last stand.  Kamal and a handful of his neighbors were hunkered down on the roof of a dun-colored house in southwest Baghdad two weeks ago as bullets zinged overhead.

The Man Behind The De Palma Smear: Mark Cuban Declares War On The Troops  —  Billionaire Mark Cuban has decided to put all of his weight behind a campaign to smear US troops in Iraq as "monsters'.  Cuban has decided that De Palma's film "Redacted" must be seen as the cornerstone …

The New Money Pit  —  It started with subprime mortgages.  Now owners of McMansions are defaulting, and the effects of the housing bust are beginning to ripple through the economy.  —  Walking through the gated community of Black Mountain Vista on a hill in Henderson, Nev., Thomas Blanchard offers a guided tour of real-estate woe.

"THE GUY THAT WE GET OUT OF THE HOOD": We've just been through the most analyzed five minutes anybody ever spent in a bathroom.  But there's still one little-noticed part of it that caught my attention.  At one point during the taped exchange between Sen. Larry Craig and Sgt. Dave Karsnia …

Meet The Press: A Pissy Mary Matalin Throws Her Pen When Punked By Shrum  —  (thanks to Scarce for pictures) On this morning's Meet The Press, Senior Cheney apologist and right wing sniper, Mary Matalin, threw a little hissy fit at Bob Shrum on the issue of Iraq and the upcoming presidential election.

Couric Admits Her Rosy Report From Iraq Is Based On 'What The U.S. Military Wants Me To See'  —  CBS News anchor Katie Couric is currently reporting from Iraq.  Today she spoke to Bob Schieffer on CBS's Face the Nation and largely reiterated Gen. Petraeus's talking points on Iraq.

I Love the Smell of Daily Kos in the Morning  —  It smells like... well, you know what it smells like if you've ever been on a cattle ranch: … By all means, please go over and read Maccabee's post.  When you do, see if you can spot what appears to be wrong with the story …