President Bush Discusses Global War on Terror  —  Washington, D.C.  —  In Focus: Defense  —  In Focus: National Security  —  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.  Ed, thanks.  Thanks for the kind introduction.  I'm looking forward to working with you for the next 14 months …

S.C. Dems reject Colbert candidacy  —  Stephen Colbert's satirical run for the presidency has run into its first roadblock - his bid to be on the ballot in the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary was rejected on Thursday.  —  The party's executive council voted 14 to 3 …

But They're Unaffiliated, Of Course  —  Media Matters insists that it has no intention of supporting a candidate, but it's hard to tell that from its content.  As Jonah Goldberg noted, the site went into a full-throated defense of Hillary Clinton by attacking Tim Russert for ... well, asking questions about issues:

Sen. Kennedy turns against AG nominee  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush, seeking Thursday to salvage the embattled nomination of Michael Mukasey as attorney general, defended the former judge's refusal to say whether he considers waterboarding as illegal torture.  But the nomination suffered another setback in the Senate.

The most influential US conservatives: 21-40  —  As the US prepares for what is arguably the most open presidential election since 1928, the last time there was no incumbent president or vice-president on the ballot, the Daily Telegraph's Washington correspondents compile a list of the 100 …

From the Desk of Donald Rumsfeld . . .  In Sometimes-Brusque 'Snowflakes,' He Shared Worldview, Shaped Policy  —  In a series of internal musings and memos to his staff, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld argued that Muslims avoid "physical labor" and wrote of the need to …

Knollenberg aide who went nuts on YouTube takes leave of absence  —  When we last saw Trent Wisecup, chief of staff to Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.), he was busy blowing a gasket on YouTube and berating an anti-war protester for following around the congressman with a video camera.

Time to Close the US Embassy  —  I don't try to start an internet campaign very often, because the blogosphere has its own priorities and logic that are democratic and should not be forced.  But here is a plea for everyone in the blogging world to help force congress to save our diplomats.

Finalists Announced  —  Here is a complete list of the finalists for The 2007 Weblog Awards.  Finalists badges (hosted by Imageshack) will be available Thursday.  Voting is scheduled to begin Thursday evening (late), but at this point we can't pinpoint the exact time polls will open.

Blackwater sneak silencers into Iraq?  —  Security firm under investigation for allegedly sidestepping export controls  —  A Blackwater employee shows off a silencer-equipped rifle in Iraq in a photo obtained by NBC News.  The picture has been digitally altered to protect the identity of the subject.

Victory at University of Delaware  —  University Dumps Thought Reform Program  —  Late Thursday, University of Delaware President Patrick Harker released on the school's website a Message to the University of Delaware Community terminating the university's ideological reeducation program …

The angry voter: Bad news for Dems  —  Congressional Democrats certainly know the power of a throw-the-bums-out message.  It vaulted them to power a year ago this week.  Little wonder anxiety is boiling over inside the new majority as lawmakers ponder a succession of polls and reach …

New '08 Iran Rift: Obama Refuses To Sign Dem Letter To White House  —  Thirty senators sent a letter to the White House on Thursday warning President Bush not to take offensive military action against Iran without the consent of Congress.  Noticeably absent from the list of signatories is presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL.