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 churches be sanctuaries for illegal immigrants?

Churches are not above the law. Any organization that seeks to influence legislation is supposed to lose their 'tax exempt' status. Another law unenforced.
R.A., La Porte, Texas

Let illegal immigrants stay in the churches... That's what Christianity is all about: caring for the downtrodden.
Neal, Stuart, Florida

This is a pile of bull. If it was a mosque that these illegals were hiding in do you honestly think, Jack, that the U.S. would not go in and get them. Why is it every time the Church gets involved, National Security common sense gets thrown out the window?
M.

That is the best idea, I've heard! Let the churches feed, clothe and house them.
Bob, Lady Lake, Florida

What does it mean if the Republicans are losing the votes of "security moms"?

The security moms are having second thoughts that they may in the near future have to sacrifice their sons for this mess in Iraq.
Tilly, Peoria, Illinois

It means that a number of these "suburban" Republican incumbents are "toast." And a bunch of others should be shaking in their shoes if they have any sense, a point that is debatable.
Diane, Houston, Texas

It means that the Republicans have used their "fear tactics" ad nauseum. We are no more secure today than we were in 2001. We are just paying a lot more people to do the job!
Lynne, Palatka, Florida

If there's an October surprise, what do you think it will be?

If one has paid attention to the news, the answer would be obvious. Osama will be caught, alive, much in the same way Saddam was. How do I know this? It's the reason the CIA ended the search for Osama weeks ago.
Eric, Bainbridge Island, Washington

The October surprise: One day in early October the next day's headlines will be "Bush calls for bunker-buster bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities." All-out war soon follows and the elections in the U.S. are postponed indefinitely so that Republicans remain in the majority saving Bush and Cheney from the threat of impeachment.
Doris, Wilmington, North Carolina

I think the Administration has something so clever and so devious up their sleeves for October that only Karl Rove could orchestrate it: a week or two before the election, they will respond quickly and competently to a crisis.
Steve, Montgomery, Alabama

From CNN Political Research Director Robert Yoon

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Connecticut) continued to shake up his re-election campaign Friday by hiring new political consultants, including a prominent Republican pollster. It is his second major re-shuffling of campaign staff since losing the Democratic primary to businessman Ned Lamont on August 8.

Lieberman has tapped Neil Newhouse of the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies to serve as campaign pollster. The POS firm has served a long list of prominent Republican clients over the years, including Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Robert Ehrlich of Maryland, and Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Pete Domenici of New Mexico, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, and Pat Roberts of Kansas, to name a few. Newhouse also serves as a top advisor to Connecticut's Republican Gov. Jodi Rell. The firm also partners with Democratic firms to produce non-partisan polling for NBC/Wall Street Journal and National Public Radio.

The campaign also tapped Democratic strategist Josh Isay to serve as media consultant. Isay has previously worked for both New York City's Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as the state's Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer.

"They are not just among the best in their respective businesses, but they bring a deep knowledge of Connecticut from across the political spectrum, which will be essential to our effort to build a broad coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and independents," said Lieberman of his two new hires in a written statement.

From The Morning Grind

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg entered a political hornets' nest Thursday night to pitch Democrats on the idea of holding the party's 2008 presidential convention in the Big Apple.

The one-time Democrat emerged with few stings and the endorsement of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).

"We ought to have the Democratic convention in New York," Blagojevich told members of the Democratic National Committee at a cocktail reception hosted by Bloomberg in Millennium Park.

It was the first of three events that will be held by the three cities competing for the convention, as Democrats gather in the Windy City to discuss political strategy and plan the 2008 nominating calendar. Tonight, Minneapolis-St. Paul is hosting a similar event and Denver holds a breakfast Saturday morning. The DNC is expected to make a decision before the year is out.

Last night it was all about "Big Apple" martinis, Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" blaring over the loud speakers and a personal appeal by Bloomberg to Democrats asking them to formally choose their 2008 presidential nominee in his city.

"We won't pick your candidate, but with the energy of our city we will make your candidate better," Bloomberg vowed. "We won't craft your message but with New York as a backdrop we will make your message better. We will get the job done."

