On "The Situation Room" today, we asked viewers the following questions, and here are some of our favorite responses that we didn't get to read on air:

Does Congress deserve to take off the month of August?

Yes, it will be a preview of what it will be like for many of them after the elections in November when they no longer will be members of Congress. I agree with you, Jack, this bunch does more harm than good when they are in session. It's best for the country that they get out of town.
John, South Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Jack, I am so discouraged by our entire government. I never thought I'd ever say this, but our government is dangerous. I was relieved to hear that they are going to be out of Washington for 5 weeks. At last we get some good news!
Chef, Richmond, Virginia

My answer to that is easy: Hell no! I'm a teacher, and work two jobs just to make ends meet, and even when school is out, I have to work. Congress, already grossly over-paid, does not need to be off all month.
James, West Virginia

Definitely, Congress deserves a long August break and we as citizens deserve a break from them. If we're lucky, perhaps they won't come back at all.
Berdyne, Vero Beach, Florida

Is it a mistake for the U.S. and Britain not to push for an immediate cease-fire?

An immediate cease-fire will only help the bad guys. It allows Hezbollah time to regroup and re-arm. A cease-fire has never brought lasting peace in the entire history of the world. Only a convincing victory at the end of a real war has brought lasting peace. Let Israel do its job; they are doing the U.S. and the rest of the free world a huge favor by dealing so decisively with Hezbollah.
Russ, Elkhorn, Wisconsin

Yes, the longer the conflict goes on, the more world opinion turns against Israel and the U.S. - which hurts the war on terror, while moderates become radicalized, and Hezbollah's recruitment of militants grows exponentially.
Greg, Aurora, Colorado

Yes. By definition, a cease-fire saves lives and property. People live who would otherwise die. Divide the total number of mangled and dead on both sides by the number of war-days, and that's how many people could be saved tomorrow.
Dave, Vancouver

Yes, it is a huge mistake not to push for an immediate cease-fire. Not doing so shows the moral bankruptcy of this administration and certainly is increasing the ranks of those who are against the U.S.
Warren, Los Angeles, California

I think a cease-fire without getting the job done against Hezbollah would be a big loss for democracy and the free world. Let Israel destroy Hezbollah before any cease-fire.
J.F., Montreal, Quebec

How much longer do you think U.S. troops will be in Iraq?

You must be crazy to think that U.S. troops are leaving Iraq anytime soon. As violence increases, the chances of seeing U.S. troops coming back home decreases. It is as simple as that.
Jason, Cairo, Egypt

I am in the U.S. Navy. I think that our troops need to be there as long as it takes.
Gregory, Oak Harbor, Washington

If we are lucky, perhaps troops will be leaving after the country speaks next Election Day. Otherwise, not until we get us a new President.
Ralph, New York

That's an easy question, Jack. We've already built permanent bases there. So basically, as long as the Iraqis will tolerate U.S. troops in their country.
Denise, Tampa

I can see my grandkids being deployed to Iraq. We're not getting out of there any time soon, no matter what the neo-cons say. Had we gone in there at the beginning like we were supposed to, we'd be finished there now. But no, we had to do it on the cheap.
Dan, Portland, Oregon

From The Morning Grind

A word of advice if you speak to leaders of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Do not use the word moderate when talking about the organization's politics.

Members prefer being described as centrists, because the moderate tag conjures up thoughts of abortion and gay rights. And Main Street does not take a position on either of these issues.

Instead, the group of over 60 governors, representatives and senators advocates reducing the deficit, cutting taxes, focusing on education as well as environmentally friendly measures. The organization released its "Promise for America" agenda yesterday.

The battle of ideas within the Republican Party has not always been easy for Main Street members, who sometimes find themselves at odds with their own leadership. The latest disagreement was over President Bush's veto of stem cell legislation.

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Virginia), who serves as president of the organization, called it "a bad issue to make your first veto" in a recent meeting with a small group of political reporters. But Davis, a former National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, was very careful not to criticize Bush or Congressional Republican leaders, who are now pushing socially conservative measures under the "American Values Agenda," banner.

"They're doing a great job," Davis said. "They've got to govern. They've got to pull together a tough conference."

It appears, though, that several members of the organization have scored a victory by pressuring the GOP leadership to hold a vote on increasing the minimum wage. The vote will likely take place today, before the House adjourns for the August recess.

Still, while the organization counts anti-abortion rights lawmakers such as Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) as one of its members, there are also many others who are considered liberal on social issues. And these members vote that way, much to the heartburn of some Republicans.

"Their whole purpose is to present a more moderate view of Republicanism," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report. "And to the extent that they disagree with the party leaders or the top leader, the President of the United States, they run the risk of being perceived by party regulars of being disloyal."

One Republican who vocally criticizes Main Street is former Rep. Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania). As the president and CEO of the limited tax, pro-growth Club for Growth, Toomey is working to defeat a handful of his former GOP colleagues such as Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-Michigan). A headshot of the freshman lawmaker is featured prominently on the Club's website with a red headline "Joe Schwarz is a liberal." It also has launched a separate website attacking Schwarz, who faces a tough primary challenge on August 8 from a Club backed candidate.

"We don't see it as our mission to elect Republicans, regardless of what they believe in," Toomey said in a recent interview with the Grind. "The Republican Main Street Partnership has decided to try and elect liberal Republicans. What we are dedicated to is a set of principles."

The Club is also playing a prominent role in trying to defeat Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island) in the September 12 Republican primary.

Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, executive director of Main Street, contends the Club is being dishonest in saying it only targets people it disagrees with on economic matters. In fact, she claims it specifically goes after lawmakers it doesn't consider conservative enough on social issues.

"The facts speak for themselves," she said. "Of all the Members of Congress and open seat candidates the Club for Growth supported, they only supported one pro choice candidate. To articulate an example, they attacked (Sherwood) Boehlert (R-New York) two years ago and he voted 127 times for tax cuts. He never voted to raise taxes. However, he is pro-choice."

Toomey disputed Chamberlain's assessment that it is a social conservative organization. He called it a "dishonest charge.

"The reason they do this is because they are embarrassed by the economic liberalism of their members," he said.

For his part, Davis is blunt about Main Street's philosophy about challenging incumbent Republicans.

"We don't go after other Republicans," he said. "I believe in being an addition and not being a subtraction."

And Davis said if the GOP wants to maintain control of Congress this year and the White House after 2008, it needs to embrace a big tent philosophy.

"If you want to be a national party, be competitive in all regions, you need to be tolerant," Davis said.

The organization, founded in 1998, is on track to spend $7 million in the November elections, Chamberlain tells the Grind. The group receives funding from likeminded Republicans such as former Rep. Amo Houghton (R-New York) and Robert Ziff of Ziff Brothers Investments.

As for Main Street's attempt to re-brand, Rothenberg said, "One man's centrist is another man's moderate."

(An occasional Morning Grind feature in a series about organizations seeking to influence the 2006 and 2008 elections)

From The Morning Grind

Congressional Democratic leaders previewed six policy themes Thursday the party will promote in the coming months as it tries to wrest control of the House and Senate from Republicans in November. Under the overarching banner "A New Direction for America," Democrats said they are better equipped to provide real security, better jobs, access to college, energy independence, affordable healthcare and retirement security.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) described it as "a list of deliverables that can happen, God willing, if Democrats take back Congress." The first order of business, Pelosi said, was to enact the recommendations put forth by the 9/11 Commission.

Republicans dismissed the pledge as an election year stunt.

Still, Democrats were bullish on the prospect of taking back the House and Senate majorities, but refused to make any predications about what gains they would make in November.

"One hundred days out, I would rather be us than them," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Illinois), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Emanuel also accused his counterpart, Rep. Tom Reynolds (New York), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, of sitting on internal polling data because it spelled trouble for GOP candidates.

Playing off of Emanuel's training as a dancer, NRCC spokesman Carl Forti said Emanuel was doing nothing more than spinning away.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from a ballerina," Forti said.

Meanwhile, Reynolds will hold a 10 a.m. ET pen and pad with members of the media at NRCC headquarters.

