9/11 Is Over  —  Not long ago, the satirical newspaper The Onion ran a fake news story that began like this:  —  "At a well-attended rally in front of his new ground zero headquarters Monday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani officially announced his plan to run for president of 9/11.

MCCAIN STUMBLES ON RELIGION — AGAIN  —  Perhaps the moral of the story is that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would be far better off avoiding religion as a campaign issue.  It's been dogging him for years, and his fall from grace continues.  —  In 2000, the Arizona senator gambled …

Is Hillary Clinton the New Old Al Gore?  —  THE Democrats can't lose the White House in 2008, can they?  —  Some 13 months before Election Day, the race's dynamic seems immutable.  Americans can't wait to evict the unpopular president and end his disastrous war.

SHIFTING TARGETS  —  The Administration's plan for Iran. … In a series of public statements in recent months, President Bush and members of his Administration have redefined the war in Iraq, to an increasing degree, as a strategic battle between the United States and Iran.

Report: Countrywide CEO Cashed Out  —  LA Times: Angelo Mozilo Cashed In $138 Million In Options Before Crash  —  (AP) Countrywide Financial Corp. Chairman and CEO Angelo Mozilo cashed in $138 million in stock options over the last year, switching his trading plans as the mortgage company went …

US military deaths in Iraq lowest in 14 months  —  US military losses in Iraq for September stood at 70 on Sunday, the lowest monthly figure since July last year, according to an AFP tally based on Pentagon figures.  —  The figure also marks the fourth consecutive drop in the monthly death toll following a high of 121 in May.

Surveillance Showdown  —  "Privacy" zealots want America to forgo intelligence capabilities during wartime.  —  Would any sane country purposefully limit its ability to spy on enemy communications in time of war?  That is the question Congress must answer as it takes up reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Jena, O. J. and the Jailing of Black America  —  THE miscarriage of justice at Jena, La. — where five black high school students arrested for beating a white student were charged with attempted murder — and the resulting protest march tempts us to the view, expressed by several of the marchers …

The Nepotism Tango  —  Maybe it's fitting that a woman who first sashayed into the national consciousness with an equation — "two for the price of one" — may have her fate determined by the arithmetic of dynasty.  —  The town is divided into two camps: those who think that …

I hate all Iranians, US aide tells MPs  —  Britsh MPs visiting the Pentagon to discuss America's stance on Iran and Iraq were shocked to be told by one of President Bush's senior women officials: "I hate all Iranians."  —  And she also accused Britain of "dismantling" the Anglo-US-led coalition …

Bush's EPA Is Pursuing Fewer Polluters  —  Probes and Prosecutions Have Declined Sharply  —  The Environmental Protection Agency's pursuit of criminal cases against polluters has dropped off sharply during the Bush administration, with the number of prosecutions, new investigations …