Without hesitation, the mayor jokingly acknowledged he no longer has deep roots in the Democratic Party.

"I haven’t been in the company of such a large group of passionate dedicated Democrats since I was one," he said to an eruption of laughter and a few boos.

But what Bloomberg lacks in party identification he sought to make up in personal endorsements by two well-known Democrats -- Blagojevich and actress Lorraine Bracco -- to demonstrate that he still maintains ties to the party.

Bracco, a key character in the HBO mafia drama "The Sopranos", sung Bloomberg's praises, while at the same time declaring that it was time to elect a Democrat as president. In addition to backing New York's bid for the convention, Blagojevich, too, heaped praise on the New York City mayor.

Bloomberg, who is a moderate on social issues, demonstrated his own independence from the Republican Party Thursday night by endorsing Blagojevich for a second term over his Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka.

"He has been a great governor of a great state," Bloomberg said as he introduced Blagojevich. "If I lived in Illinois I would vote for him to be governor."

That was enough for Judith Turk, a DNC member from Illinois, to support New York's bid to host the 2008 convention.

"The governor wants it there, our mayor wants it there and I am all for it," she said.

But not all Democrats think it is a good idea to go to New York in 2008. Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald said the future of his party is in the "Mid-West and in our rural communities," and he suggested Denver would be the appropriate city to hold the convention in 2008.

"We need all the West and the notion that the Democratic Party can be successful winning a few states on each of our coasts is irrational," McDonald said.

From The Morning Grind

The DNC will vote Saturday on the much-debated, long-awaited proposal to add Nevada and South Carolina to the early part of the nominating calendar. The idea is to bring more diversity into the selection proposal beyond the traditional first proving grounds of Iowa and New Hampshire. New Hampshire opposes the plan, because it violates state law that requires a week window on each side of its primary. The proposal is expected to pass, but New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner has vowed to enforce his state law. Stay tuned, this fight is far from over.

From The Morning Grind

The Republican National Committee releases a new web ad today that charges the Democratic Party is soft on terror. The ad "A Safer America" can be viewed at www.gop.com.

From The Morning Grind

President Bush meets with his senior economic advisors this morning at Camp David to talk about the budget, entitlement spending and "pro-growth tax policy," a White House spokesperson said. Bush and the advisors will then participate in a media availability at 11:15 a.m. ET.

"DESTROYED OR WITHHELD EVIDENCE" IN HADITHA PROBE: A high-level military investigation into the killings of 24 Iraqis in Haditha last November has uncovered instances in which American marines involved in the episode appear to have destroyed or withheld evidence, according to two Defense Department officials briefed on the case. The investigation found that an official company logbook of the unit involved had been tampered with and that an incriminating video taken by an aerial drone the day of the killings was not given to investigators until Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the second-ranking commander in Iraq, intervened, the officials said. Those findings, contained in a long report that was completed last month but not made public, go beyond what has been previously reported about the case. New York Times: Inquiry Suggests Marines Excised Files on Killings

"SECURITY MOMS" NOW SUPPORTING DEMS: Married women with children, the "security moms" whose concerns about terrorism made them an essential part of Republican victories in 2002 and 2004, are taking flight from GOP politicians this year in ways that appear likely to provide a major boost for Democrats in the midterm elections, according to polls and interviews. This critical group of swing voters -- who are an especially significant factor in many of the most competitive suburban districts on which control of Congress will hinge -- is more inclined to vote Democratic than at any point since Sept. 11, 2001, according to data compiled for The Washington Post by the Pew Research Center... The study, which examined the views of married women with children from April through this week, found that they support Democrats for Congress by a 12-point margin, 50 percent to 38 percent. That is nearly a mirror-image reversal from a similar period in 2002, when this group backed Republicans 53 percent to 36 percent. Washington Post: Republicans Losing The 'Security Moms'

DETROIT JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO WIRETAPS; CALLS PROGRAM UNCONSTITUTIONAL: A federal judge in Detroit ruled yesterday that the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional, delivering the first decision that the Bush administration's effort to monitor communications without court oversight runs afoul of the Bill of Rights and federal law. U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ordered a halt to the wiretap program, secretly authorized by President Bush in 2001, but both sides in the lawsuit agreed to delay that action until a Sept. 7 hearing. Legal scholars said Taylor's decision is likely to receive heavy scrutiny from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit when the Justice Department appeals, and some criticized her ruling as poorly reasoned. Washington Post: Judge Rules Against Wiretaps