From The Morning Grind

President Bush's closest ally on the war on terror, Tony Blair, stops by the White House this morning to talk about how best to address the Israel and Hezbollah situation. Blair is expected to push Bush to support a United Nations resolution for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, sources in Blair's office tell CNN's Robin Oakley.

A British government spokesman traveling with Blair said the prime minister believes that the United States will be willing to support a resolution next week in the expectation that Israel will by then have sufficiently weakened Hezbollah with its military action.

Meanwhile, the fighting rages on along the Israel-Lebanon border, CNN's team of reporters, who are on the ground scattered throughout the region report. The Israeli Air Force bombed at least 110 Hezbollah targets overnight as assaults between Hezbollah and Israeli forces entered their 17th day, the Israel Defense Forces said Friday morning. Targets included rocket launchers, Hezbollah structures, tunnels, a gas station and a base in the Bekaa Valley where the IDF said Hezbollah launched long-range missiles. At least 14 rockets had landed in northern Israel by midday Friday with most landing near Kiryat Shmona and Galilee, police in Haifa said.

NASRALLAH HIDING IN IRANIAN EMBASSY? Intelligence reports indicate the leader of Hezbollah is hiding in a foreign mission in Beirut, possibly the Iranian Embassy, according to U.S. and Israeli officials. Israeli military and intelligence forces are continuing to hunt for Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's secretary-general, who fled his headquarters in Beirut shortly before Israeli jets bombed the building last week. "We think he is in an embassy," said one U.S. official with access to the intelligence reports, while Israeli intelligence speculates Sheik Nasrallah is hiding in the Iranian Embassy. If confirmed, the reports could lead to an Israeli air strike on the embassy, possibly leading to a widening of the conflict, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Foreign embassies are sovereign territory and an attack on an embassy could be considered an act of war. Washington Times: Hezbollah leader said to be hiding in Iranian Embassy

CEASE-FIRE "MUST BE REAL," SAYS BUSH... "IT CAN'T BE FAKE": President George W. Bush said any cease-fire achieved between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon must be sustainable and not subject to later flare-ups caused by terrorists. "We're working hard diplomatically," Bush told reporters during a meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu at the White House. "As soon as we can get this resolved, the better. But it must be real, and it can't be fake."... "The Middle East is littered with agreements that just didn't work," Bush said, and peace efforts are complicated by terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, working to undermine Arab democracies in Lebanon and Iraq. Bloomberg: Bush Says Any Mideast Peace Reached 'Must Be Real'

RICE TO RETURN TO REGION: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday in Malaysia she will be returning to the Middle East to continue work to bring about a sustainable cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel. "Let me be clear. I'm going to return to the Middle East. The question is, when is it right for me to return? We hope to achieve an early end to this violence. "It's important groundwork be laid so that I can make the most of the time I spend there," Rice said. A State Department official said Rice's departure from Malaysia was likely to be on Saturday, rather than Friday as earlier expected. With bags already packed, the itinerary change was unprecedented, as official trips are usually scheduled very tightly. Several reporters traveling with Rice had already checked out of their hotels. USA Today: Rice to go back to Middle East; EU offers peacekeepers

IN U.S., BOTH SIDES OF MIDEAST CONFLICT ACTIVATE LOBBYING OPERATION: With Israel at war again, American Jewish groups immediately swung into action, sending lobbyists to Washington, solidarity delegations to Jerusalem and millions of dollars for ambulances and trauma counseling, just as they always have. But this time there is a parallel mobilization going on in this country by Arab-Americans and Muslim Americans in support of Lebanese and Palestinian victims of the war. These Americans, too, are sending lobbyists to Washington, solidarity delegations to the Middle East and boxes of lentils, diapers and medicine to refugees. Both sides are worried about friends and relatives under bombardment or driven from their homes. Both are moved to act by the scenes on television of their suffering kin. New York Times: As Mideast Churns, U.S. Jews and Arabs Alike Swing Into Action

BOLTON "HAS DONE MORE HARM THAN GOOD," SAY SENATE DEMS: Senate Democrats unleashed a sharp volley of criticism of President Bush's foreign policy yesterday, arguing that John R. Bolton has done more harm than good as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and does not deserve an extended term. If Bolton's style were less divisive, they said, he might have achieved more reforms at the United Nations and tougher sanctions against Hezbollah and North Korea. But Republicans defended Bolton and the administration and said it would be unwise to change ambassadors when the Middle East is in crisis and Iran and North Korea are threatening nuclear advances. Democrats said it was unclear whether they would try to filibuster Bolton's nomination this fall, as they successfully did last year. Washington Post: Democrats Criticize Bolton as Ineffective

BUSH'S "DOWN-HOME," CASUAL STYLE "BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE": His aides say Bush likes to show a lighter side, taking the edge off weighty matters that come with his job. Some critics, though, say some of these moments demonstrate a lack of seriousness. For example: Bush's recent trip to Europe to visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel and meet with world leaders in Russia at the annual Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations caused a stir. He could be heard cursing over a live microphone, talked longingly about "slicing the pig" at a barbecue in his honor, and gave an impromptu neck massage to a startled Merkel that was seen around the world via the Internet. White House spokesman Tony Snow said the president believes in "putting people at ease, so that you can have a candid conversation." USA Today: Bush's 'regular guy' mode can backfire

SHEEHAN BUYS CRAWFORD PROPERTY: [Cindy] Sheehan has purchased a 5-acre plot in Crawford, saying she did so with some of the insurance money she received after her son, Casey Sheehan, was killed in Iraq. "We decided to buy property in Crawford to use until George's resignation or impeachment, which we all hope is soon for the sake of the world," Sheehan said in a newsletter, scheduled to be sent to her supporters today. "I can't think of a better way to use Casey's insurance money than for peace, and I am sure that Casey approves." Now an official resident of Crawford, like Bush, Sheehan predicted in the newsletter that she and her supporters will "enjoy a cordial relationship with everyone." Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Sheehan buys plot in Crawford with son's insurance money

"POLITICAL VALIDATION" FOR "IDOL": "American Idol" will reach the pinnacle of political validation today when President Bush welcomes this year's winner, Taylor Hicks, and the show's nine runners-up to the White House. It's not as if the blockbuster Fox show needs more publicity. The season's finale drew 36.38 million viewers, behind only the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards this year, and its 10 top performers are in the midst of a summer concert tour. But Bush could use a ratings boost - for months, polls have consistently shown fewer than four in 10 Americans approve of his job performance. It's the first time "American Idol" stars - or those from any reality TV show - have earned a White House meeting. Hicks, along with Katharine McPhee, Elliott Yamin and the show's other finalists, will visit Bush in the Oval Office this afternoon, give him a gift and pose for pictures. Los Angeles Times: Political Stage Is Next for 'Idol' Stars

HOUSE GOP WORKING TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGE: Under intense pressure from their moderate wing, House Republican leaders moved on Thursday toward allowing a vote Friday on an increase in the minimum wage before sending anxious lawmakers home for a month of campaigning in the battle for control of Congress. House Republicans were still assembling a proposal Thursday night. But the momentum had clearly shifted in favor of considering an increase of at least $2 in the $5.15 an hour minimum wage, despite strong resistance from conservative Republicans and the party's allies in the business community. "I have a high degree of confidence that we are going to have a package presented tomorrow," said Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Republican of New York and a centrist who has been clamoring for a wage vote, as he left a meeting on Thursday in the office of Speaker J. Dennis Hastert. New York Times: Republicans Near a Vote to Increase U.S. Wage

STANDARDS CMTE REVIEWS DAVIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CONSULTING FIRM: Two months before Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) became chairman of the powerful House Government Reform Committee in January 2003, one of his close friends formed ICG Government, a consulting company for technology firms seeking government contracts. Donald W. Upson had risen with Davis through the burgeoning Northern Virginia technology community, where they worked side by side as executives at a company that sold computer systems to the government... One of Upson's first hires [at ICG] was Jeannemarie Devolites, a Virginia politician who later married the congressman. ICG has a record of satisfied clients, who say the firm has provided them with access to the congressman and his staff. In an opinion issued this week, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct told the congressman that his wife can work for the consulting firm as long as the couple does not personally benefit from any official acts by the congressman. Washington Post: Wife, Friend Tie Congressman to Consulting Firm

WHO COULD POSSIBLY WANT THAT JOB? Governor Mitt Romney turned his attention yesterday to finding a new manager for the largest and one of the most troubled public works projects in the nation, after Turnpike Authority chairman Matthew J. Amorello announced his resignation under pressure following the death of a passenger crushed in a car in a Big Dig tunnel. Amorello's resignation, which takes effect Aug. 15, caps a 3 1/2-year effort by Romney to take control of the Turnpike Authority. The governor had won control over safety inspections of the Big Dig under a bill passed by the Legislature two weeks ago, and now Amorello's resignation effectively hands him everything else he's wanted: control over who leads the Turnpike Authority, oversight of the $14.6 billion project, and an end to the bitter wrangling between his administration and the independent agency. Boston Globe: A vacancy at the helm

BILL TO HEADLINE IA HILLARY EVENT: Bill Clinton looks like the surrogate-in-chief for wife Hillary, with a star turn in the first presidential test state of Iowa, where he'll headline a Democratic dinner on Oct. 14. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) could use a boost in Iowa, where a shocking Des Moines Register poll last month found potential 2008 rival John Edwards leading her, 30 percent to 26 percent. Analysts say she's paying a price for backing the Iraq war in a state where Democrats are anti-war - and Edwards, the former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice-presidential nominee, has spent a lot of time there. New York Post: Bill a Hill Shill in Iowa

PIRRO'S BREWER BACKERS: Beer companies are pouring contributions into Jeanine Pirro's campaign for state attorney general, according to her latest campaign filings. The GOP golden girl collected donations from Heineken, Coors, Miller Brewing, Barton Beers in Chicago, High Grade Beverage distributors in New Jersey and the Beer Institute, a Washington-based lobbyist, the Daily News has learned. In the past six months, these beer bigwigs padded her war chest with $9,418, which includes an intimate reception that Heineken hosted for her in Washington in May. Pirro and several of the beer companies credit her crackdown on underage drinking and DWI cases as Westchester district attorney for the donations. New York Daily News: Pirro coffers foaming over

"GRANDMA" DROPS NICKNAME LAWSUIT: After suffering a courtroom setback Thursday, independent candidate for governor Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced she is dropping her legal fight to get on the ballot using the nickname "Grandma." "You will hear people across this state calling me by my nickname," Strayhorn said. "I just won't be on the ballot with my nickname." Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams had refused to let Strayhorn use the nickname on the ballot, saying it was only a means of getting a reminder on the ballot of her campaign slogan: "One tough Grandma." Houston Chronicle: Strayhorn loses one tough fight on nickname

HARRIS DEMANDS DEAN APOLOGY: U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris' campaign has called for an apology from Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "Howard Dean's extreme comments reflect a lack of understanding and basic decency," Stanley Tate, finance chairman for the Friends of Katherine Harris campaign, said in a statement. "It is inappropriate to engage in partisan mudslinging against a woman who has a proven record of advocating for the interests of Floridians and for supporting noble humanitarian causes worldwide," he said. Dean called Harris, a Republican from Longboat Key, a "crook" during lunchtime remarks Wednesday to the Democratic Professionals Forum in West Palm Beach. Palm Beach Post: Harris asks DNC's Dean to apologize

SIR CHARLES IN 2010? Former basketball star Charles Barkley says he's switched political teams from Republican to Democrat and is again talking about running for governor in his home state, possibly in 2010. "I really believe I was put on Earth to do more than play basketball and stockpile money," said Barkley, known as the Round Mound of Rebound. "I really want to help people improve their lives, and what's left is for me to decide how best to do that." Barkley, a Leeds native who has been an NBA analyst with cable network TNT since his 2000 retirement, has been talking about running for governor of Alabama since he was playing with the Phoenix Suns in the 1990s. In 1995, he said he was considering running in 1998 as a Republican, but that never materialized. AP via Yahoo! News: Ex-NBA star Barkley eyes Ala. Governorship

On "The Situation Room" today, we asked viewers the following questions, and here are some of our favorite responses that we didn't get to read on air:

Should the U.S. take the lead when it comes to international conflicts, or stay out?

With a track record that looks like Swiss cheese when it comes to being a positive police force in other countries' problems, we need to just say "no," and sit back to take a break. Maybe we could just watch and see how other countries do, and possibly take a lesson from them.
George, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

When other countries get into squabbles, the U.S. should stay out unless asked to help. We cannot afford to bail out the world. A lot of times they made their beds, now let them lie in them. Clarence, Batesville, Mississippi

America should just stay out of it. Hezbollah is an Israeli problem, always has been. America should focus on fixing Iraq and Afghanistan's problems.
Justin

Is the current law against spying on Americans without a warrant inadequate?

This question is secondary. The first question that should be asked is, "Is the current enforcement of the law inadequate?"
Eric, Los Angeles, California

Absolutely not. The current law does provide for emergency situations. It allows law enforcement to act without a warrant; with the condition that a warrant be obtained after the fact within a certain time frame. There is absolutely no reason why the Bush Administration would need to change/alter or ignore this law.
Maggie, Illinois

When did we become the Soviet Union? Imprisonment without due process, torture, militarism, antagonizing the world, and now spying on our own citizens. Is the current law inadequate? No, it represents the freedom from oppression that we fought the cold war over. The freedom we are supposed to be defending in the "Global War On Terror."
Richard

Do the media overreact every time al Qaeda releases another tape?

Absolutely not. Your reaction is probably the same as mine. I want to hear it exactly as it is...no fluff or hiding the truth! I believe al Qaeda is a terrorist organization most other terrorists groups emulate. When they speak, we listen! Because you know the other terrorist groups are all listening, too.
Carol, Indiana

Jack, Yes, the media pay too much attention to the latest tapes from the caves. Ignore the lunatics. The best way to discourage temper tantrums is to ignore them. As usual, our response is backwards. We ignored them before September 11 and broadcast every blurb since then.
Connie

The media overreact on everything from the weather to the price of gum. It is amazing how every little thing that happens in the world any more is the beginning of the end of the world.
Mamie, Reno, Nevada

Debating Bint Jbeil
Israeli Defense Forces are calling the southern Lebanese border town of Bint Jbeil - Hezbollah's "terror capital." On Wednesday, a day after the Israeli military announced it had taken control of the village, eight Israeli soldiers were killed and nearly two dozen were wounded. As violence rages in Bint Jbeil, a Web site associated with the town is being visited by millions of people from dozens of countries around the world with many posting their raw opinions of the conflict in Arabic, English, Hebrew and even Chinese.

Capturing the conflict
Photographers on the frontlines of the Mideast conflict continue to post their intimate photos online. Images posted on the popular photo sharing Web site Flickr offer insight into the devastation and turmoil in Israel and Lebanon. In Lebanon, we can see the wreckage of a house in the port city of Tyre, as well as distressed refugees fleeing from their homes. A short distance away in Israel, soldiers look over into Lebanon from Avivim, a border town which has been under fire. Another photo shows the destruction caused by a Katyusha Rocket in northern Israel. The photographer tells us this rocket killed a 15-year-old girl.

Watch "The Situation Room" at 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM, ET for these stories and more from our Internet reporters.

From The Morning Grind

Looking for a state that is a microcosm of the whole country? You won't find it in Iowa or New Hampshire -- there are 25 states that come closer to average statewide measures on important characteristics such as race and income.

What about Nevada or South Carolina? Nope. They're even further away from "real America" than New Hampshire -- or Utah, for that matter. Michigan? You're getting warmer, but there are 10 states that can claim to be more representative than Michigan.

In fact, a politician looking for that mythical microcosm -- the most typical state in the country -- should look no further than Wisconsin.

The Badger State comes closer than any other to state-by-state averages on 12 key measures, according to a new analysis by CNN Polling Director Keating Holland that takes a fresh look at U.S. Census data.

"For years, politicians who put the presidential calendar together have wrestled with the question of which states really are the most typical or more representative of the country," Holland said. "Here is one way to determine that."

Holland identified 12 key statistics -- four that measure race and ethnicity, four that look at income and education, and four that describe the typical neighborhood in each state -- and added up how far each was from the figures for the average state on each measure.

