Right Wing Launches Baseless Smear Campaign Against 12 Year Old Recipient Of SCHIP  —  Two weeks ago, the Democratic radio address was delivered by a 12-year old Maryland boy named Graeme Frost.  Graeme told his story of being involved in a severe car accident three years ago …

Democratic Concessions Are Expected on Wiretapping  —  Two months after vowing to roll back broad new wiretapping powers won by the Bush administration, Congressional Democrats appear ready to make concessions that could extend some of the key powers granted to the National Security Agency.

DAN RATHER VOWED TO LEAK BUSH GUARD DOCS TO NEW YORK TIMES — IF CBS SPIKED  —  Former CBSNEWS anchor Dan Rather pressured CBS to air the failed Bush/National Guard story in September 2004, Howard Kurtz reports in his new blockbuster book: REALITY SHOW: INSIDE THE LAST GREAT TELEVISION NEWS RACE.

The PLAN  —  I've given it a skim, and here's my conclusion: It's extremely good.  Exceptional in some places, slightly nebulous in others, perfectly in line with expectations in yet more, but also perfectly in line what we should expect from good public servants at this point, and certainly more than I expected from Obama.

Iraq insurgency: People rise against al-Qa'eda  —  Damien McElroy spent a week in the heart of the insurgency in Anbar province in Iraq.  In the second of seven exclusive reports he describes how peace and prosperity have returned to a town formerly riven by sectarian killings.

Iraqi Questions  —  I think Rich Lowry would agree that we both had an informative week in Iraq in and around Baghdad, Anbar, and Diyala.  Many thanks to the efforts of Major Rayburn and Col. McMaster who allowed us to accompany them on their visits in Baghdad, Anbar, and Diyala …

Buyout Firms to Avoid a Tax Hike  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has told private-equity firms in recent weeks that a tax-hike proposal they have spent millions of dollars to defeat will not get through the Senate this year, according to executives and lobbyists.

Fred Thompson Announces National Campaign Leadership Team  —  McLean, VA - Sen. Fred Thompson announced today the members of his National Campaign Leadership Team: Sen. Howard H. Baker will serve as honorary chairman of his presidential campaign and Sen. Spencer Abraham, Sen. George Allen …

Leak Severed a Link to Al-Qaeda's Secrets  —  Firm Says Administration's Handling of Video Ruined Its Spying Efforts  —  A small private intelligence company that monitors Islamic terrorist groups obtained a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official release last month …

Fairness Doctrine Makes No Sense in Today's World  —  [NOTE: The American Spectator reports this chilling news: … This news about Democrats trampling on the First Amendment for political purposes ties into Fred's latest commentary.  -Sean]  —  Whether it's the situation in Iraq …

Red Baiting  —  Over on the blog-I-didn't-know-he-had, Roger Cohen shows us all that he's actually the kind of liberal hawk who likes going in for a little McCarthyite red baiting now and again, analogizing my former colleague Mike Tomasky to a Stalin apologist.

Democrats turn to traditional issues  —  Congressional Democrats rode anti-war sentiment to victory last fall — but they are staking their success in the final months of this year's calendar on more traditional domestic issues amid concern that the war may not be the potent political issue it once was by Election Day 2008.