BUSH SIGNS "BROAD OVERHAUL" OF PENSION RULES: President Bush signed a broad overhaul of pension and savings rules Thursday, giving millions of people a better chance of getting the retirement benefits they have earned. The law, passed with fanfare by Congress two weeks ago, gives companies seven years to shore up funding of their traditional pensions, also known as defined benefit plans. Special rules for seriously underfunded companies require them to catch up faster. The 30,000 such plans run by employers are estimated to be underfunded by $450 billion. "Americans who spent a lifetime working hard should be confident that their pensions will be there when they retire," Bush said. AP via Yahoo! News: Bush signs sweeping pension bill reform

FBI'S $170 MILLION LEMON: It was late 2003, and a contractor, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), had spent months writing 730,000 lines of computer code for the Virtual Case File (VCF), a networked system for tracking criminal cases that was designed to replace the bureau's antiquated paper files and, finally, shove J. Edgar Hoover's FBI into the 21st century... It appeared to work beautifully. Until Azmi, now the FBI's technology chief, asked about the error rate. Software problem reports, or SPRs, numbered in the hundreds, Azmi recalled in an interview. The problems were multiplying as engineers continued to run tests. Scores of basic functions had yet to be analyzed. "A month before delivery, you don't have SPRs," Azmi said. "You're making things pretty... You're changing colors." Within a few days, Azmi said, he warned FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III that the $170 million system was in serious trouble. A year later, it was dead. Washington Post: The FBI's Upgrade That Wasn't

DEMS TO FINALIZE PRIMARY CALENDAR: Democrats are laying aside the debate over issues and philosophy and turning to something more prosaic - rejiggering the political calendar - as a way to boost the party's White House prospects in 2008. Barring a last-minute shift, Democratic leaders meeting here are expected to add Nevada and South Carolina to the states that hold early primaries, alongside perennials Iowa and New Hampshire. The move is the main business at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting, which opened Thursday in Chicago. It would be the most significant change in the presidential nominating process in years, and hasten the front-loading that has already transformed the contest from a months-long slog into a sprint lasting just a few weeks. Los Angeles Times: Democrats May Make January Presidential Primary Month

GOP PICKS HOUSTON CITY COUNCILWOMAN TO RUN IN TX-22: Republican Party precinct chairs endorsed Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs on Thursday night as the write-in candidate for the congressional district vacated by Tom DeLay. "Hopefully now we will have some clarity as to who our one candidate will be," said state GOP chair Tina Benkiser, who called the meeting. "Certainly if we have one Republican candidate on the ballot we'll get behind and start making the calls and walking the precincts and licking the envelopes and running a hard grass-roots campaign." The precinct chairs, who met behind closed doors, chose Sekula-Gibbs over a handful of opponents, including Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace and former state Republican Party executive committee member Tim Turner. Houston Chronicle: Sekula-Gibbs picked as write-in candidate

8 FILE TO RUN IN "RAPID-FIRE RACE" TO REPLACE NEY: State Sen. Joy Padgett could have plenty of competition in the rapid-fire race to replace Rep. Bob Ney as the Republican candidate for an eastern Ohio congressional district. Padgett, who announced her candidacy as Ney quit the race amid scandal and sagging poll numbers, was one of eight people to file petitions yesterday for the Sept. 14 special election. Two others currently serve as elected officials: Dover Mayor Richard P. Homrighausen and Holmes County Commissioner Ray L. Feikert. The eight filed petitions by the 4 p.m. deadline with the board of elections in Tuscarawas County, the most populous county in the district. The board will tally valid signatures today; any candidate with at least 50 qualifies for the ballot. Columbus Dispatch: 8 file to run for Ney's seat