Holland said he chose these 12 different categories because "they have a strong impact on the political landscape in every state."

Close behind Wisconsin are four other Midwestern states that look most like a hypothetical average state -- Missouri, Kansas, Indiana and Ohio. Most of the least-typical states tend to come from the Northeast, including Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. West Virginia is in 49th place, while Mississippi comes in dead last.

Interestingly, West Virginia and Mississippi both petitioned the Democratic National Committee to be chosen for early slots on the party's presidential nominating calendar in 2008. So did Michigan. They all lost. The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee recently recommended that Nevada and South Carolina join Iowa and New Hampshire for this coveted placement on the presidential nominating calendar. The full DNC membership is likely to ratify the recommendations next month.

So, what makes Wisconsin so special -- or, to put it another way, what makes Wisconsin so average? It is about as close to the average state as you can get on most of the 12 measures included in this study.

For example, let's take the number of college graduates who live in each state. Wyoming is dead center among all 50 states, with 30.22 percent of its population holding a college degree. In Wisconsin, the number is 30.24 percent.

Or take housing values. On a state-by-state basis the median housing value, in North Carolina, is just over $111,600. The median housing value in Wisconsin is roughly $111,500. The Badger State is also fairly close to the state-by-state average on population growth, home ownership, population density, and the number of blacks and Hispanics who live there. The number of whites and blue-collar workers who live in Wisconsin is much further away from the average state's figures on those measures, but not enough to keep the Badger State from claiming the top spot.

Mississippi, on the other hand, is about as far away from the average state as you can get on most of the 12 measures included in this study. By some measures, Mississippi is the poorest and most rural state in the country. The average house in Mississippi is worth only about $71,000. (Only Oklahoma has a lower median housing value.) When you add it all up, Mississippi is so far away from the typical state on so many different measures that it ends up at the bottom of the list.

"It's important to note that there are hundreds of ways of making this same calculation, and dozens of states could all make a legitimate claim to being the most representative state in the nation," Holland said.

To make the calculations easier to understand, Holland recalculated each state's score to produce a zero-to-50 scale -- there are 50 states, after all -- with a high score indicating a state that is more representative than a state with a lower score.

A ranking of the 50 states

1. Wisconsin 36.4
2. Missouri 35.2
3. Kansas 34.4
4. Indiana 30.8
5. Ohio 30.1
6. Oklahoma 29.9
7. Oregon 29.3
8. Nebraska 29.0
9. Georgia 27.3
10. Minnesota 26.9
11. Michigan 26.8
12. Washington 26.3
13. Wyoming 25.9
14. North Carolina 25.8
15. Florida 25.6
16. Montana 25.3
17. Virginia 25.3
18. Alaska 25.1
19. Pennsylvania 25.0
20. Arizona 24.8
21. Delaware 24.1
22. Tennessee 22.3
23. South Dakota 21.4
24. Kentucky 20.3
25. New Mexico 20.3
26. Iowa 19.6
27. Texas 19.6
28. Illinois 19.5
29. Rhode Island 19.0
30. Maryland 18.9
31. Colorado 18.8
32. Louisiana 18.3
33. Idaho 18.1
34. Vermont 17.9
35. Maine 17.4
36. New Hampshire 17.4
37. Utah 17.0
38. Hawaii 16.3
39. South Carolina 15.8
40. California 15.3
41. Arkansas 15.0
42. Alabama 14.6
43. North Dakota 13.8
44. Nevada 13.5
45. Connecticut 13.1
46. Massachusetts 11.6
47. New Jersey 11.4
48. New York 6.5
49. West Virginia 4.8
50. Mississippi 2.8

From The Morning Grind

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's top political aide is in Washington, D.C., this week talking to strategists and fundraisers about the New Mexico Democrat's re-election in November as well as his role as head of the Democratic Governors Association. But in many cases, the conversations with Dave Contarino, chairman of Richardson's gubernatorial re-election campaign, are turning to 2008.

A source close to Richardson tells the Grind that laying the groundwork for 2008 is "not the primary reason" why Contarino is in town, but added "certainly when it comes up, he is not discouraging it.

"He is willing to talk about the governor's resume and how he would be a strong candidate if he decides to run," the source said.

The source said that Richardson, himself, "can't go anywhere these days without the presidential questions coming up.

"Obviously, it is no secret the governor is considering it and we believe he has got the best resume of the group, particularly at this time in history where foreign policy, international relations and diplomacy is such a key part of what the next president is going to need," said the source. Before he was elected governor in 2002, Richardson served in the House, as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as Energy secretary.

From The Morning Grind

House Republican leaders this morning will announce the newest round of field hearings on illegal immigration that will take place in 12 states over the August recess.

The House and Senate remain at loggerheads over how to address the illegal immigration issue, a dispute that also pits House Republican leaders against President Bush. Specifically, House Republicans oppose a Bush/Senate backed plan that would create a system to allow current illegal immigrants living in the U.S. an opportunity to gain citizenship. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), just back from a fact-finding mission to the Southern border, will reiterate his opposition to the proposal when he unveils the new border hearing schedule.

"Before we can look at other immigration issues, we must first secure our borders," Hastert will say, according to an advanced copy of his remarks obtained by the Grind. "I am disappointed that the Democrats support a plan for open borders and a plan for amnesty. Their plan is just plain unacceptable."

Hastert will also emphasize Republicans' belief that "border security is an issue of national security," a GOP theme that is expected to be echoed on the campaign trail in the closing months of the 2006 campaign.

"It is not a secret that terrorists and drug runners -- who want to do us harm -- are trying to find ways into our country, and I believe we must first do everything we can to stop them," Hastert will say.

A complete list of House hearings

Judiciary Committee

San Diego, CA on August 2nd -- How do illegal immigrants impact the costs of healthcare, local education, and other social services, and would these costs increase under Reid-Kennedy immigration bill?

El Paso, TX on August 17th -- What is the financial impact of illegal immigration on communities along the U.S. border, and could these costs rise under the Reid-Kennedy bill? What is the impact on efforts to extend a border security fence under the Reid-Kennedy bill's requirements regarding consultation with the Mexican Government? Will efforts to limit illegal immigration be inhibited by the Reid-Kennedy bill's provisions relating to local law enforcement?

Concord, NH on August 24th -- How do illegal immigrants impact the costs of healthcare, local education, and other social services, and would these costs increase under Reid-Kennedy immigration bill? What is the societal impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's grant of amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants?

Upstate New York on August 25th -- What are the current risks of terrorists, narcotics smugglers, and human traffickers infiltrating the United States, and what role do secure identification documents play in limiting those risks? Does the Reid-Kennedy bill undermine efforts to limit those risks?

Evansville, IN on August 29th -- How are U.S. workers impacted, and potentially displace by the Reid-Kennedy bill?

Dubuque, IA on September 1st -- Do the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions repeat the mistakes of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986?

Armed Services Committee

Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI on August 1st -- What are the unique challenges for the Department of Defense in supporting border enforcement along the Northern Border?

Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, AZ on August 2nd -- What are the operational and training impacts of a porous border on military bases along the border?

Homeland Security Committee

Bellingham, WA on August 8th -- What are the border infrastructure successes since passage of the REAL ID Act and the 9/11 Commission Implementation Act, and what challenges still exist?

Austin, TX on August 17th -- What are the criminal consequences of illegal immigration along the Southern Border?

Intelligence Committee

Sierra Vista, AZ on August 17th -- What is the state of technical surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for monitoring the efforts of terrorists and drug cartels to infiltrate American soil through the Southern border?

Grand Rapids, MI on August 23rd -- What is the threat to the United States from Islamic extremists who abuse the legal immigration system?

Education and the Workforce Committee

Plano, TX on July 31st -- Does the Reid-Kennedy bill weaken employment verification systems, making it easier for illegal immigrants to find work inside American borders?

Gainesville, GA on August 14th -- What is the impact on American workers and businesses of the Reid-Kennedy bill's provisions mandating Davis-Bacon wage rates for guest-workers?

Energy and Commerce Committee

Nashville, TN on August 10th -- What is the impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions on the health care delivery system and for individual American taxpayers?

Dalton, GA on August 15th -- What is the impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions on the health care delivery system and for individual American taxpayers?

Government Reform Committee

San Diego, CA on August 14th -- What is the impact on state and local governments, in terms of both societal costs such as policing and direct government costs such as health care and welfare benefits, of illegal immigration? Would the Reid-Kennedy bill impose huge unfunded mandates on state and local governments?

Resources Committee

Santee, CA on August 5th -- What efforts need to be undertaken to prevent federal public lands from being harmed as they are used as a pathway for illegal immigration? Does the Reid-Kennedy bill compromise our federal lands?

Hamilton, MT on August 28th -- What efforts need to be undertaken to secure the federal lands along the Northern border to prevent drug trafficking and other illegal activities? Could the Reid-Kennedy bill make these efforts more difficult?

From The Morning Grind

House and Senate Democrats will huddle behind closed doors this afternoon for a part strategy session/part pep rally as the minority party begins a final push to try and take back Congress in November. A Democratic leadership aide tells the Grind the meeting is intended to talk about the party's "closing arguments" it will make to voters as to why "there needs to be a new direction for America."

"Now is when Democrats begin to make Republicans pay for wasting the last 19 months catering to the radical right and rubberstamping George Bush," the aide said. "We're fanning out across the country to ensure every American who wants a new direction knows that's what they'll get in a Democratic Congress."

Democratic leaders are book-ending the meeting beginning with an off-camera political briefing at the Mott House and closing with an on-camera news conference at the Russell Senate Swamp.

From The Morning Grind

For Republican senators, one Harry Reid is enough to contend with. But two could be downright aggravating. Even Reid would agree that two of him spells trouble.

The Senate Minority Leader from Nevada discovered this week that he was a victim of identity theft after someone used his MasterCard number to charge about $2,000 at a Wal-Mart and other stores in Monroe, North Carolina, CNN's Ted Barrett reports.

"It's not a tremendous inconvenience for me," he said. "I won't have to pay it."

But Reid said he is steamed about the fact the perpetrator likely will never be caught. "Something has to be done," he said, holding up his now-deactivated card.

Reid said he found out someone had obtained the number after opening his bill Tuesday night. Reid said he does not know how someone obtained the number or whether he has been the victim of a broader identity theft -- a problem that affects millions of Americans every year.

The question is if the new Harry Reid can make a purchase at Wal-Mart, can he also launch a filibuster?

MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE MIDEAST CONFLICT "WILL LEAD TO A WIDER WAR": Americans are overwhelmingly pessimistic about the state of affairs in the Middle East, with majorities doubtful there will ever be peace between Israel and its neighbors, or that American troops will be able to leave Iraq anytime soon, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. A majority said the war between Israel and Hezbollah will lead to a wider war. And while almost half of those polled approved of President Bush's handling of the crisis, a majority said they preferred the United States leave it to others to resolve. New York Times: Poll Shows Skepticism in U.S. Over Peace in Mideast

"THE FATE OF OUR COUNTRY AND YOURS IS TIED": Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged Congress Wednesday to continue backing the war in Iraq and the emerging democracy there, calling it essential to defeating terrorists worldwide. "The fate of our country and yours is tied," al-Maliki told a joint meeting of the House and Senate. "Should democracy be allowed to fail in Iraq, and terror permitted to triumph, then the war on terror will never be won elsewhere." Al-Maliki, speaking through an interpreter, did not mention the renewed Middle East conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. His refusal to condemn Hezbollah for attacks on Israel and his criticism of Israel's ongoing military response has drawn fire from lawmakers such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. USA Today: 'Our duty to defeat this terror,' Iraqi leader tells Congress

HOWARD DEAN CALLS AL-MALIKI "ANTI-SEMITE"...: Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean on Wednesday called Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki an "anti-Semite" for failing to denounce Hezbollah for its attacks against Israel. Al-Maliki has condemned Israel's offensive, prompting several Democrats to boycott his address to a joint meeting of Congress and others to criticize him. Dean's comments were the strongest to date. "The Iraqi prime minister is an anti-Semite," the Democratic leader told a gathering of business leaders in Florida. "We don't need to spend $200 and $300 and $500 billion bringing democracy to Iraq to turn it over to people who believe that Israel doesn't have a right to defend itself and who refuse to condemn Hezbollah." AP via Yahoo! News: Dean calls Iraqi PM an 'anti-Semite'

...AND ATTACKS KATHERINE HARRIS - "SHE IS NOT STALIN": "Thank God for Bill Nelson, because we'd have another crook in the United States Senate if weren't for him," Dean said. "He's going to beat the pants off Katherine Harris, who didn't understand that it is ethically improper to be the chairman of the campaign and count the votes at the same time. This is not Russia. And she is not Stalin. And she will go back to wherever she came from and Bill Nelson will be reelected to the United States Senate so we can have an honest person as a senator from the great state of Florida." Harris' campaign spokeswoman, Jennifer Marks, condemned Dean's "scurrilous attacks" and said Harris was upholding the state's elections laws during the 2000 recount. Palm Beach Post: Dean rips into Harris as a 'crook'

DHS SPENDING "MARRED BY EXTENSIVE WASTE AND MISSPENT FUNDS": The multibillion-dollar surge in federal contracting to bolster the nation's domestic defenses in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has been marred by extensive waste and misspent funds, according to a new bipartisan congressional report. Lawmakers say that since the Homeland Security Department's formation in 2003, an explosion of no-bid deals and a critical shortage of trained government contract managers have created a system prone to abuse. Based on a comprehensive survey of hundreds of government audits, 32 Homeland Security Department contracts worth a total of $34 billion have "experienced significant overcharges, wasteful spending, or mismanagement," according to the report, which is slated for release today and was obtained in advance by The Washington Post. Washington Post: Homeland Security Contracts Abused

"CLASH OVER EAVESDROPPING COMPROMISE": Senior Bush administration officials said Wednesday that it would be impractical for them to obtain individual warrants every time they needed to eavesdrop on a conversation suspected of involving Al Qaeda. They urged Congress to approve a proposal that critics said would give the president broad, unchecked powers. In testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, called the proposal, developed by Senator Arlen Specter and the White House, "a great opportunity" to modernize intelligence-gathering procedures in a way that would "protect our liberty and security."... Under the proposal, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which meets in secrecy to rule on usual government requests for warrants in intelligence cases, would decide whether the administration's program of monitoring international communications of Americans without warrants is constitutional. But critics attacked the agreement Wednesday as abdication to the White House. New York Times: Administration and Critics, in Senate Testimony, Clash Over Eavesdropping Compromise

SPECTER INTROS "PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING STATEMENTS ACT OF 2006": Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter yesterday introduced legislation that would allow Congress to sue President Bush over his use of signing statements to claim the power to bypass laws, saying that lawmakers must push back against a White House power grab. "The president cannot use a signing statement to rewrite the words of a statute, nor can the president use a signing statement to selectively nullify those provisions he does not like," the Pennsylvania Republican said. "This much is clear from our Constitution." Boston Globe: Specter takes step to halt Bush signing statements

DEBATING BOLTON... AGAIN: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins hearings Thursday on whether to make [John] Bolton's temporary appointment, which will expire in January, permanent. His appearance in Washington, where Democratic leaders have vowed to oppose Bolton, is expected to be as polarizing as his presence at U.N. headquarters. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) said, "Mr. Bolton's performance at the U.N. only confirms my conviction that he's the wrong person for this job." He suggested that Democrats may filibuster a Senate vote unless the Bush administration releases documents Biden believes detail Bolton's use of National Security Agency intercepts involving U.S. citizens. Washington Post: The Bolton Nomination, Act II

WA COURT UPHOLDS MARRIAGE BAN... "A BLOW TO GAY-RIGHTS ADVOCATES": The state Supreme Court's decision Wednesday to uphold Washington's gay-marriage ban leaves advocates of same-sex marriage looking to a Legislature that's not likely to help them out - at least not anytime soon. State Rep. Ed Murray, a gay state lawmaker from Seattle, promised disappointed plaintiffs that he would introduce legislation in January to bring marriage equality to the state. But he acknowledged that the votes don't exist for marriage or civil unions and that it could be years before such a measure is approved... The court's splintered 5-4 ruling in Andersen v. King County, which included six separate opinions over nearly 200 pages, delivered a blow to gay-rights advocates here and across the country who had counted on a win in Washington to help bolster the gay-rights movement. Seattle Times: Supreme Court upholds state gay-marriage ban

