Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations  —  When the Justice Department publicly declared torture "abhorrent" in a legal opinion in December 2004, the Bush administration appeared to have abandoned its assertion of nearly unlimited presidential authority to order brutal interrogations.

Exclusive: Paul Tops $5 Mil For Quarter  —  Texas Congressman Ron Paul, an anti-war libertarian making his second run at the White House, will report having raised $5.08 million in the third quarter.  The number, which rivals those of John McCain and Bill Richardson, was boosted thanks …

Early On, Thompson Fails to Spark Excitement in Iowa  —  Twenty-four minutes after he began speaking in a small restaurant the other day, Fred Thompson brought his remarks to a close with a nod of his head and an expression of thanks to Iowans for allowing him to "give my thoughts about some things."

Sen. Pete Domenici Expected to Retire  —  Veteran Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is expected to announce tomorrow that he will retire from the Senate in 2008, according to several informed sources, a decision that further complicates an already difficult playing field for Republicans next November.

Message to the House of Representatives  —  TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:  —  I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 976, the "Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007," because this legislation would move health care in this country in the wrong direction.

Is That A Fat Lady I Hear Singing?  —  Pills Limbaugh just keeps diggin' and diggin'.  I've been delighted to see that it's been all over cable news today, and Wes Clark has been promoting the move to get Limbaugh off Armed Forces Radio Network.  Since that letter from Harry Reid et. al. condemning Rush …

Iran 'arming Taliban with roadside bombs'  —  Iran is supplying the Taliban in Afghanistan with the same bomb-making equipment it provides to insurgents in Iraq, according to British military intelligence officers.  —  US Army General Dan McNeill, the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan …

In Ballot Fight, California Gets a Taste of '08  —  Ballot measures in California have long been proxies for local politicians' hopes and dreams — just ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who rode a recall petition to the Statehouse.  —  But now a statewide initiative has become the unusual battleground …

The 9/11 backlash against women  —  Terror swept women back into the kitchen, argues Susan Faludi, and tore open the worst scar in American history.  But it's Bruce Springsteen who makes the fear so real.  —  It may be pop culture heresy to rope together Susan Faludi's new book …

Another Fred gaffe  —  From NBC's Joel Seidman  —  More gaffes from Fred Thompson: Not only has he misspoken or said he didn't know about Terri Schiavo, or the controversy about oil drilling in the Everglades, or that he was unaware that a federal judge had ruled that lethal injection procedures …

The Daily Show: Chris Matthew's "Book about Sadness"  —  Chris Matthews has always puzzled me as a talking head.  There's always been this strange disconnect between his embarrassingly slavish adulation of political figures (please, don't make me repeat the glimmering GWB, the manly-smelling Fred Thompson, etc.

New poll shows growing discontent with Hamas rule in Gaza  —  Terror organization to lose elections if new vote were held today in Palestinian Authority, survey conducted by Near East Consulting concludes.  Poll also finds that majority of Gazans oppose rocket attacks on Israel …

Schools must warn of Gore climate film bias  —  Schools will have to issue a warning before they show pupils Al Gore's controversial film about global warming, a judge indicated yesterday.  —  The move follows a High Court action by a father who accused the Government of 'brainwashing' children …