EDWARDS BECOMES "FIRST PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL TO CAMPAIGN FOR" LAMONT: John Edwards, the 2004 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, rallied supporters of Ned Lamont, the party's Senate nominee from Connecticut, on Thursday, saying Democrats needed to fight Republican "fearmongering" to regain control in Washington. Mr. Edwards, who is considering a bid for the White House in 2008, became the first presidential hopeful to campaign for Mr. Lamont, who defeated Senator Joseph I. Lieberman last week in the Democratic primary here. Mr. Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, said Mr. Lieberman should be "honoring the decision" of Connecticut voters by bowing out of the race. New York Times: Edwards, at Lamont Rally, Says Democrats Must Beat G.O.P. 'Fearmongering'

BROWNBACK TO DECIDE ON '08 BY THE END OF '06: U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback joined the parade of prospective 2008 presidential candidates at the Iowa State Fair this week, saying he would make a decision about his White House plans before the end of the year. Brownback, a Kansas Republican, said Thursday that he will decide to run if his message fits with what he sees as the political mood of the country... Unlike a handful of other Republicans, Brownback has not put staff on the ground in Iowa. Brownback has been to Iowa several times since the 2004 election. He is among four Republican presidential prospects who have made plans to visit the Iowa State Fair this week. Des Moines Register: Brownback will decide on '08 run this year

FIGHT BREAKS OUT BETWEEN CAMPAIGNS IN MD'S 4TH: What was supposed to be a war of words ended in a scuffle between supporters of Rep. Albert Wynn and his challenger, Donna Edwards, Wednesday evening. Video taken by a worker for Edwards' congressional campaign showed the aftermath of the incident at a candidates' forum at Prince George's Community College. The tape shows a gash on the forehead of a volunteer for the Edwards campaign, News4 reported. "It was getting to turn into a riot real quick, because more people, as we pulled them apart, more and more of the two sides were going," said George McDermott, who is also a candidate for the 4th Congressional District seat. Three men were taken into custody by members of the college police force. A representative from the school said that one person was cited for disorderly conduct. The skirmish reportedly involved placement of campaign signs outside the building where the forum took place, News4 reported. NBC4: Fight Breaks Out Outside Candidate Forum

HUDSON APOLOGIZES FOR BLACK SWIMMERS REMARK: A video clip in which Republican Tramm Hudson makes negative comments about the swimming abilities of black people spread across the Internet on Thursday, drawing an apology from his campaign and a mix of reactions from challengers and local black leaders. The 27-second clip, first posted on the conservative Web site redstate.com, shows a portion of a speech the 13th District congressional candidate gave at a Christian Coalition forum in February. In the segment, Hudson, a former Army commander, recalls leading his infantry company across a river during a training exercise. "A large number were black," Hudson said. "I grew up in Alabama. I understand, uh, I know from experience, that blacks are not the greatest swimmers or may not even know how to swim." Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hudson's comments ignite fire on Net

SCHWARZENEGGER ACCUSED OF FLIP-FLOPPING: Schwarzenegger's new strategy [efforts to recast himself as a political moderate in order to curry favor among Democrats and independent voters], which has boosted him in the polls, has also attracted criticism from both ends of the political spectrum that the governor has reversed position on key issues -- like education spending, the environment, health care reform and immigration -- for political advantage. A close review, however, shows the governor's record is far more mixed: some positions have clearly changed, others have merely evolved, and some have remained consistent but the rhetoric surrounding the subject has changed. Still, even the perception that a candidate has flip-flopped on issues is a big danger and something Schwarzenegger will be looking to quell this weekend among party loyalists and later as he tries to appeal to Democrats and independents. San Francisco Chronicle: 'Moderate' governor irks some in GOP

ALSO... Los Angeles Times: Schwarzenegger Hears Rumbles From the Right

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:

What does it mean if lobbyists are hiring more Democrats?

Jack, Lobbyists hiring more Democrats simply means that we have the best government money can buy. Regardless of which party controls Congress, it works for K Street, not we the people.
John, Helena, Montana

It means that partisan political ideology is ultimately bunk when power and influence are at stake.
Susan, Katonah, New York

Jack it means that they know Democrats can be bought just as fast as Republicans.
Ron, Denver, Ohio

It means the lobbyists are preparing for the thorough "house cleaning" that's going to take place this fall.
Woody, Wapakoneta, Ohio

What does a federal judge's ruling that the NSA spying program is illegal mean for President Bush?