AFTER OPPOSING LAW AS TX GOV, BUSH TO SIGN VRA: With his signature today, President Bush will renew a key part of the Voting Rights Act that singles out 16 states as still practicing voting discrimination, including his state of Texas, where he was governor for six years, and part of Florida, where his brother is governor. Less than a decade ago, Mr. Bush fought that exact part of the Voting Rights Act, with his appointed secretary of state, Antonio O. Garza Jr., calling the provisions a burdensome and unnecessary federal intrusion into Texas' affairs. "The Bush administration has really done a flip-flop on this," said Edward Blum, a senior fellow at the Center for Equal Opportunity who has studied Texas voting and the Voting Rights Act. "This is not where he was, and this is not the kind of philosophy that then-Governor Bush had when it comes to getting Texas out from under the thumb of the federal government." Washington Times: Bush to sign voting act that he once opposed

70% IN CALI WANT NEW IMMIGRATION LAWS: A majority of California voters considers illegal immigration a very serious issue, and 70 percent want Congress to pass an immigration overhaul bill this year, according to a Field Poll released today. The statewide survey of 494 registered voters reached findings very similar to those in a national poll released Tuesday by the Tarrance Group and Lake Research Partners. That poll found that 71 percent of likely U.S. voters favor a comprehensive plan similar to a bill passed by the Senate in May. "This is a very hot issue, a very emotional issue," said Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo. "What has emerged is a consensus that this should be dealt with in a comprehensive way. Congress should attempt to not only address border security but guest workers and a path to citizenship... I was expecting more division, especially among Republicans and conservatives." San Francisco Chronicle: Poll says 70% of Californians want immigration reform

STONE GETS HELP FROM THE SWIFT BOAT GUYS: Oliver Stone, that symbol of everything about Hollywood that conservatives love to hate, is getting help in marketing his newest movie from an unlikely ally: the publicity firm that helped devise the Swift boat campaign attacking John Kerry's Vietnam record in the 2004 presidential race... Mr. Stone said that he knew nothing of the firm's political work until he was contacted by a reporter on Wednesday. The director's "World Trade Center," a largely factual drama about the rescue of two police officers from ground zero after the 9/11 attacks, is to be released on Aug. 9 by Paramount Pictures. But it is already drawing rave reviews in some unlikely quarters. New York Times: Odd Bedfellows Align to Market Film About 9/11

"PRESIDENT IS MY HOMEBOY," SAYS STEELE: Republican Senate candidate Michael Steele on Wednesday called President Bush his "homeboy," reversed course on having the president campaign for him and said he was joking when he described his Republican affiliation as a scarlet letter. The Maryland lieutenant governor, under fire for his comments, told WBAL radio that his remarks were supposed to be off the record with a handful of reporters. Instead, Steele's campaign confirmed Tuesday that he was the unnamed Senate candidate who had assailed the Bush administration and Republican-controlled Congress in a story in The Washington Post. "I've been quoted as calling the president my homeboy, you know. And that's how I feel... It's a term of affection and respect for his leadership of our country in a difficult time," Steele, who is black, said in the radio interview. AP via Yahoo! News: GOP candidate says criticism was a joke

RUDY SHOULD RUN, SAY NEW YORKERS: New York Republicans overwhelmingly agree on two things: Rudy Giuliani should run for president and Gov. Pataki should not, according to a poll released yesterday. Lame-duck Pataki, according to the Siena College survey, has emerged as the Rodney Dangerfield of state GOP politics: He gets no respect. Just 9 percent of New York Republicans said they would vote for Pataki, who is exploring a race for president in 2008. Giuliani was an entirely different story. The poll of 407 likely Republican primary voters found 55 percent favoring the former mayor as their party's candidate for president, followed by 29 percent for Arizona Sen. John McCain. New York Post: Rudy Prez Timber, Gov Dead Wood: Poll

SCULPTOR CREATES "STARTLING" HILLARY BUST: [Sculptor Daniel] Edwards, who courted controversy in April with his life-size nude of Britney Spears giving birth on a bearskin rug, has now come forth with his "Presidential Bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton." The startling sculpture shows an armless-but-bountifully-bosomed Hillary atop a pedestal declaring her "The First Woman President of the United States of America." The piece is due to be unveiled Aug. 9 at Fifth Ave.'s Museum of Sex, where director Daniel Gluck believes it will stir debate on whether a woman need "squelch her sexuality in order to succeed as leader of the free world." Edwards believes his work, which portrays HRC in a plunging evening gown, is anatomically correct. New York Daily News: Sculptor makes bust case for Prez Hillary

BAYH "CLARIFIES" HIS POSITION ON NH PRIMARY: Granted, this whole DNC mess puts candidates in a tough spot. Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, for instance, got a headline in the Des Moines Register this week saying that he backed the Nevada move. The story didn't exactly say that. It said that while he opposed any calendar change, "whatever ends up being decided is what we'll need to do. If I do decide to run, I think you have to compete according to the rules as they are written and in the places and the order they come." Bayh spokesman Dan Pfeiffer further clarified yesterday, telling us Bayh would only "explore" campaigning in Nevada if it receives final approval from the full DNC (as expected), "but it would have no impact on his position on New Hampshire." Manchester Union-Leader: Bayh Clarify

On "The Situation Room" today, we asked viewers the following questions, and here are some of our favorite responses that we didn't get to read on air:

Was the United States right to balk at a cease-fire in the Middle East?

I've always been a proud American, but our country seems to have thrown away its moral compass. The conduct of Ms. Rice in Rome was despicable as more and more innocent Lebanese die because of the blank check and the weapons of war we give Israel. And we wonder why we're hated so!
Ralph, Plantsville, Connecticut

Cease-fire agreement? Is that what you call it? Looked more like Hezbollah was asking for a time-out to reorganize its missiles and troops. This entire problem is that Lebanon has a weak central government that cannot keep Hezbollah in check.
Lance, Lexington, Kentucky

I know if we had missiles coming in from Mexico we would not have a cease-fire until the threat of missiles being fired at us again was stopped. Israel is defending itself and has a right to stop Hezbollah from firing missiles into their cities.
William, Quarryville, Pennsylvania

If Ms. Rice thinks that a military campaign alone is capable of disarming a terrorist organization, the whole country of Lebanon will be destroyed before that is the case. After a certain amount of hostilities there is a time for reasonable, civilized peoples to come to the discussion table to resolve their differences.
Omar, Richmond, Virginia

How should the Bush Administration proceed when it comes to terror suspects?

If 9/11 continues to shred our own Constitution, as well as international constitutions, then it doesn't matter what we do anymore, the terrorists have already won.
Rich, Waterford, Connecticut

If we are fighting a war with people who have no rules of war then we are the idiots to play with rules.
Axxel, New Jersey

This shouldn't even be a question. We are a nation of laws. They should be afforded every right the Geneva Conventions give them. Let's not start down that slippery slope of denying rights to just a few people. Where will it lead?
Donald, Highland, California

Where do you think the "frontline" in the war on terror is?

I think that the "front line" in the war on terror is here at home. Until we can start to take responsibility for the consequences of our actions nothing will change.
Lily, Marietta, Georgia

I think most people in America would agree that the frontline of the war on terror is in the Middle East. I think President Bush had it right with his assessment of the axis of evil and taking the fight to them on their soil. As for all those liberals who don't agree with the president, perhaps they won't be happy until the frontline becomes the shores of America. I wonder what their assessment of the war on terror would be then.
Ed, Medford, New Jersey

The frontline on the war on terror is the entire world. Hasn't anybody noticed that every war being waged around the world today is being waged by militant Islamic groups? They are at war with the whole world, and Israel is the only country with the courage to confront them!
Maria, McAllen, Texas

The frontline is in the hearts of the Palestinians and the hearts of Israelis. Missiles only harden these hearts and further terror in a future generation of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Eugenia, Madison, Wisconsin

The frontline of the war on terror lies in the living rooms of those of us who have family members on the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan!
Ginette, Danville, Indiana

UPDATE: Canada's Prime Minister has confirmed, in a statement posted online, that the Canadian UN observer missing and presumed dead is indeed Major Praeta Hess-von Kruedener.

U.N. Observer's observations
As Israel launches a full investigation into last night's air strike that killed four U.N. peacekeepers in South Lebanon, an email from a Canadian observer stationed at that very same U.N. outpost has surfaced online. The email is posted at Canada's CTV.ca.

In the email, the peacekeeper - Major Praeta Hess-von Kruedener - writes an urgent, first-hand account of life in the crossfire between Hezbollah and the Israeli Defense Forces. He says that his position at Khiyam was under daily fire and that it was not safe for his group to "conduct normal patrol activities."

Muslims on Hezbollah
The Internet is playing an unprecedented role in how we understand the Middle East crisis. While Hezbollah militants and Israelis battle it out on the ground, Muslims fight amongst themselves online over how they view Hezbollah's actions. What are Sunnis and Shiites saying about one another? We examine a number of Web sites with translations and additional reporting from our CNN Bureau in Dubai, which continues to monitor these sites as well as posting stories at our Arabic counterpart.

Watch "The Situation Room" at 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and 7:00 PM, ET for these stories and more from our Internet reporters.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged members of Congress Wednesday not to waver in their commitment to Iraq, vowing that his country will repay the world by becoming "the graveyard for terrorism and terrorists."

In a half-hour speech in a joint meeting of Congress, frequently interrupted by applause, al-Maliki sought to portray the United States and Iraq as kindred spirits in the battle against terrorism. (Full story)

"Should democracy be allowed to fail in Iraq and terrorism permitted to triumph, then the war on terror will never be won elsewhere," he said.

Al-Maliki said Iraq must be allowed time to build its own military forces before multinational forces are withdrawn. He urged that rebuilding begin immediately in peaceful areas that have remained peaceful, appealing directly to Congress for funds to carry out his plan.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was unimpressed with al-Maliki's performance, accusing him of having failed to condemn the activities of Hamas and Hezbollah.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that the government -- temporarily, at least -- cannot examine material seized as part of a May 20-21 FBI search of Rep. William Jefferson's Capitol Hill office.

In a written order, the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said the action would give the court time to consider a motion filed by Jefferson's lawyers, seeking to bar any use of the documents. That effort seeks to overturn U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan's ruling, issued earlier this month, that deemed the search constitutional. (Full story)

The appeals court noted their order was temporary and "should not be construed ... as ruling on the merits" of Jefferson's legal motion.

The Louisiana Democrat is the subject of a criminal probe into allegations he accepted bribes in return for using his office to facilitate business ventures in Africa. In court documents, prosecutors said $90,000 in cash was found in the freezer of his Washington home when it was searched last summer.

The eight-term lawmaker has not been charged and denies wrongdoing.

By Wolf Blitzer, CNN

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel is a different place than it was six months ago.

I was last here in early January when then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had a stroke and went into a coma. He is now the former prime minister, he remains in a coma and his condition, according to his doctors, has deteriorated in recent days.

At the time I went there, there was widespread fear in Israel that he was on the verge of death. That was the story then. Yes, there were tensions with the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. But there was no talk of the dangers to Israel lurking from south Lebanon.

That has clearly changed over these past two weeks. Now, the talk of Israel and much of the world is the warfare between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

People here in Jerusalem do not believe they are in any immediate danger of those Hezbollah rockets and missiles -- in large part because they don't think the Islamist militants would fire their inaccurate rockets at Jerusalem...
(Read more of Wolf Blitzer's column)

From The Morning Grind

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with Congressional leaders this morning as controversy continued to precede his speech to a joint meeting of the House and Senate.

A group of Democrats have called on House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) to rescind al-Maliki's invitation to address Congress, because he has condemned Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. Hastert denied the request and this morning, with al-Maliki at his side, said "we are very honored today to have the Iraqi Prime Minister with us."

Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), who also met with the Iraqi Prime Minister, released a statement praising him for having "a strong vision for the future of his country.

"The Prime Minister has worked hard to form a consensus government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people, and America will stand by him as he works to reduce violence and rebuild his country," McConnell said.

Prior to this morning's meeting with al-Maliki, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) said he agreed with al-Maliki's critics that "he has made some comments in the past which I don't think are balanced in terms of the crisis" between Israel and Hezbollah. But Frist added, "That is not the purpose of him being here."

"He is our ally in the war on terror, as it's being fought out in Iraq, and we need to continue to support him and support him aggressively, ask tough questions, and that's the dialogue we'll have over the course of this morning," Frist said in an interview on CNN's American Morning.

At his appearance with Hastert this morning, CNN's Deirdre Walsh reports that al-Maliki said he was "very honored to be at the Congress of America.

"I come here carrying the difficulties of the American people," al-Maliki said through a translator. "I look forward to the cooperation and support to combat terror in Iraq for the sake of humanity."

Expect some Democratic critics to boycott his 11 a.m. ET speech. Already, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has said he would not attend, CNN's Dana Bash reports.

From The Morning Grind

Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Oklahoma) won the GOP nod last night to take on Gov. Brad Henry (D) in November, while the race to fill his seat won't be decided until next month. Istook took more than 54 percent of the vote, beating back four challengers for the Republican nomination. Businessman Bob Sullivan, who criticized Istook for "pork barrel" spending, came in second with about 31 percent of the vote. Henry easily won the Democratic nomination and is the early favorite to win in November.

As for Istook's 5th District seat, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett emerged from the crowded GOP primary field and will square off in an August 22 runoff. Fallin won 34.5 percent of the vote, while Cornett came in second with 24.2 percent of the vote. The winner will face Dr. David Hunter, who won the Democratic primary, in November. The predominately Republican 5th District is located right in the middle of the state.

Full election results.

From The Morning Grind

Two candidates have emerged in Florida's contested gubernatorial primary contests, but there is still plenty of time for voters to change their minds, a new Quinnipiac University Poll released this morning shows.

Rep. Jim Davis holds a 47 to 19 percent lead over state Sen. Rod Smith among likely Democratic primary voters, while Attorney General Charlie Crist leads Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher by a 55 percent to 32 percent margin among likely Republican primary voters. In a press release accompanying the poll, the university said that "the Democratic race is more fluid because 33 percent of likely voters remain undecided and 64 percent of those who name a candidate say they might change their mind."

Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said even though Crist's lead appears to be "a little more stable because both of those candidates are better known to Florida voters, and there are far fewer undecided voters in that race," he added that there is still time for Gallagher to gain the ground back.

"The numbers in both the Republican and Democratic primaries remain fluid, however, because of the voters' general lack of familiarity with the candidates," Brown stated. "It is often difficult to change voters' perceptions in the final weeks of the campaign, but in these races -- and especially the Democratic one -- the candidates are still such blank slates to so many voters that anything could happen."

The primary will take place on September 5.

From The Morning Grind

It was Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who made the not-so-flattering remarks about President Bush during a luncheon with media types on Monday.

The story was the buzz in Washington yesterday and the Grind expects the debate over whether this helps or hinders Steele's senate campaign to continue for the foreseeable future. Questions to ponder as you consider this story: Did Steele plan to unleash this bomb at the lunch? Or was it an unintentional slip up? And if it was planned, did the White House know it was coming?

As for how this affects Steele's campaign, a senior Republican operative summed it up this way to the Grind, "In the near term, it is a net negative."

From The Morning Grind

Critics of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary contend that those states don't represent "real America." States like Michigan and Delaware have claimed that they look most like the country as a whole. Even states like Arizona and Alabama have occasionally gotten into the act. Which state REALLY represents the whole country? Which state comes closest to the national average on important measures like race and income? Check out tomorrow's Morning Grind for an exclusive analysis of U.S. Census data that that may lay this debate to rest -- or start a whole new round of arguments.

IRAQ LIMITS BUSH'S "MANEUVERING ROOM" ON ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT: The conflict in Iraq is limiting President George W. Bush's maneuvering room as he seeks to influence events in a Lebanon caught in a bloody cycle of violence. U.S. efforts to broker an enduring halt to hostilities in Lebanon are complicated because its main adversaries in the region -- Iran and Syria -- are convinced that America is pinned down by troop deployments in Iraq and have taken advantage of Bush's previous reluctance to engage in Arab-Israeli peacemaking. "Bush finds himself in a very difficult position in this current crisis because the war in Iraq has left him with very little leverage and very little political capital with many of the key players," said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. Bloomberg: Bush's Options in Lebanon Limited by U.S. Commitment in Iraq

BUSH TO SEND MORE TROOPS AS IRAQ WAR MOVES INTO "UNEXPECTED NEW PHASE": President Bush said yesterday that he will send more U.S. forces and equipment to Baghdad as part of a fresh strategy to put down rising sectarian violence, abandoning a six-week-old operation that failed to pacify the strife-torn Iraqi capital and opening what aides called an unexpected new phase of the war. Playing host to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the White House for the first time, Bush sounded unusually dour and acknowledged that the situation in Iraq in many ways has worsened lately. But he vowed to adjust tactics to deal with evolving threats and to keep U.S. forces in Iraq as long as necessary to fortify Maliki's government until it can defend itself. Washington Post: Bush to Add Troops in Baghdad, Citing 'Terrible' Sectarian Strife

SOME MEMBERS PLANNING TO SKIP AL-MALIKI SPEECH TO JOINT SESSION: Congressional Democrats say Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki should condemn the Hezbollah attacks on Israel if he wants to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress today. Some members are considering skipping the planned speech, saying Mr. al-Maliki's July 19 remarks urging the world "to take quick stands to stop the Israeli aggression" are "troubling" because Iraq is supposed to be a U.S. ally. "No matter how politically expedient he thinks it may be: To stand with America, you have to stand against terrorism," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. "Before he speaks in front of the Congress and the American people, there is a very simple question we are asking the prime minister today: Which side is he on when it comes to the war on terror?" Washington Times: Democrats urge al-Maliki to clarify view on Hezbollah

58% DISAPPROVE OF BUSH STEM CELL VETO: A majority of Americans disapprove of President Bush's veto of a bill expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, though they say they believe he did so on principle, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows. The poll taken last weekend finds 61% say Bush rejected the bill last week for personal moral beliefs; 32% say he did it to gain political advantage... The poll shows a partisan gap: 61% of Republicans approve of the veto, compared with 19% of Democrats and 33% of independents. Among those expressing disapproval, 76% say they were "very" or "somewhat" upset by the veto; 24%, not at all. USA Today: Majority of public disapprove of Bush's stem cell veto

RATING BUSH ON THE LEFT COAST: The war in Iraq has reached a new level of unpopularity with California voters, while disapproval of Republican President Bush and concern about the direction of the country remain at high levels, according to a new Field Poll. A record low 28 percent of the state's registered voters approve of the job Bush is doing in handling the war in Iraq, while 67 percent dislike what they're seeing. That's down from April's previous low approval rating of 31 percent. Although a perceived improvement in the national economy gave the president's personal approval ratings a slight boost in the latest poll, Bush remains desperately unpopular in the state. His 32 percent approval mark is up from 28 percent in a May poll, but 61 percent of California voters dislike the job he is doing as president. San Francisco Chronicle: Support in California falls to new low in poll

BIG VICTORY FOR ABORTION OPPONENTS: The Senate voted yesterday to make it a crime to take a pregnant minor to another state to obtain an abortion without her parents' knowledge, handing a long-sought victory to the Bush administration and abortion opponents. The bill would help about three dozen states enforce laws that require minors to notify or obtain the consent of their parents before having an abortion. It would bar people -- including clergy members and grandparents -- from helping a girl cross state lines to avoid parental-involvement laws. Violations could result in a year in prison... The Senate voted 65 to 34 to approve the bill, which is similar to one the House has approved before, including last year. Washington Post: Interstate Abortion Bill Clears Senate

WH PROPOSES NEW RULES FOR DETAINEE TRIALS: Legislation drafted by the Bush administration setting out new rules on bringing terror detainees to trial would allow hearsay evidence to be introduced unless it was deemed "unreliable" and would permit defendants to be excluded from their own trials if necessary to protect national security, according to a copy of the proposal... The 32-page bill preserves the idea of using military commissions to prosecute terror suspects and makes modest changes in their procedural rules, including several expanded protections for defendants, many of them drawn from the military's legal code. But the proposal also sets up a possible confrontation with lawmakers who have called for modeling the trials on the military's rules for courts-martial, which would allow defendants more rights. New York Times: White House Bill Proposes System to Try Detainees

MURTHA WILL CAMPAIGN FOR DEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY: Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who has suspended his race to become majority leader in the event that the Democrats capture the House, plans to campaign in 41 races around the country where he said party leaders believe he can be helpful. This is a dramatic increase in activity for Murtha, who did not campaign for House candidates in 2004, according to his spokeswoman. Helping Democratic candidates could pay dividends in a race for majority leader against Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Murtha says he thinks such a race is likely and told The Hill that if the election were held now Democrats would be catapulted into the majority. The Hill: To raise profile, Murtha will stump for 41 Dems

STEELE'S REMARKS NOT ANONYMOUS FOR LONG: The Iraq war, the unnamed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate said, "didn't work." The response to Hurricane Katrina was "a monumental failure of government." Fellow Republicans in Congress should "just shut up and get something done." For a few hours yesterday, the friendly fire that was launched anonymously in a newspaper story set the capital abuzz with speculation about the speaker - a parlor game that ended abruptly when a campaign spokesman confirmed that the GOP Senate hopeful was Maryland's Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele. With the first mystery solved, then, attention focused on the second: Was the public criticism of an administration that has enthusiastically supported his Senate bid a gaffe, or was it calculated? Baltimore Sun: Steele's blunt words stir up speculation

ISTOOK WINS OK GOP GOV PRIMARY: U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook easily won the Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday. Istook will face incumbent Democratic Gov. Brad Henry in the Nov. 7 general election. "People know my consistency, my conservative principles and my capabilities," Istook said. "Tonight is just the first step toward a historic victory. "I believe we are going to put the state on a path toward growth." Istook is leaving the 5th Congressional District to campaign for governor. With nearly 55 percent of the vote, Istook avoided a runoff election in the four-man race. Tulsa businessman Bob Sullivan came in second with almost 31 percent of the vote. Tulsa World: Istook captures GOP nod

GRANHOLM'S BATTLE: When she was elected four years ago, the buzz on Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm was that she'd be president one day if only she hadn't been born in Canada. "Her combination of intelligence, charisma, and centrist politics make her the ideal spokesperson for Democratic politics in the early twenty-first century," gushed a cover story in The New Republic. That was then. Now, she is running no better than even against Republican Dick DeVos, a political neophyte who already has spent a record-shattering $10 million to air TV ads that depict him as a can-do businessman. Granholm is scrambling to channel voter angst over the state's economic travails toward President Bush, GOP policies, free trade and globalization - and away from her. USA Today: Mich. governor faces tough battle to stay in office

HARRIS TRAILS 57-29: In only three months, U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris has lost almost half of the Republicans who planned to vote for her, according to a new poll that suggests the congresswoman has little chance of unseating Sen. Bill Nelson. "This candidacy was an uphill battle to begin with. But it can't even climb now. It just loses ground," Brad Coker, director for Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., said Tuesday. Were the election held now, Nelson would best Harris 57 percent to 29 percent, according to the poll of 625 registered Florida voters that has an error margin of four percentage points. Only 14 percent were undecided. Miami Herald: Polls show Harris losing GOP voters

HILLARY PRIMARY CHALLENGER MAKES NEWS: Jonathan Tasini, the antiwar candidate mounting a Democratic primary challenge against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, said this week that Israel had "committed many acts of brutality and violations of human rights and torture." Mr. Tasini made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with a political blog, the Room 8, after he was asked if he believed Israel was a terrorist state, according to an audiotape posted Monday on the Web site, www.r8ny.com. "It's painful to say that, but when you fire mis