Nothing. He's broken laws before and nothing has been done. This will be no different. Authoritarianism, my friend.
Brian, Winfield, Alabama

It means that once again the President must deal with these liberal judges... President Bush is simply trying to protect the American people. Give him a break Cafferty!
Eric, Arlington, Texas

It says Bush is a crook on two counts now: warrantless wiretapping and prisoner abuse.
Jim, Grants Pass, Oregon

The question should be: what does it mean to the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives since they are the ones that would prosecute any illegal activities committed by a sitting president.
Tony, New Jersey

All of you people who are trying to take away the tools our government needs to catch terrorists, will be the first to say that the President didn't do enough to connect the dots if we have another attack in this country. You can't have it both ways.
Joann, Pennsylvania

It means he's more appealing than ever.
Bill, Leesburg, Florida

Do we need a new definition of what constitutes success in Iraq?

Maybe getting the lights back on or going to the gas station and not having to wait 12 hours for gas or getting killed while doing errands.
Sheila, Crossville, Tennessee

Good question. I think it is time we leave the question of success to the commanders on the ground and give them everything they need to do the job our government has asked them to do. I say just get it done, stabilize it, and get out. I don't believe leaving now would be good for anyone. Just support them fully.
Glenn, Cincinnati, Ohio

It should be abundantly clear to all of us that as long as the war is run by the gang of incompetents in the White House and Pentagon (full of cronies and loyalists but utterly incompetent nevertheless) we need to constantly lower the bar to define what success is for them.
Mitch, Schenectady, New York

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department says it will appeal a Thursday ruling that the National Security Agency's warrantless domestic surveillance program is unconstitional.

The White House also issued a statement, saying it "couldn't disagree more with this ruling.

"United States intelligence officials have confirmed that the program has helped stop terrorist attacks and saved American lives," read the statement from the White House press secretary. "The Terrorist Surveillance Program is firmly grounded in law and regularly reviewed to make sure steps are taken to protect civil liberties."

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The tobacco industry Thursday will learn whether it must further limit advertising and possibly take corrective measures in response to a lawsuit from the U.S. government and public health groups.

The case, dating back to 1999, may determine whether the government can force the tobacco industry to limit advertising and marketing of tobacco products and force the industry to fund programs to help smokers kick the habit.

U.S. District Court judge Gladys Kessler will issue her ruling at 4:30 p.m. EDT in Washington.

In addition to injunctive relief -- which may compel or constrain tobacco companies' practices -- a monetary judment may be handed down, a plaintiff's lawyer said.

The tobacco industry is on the record as denying wrongdoing, especially in light of their retooled marketing strategies.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- NATO's supreme allied commander, now leading troops in volatile southern Afghanistan, on Thursday called the Taliban "more dominant by far" than al Qaeda in the war-torn nation.

U.S. Gen. James L. Jones, the head of the U.S. European Command in addition to his NATO post, told reporters at the Pentagon that the terror network remains a "factor." But he said that militants from the Taliban -- the Islamic movement that ruled Afghanistan before being toppled following the September 11, 2001, attacks -- are more potent and "very intelligent."

NATO troops, most of whom are British and Canadian, officially took over from U.S. forces in southern Afghanistan several weeks ago. Fighting has flared up since in the Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces, with eight militants killed by coalition forces Wednesday in Paktika province.

"Certainly the opposition is testing NATO to see if we, in fact, do have the will and the capability to stand and fight," Jones said. "And I think the evidence is, so far, that the answer is overwhelmingly yes."

In recent months, Taliban militants have re-emerged, cranking up their attacks against coalition, Afghan government and civilian targets. Jones cited fighters' ability to move "back-and-forth" between Afghanistan and Pakistan as a "main source of concern," adding that NATO plans to work with Pakistani officials to address that issue.

Rampant drug growing and trafficking in Afghanistan is another NATO priority, Jones added, especially as militants "are getting money" from the narcotics trade.

(CNN) -- In a defeat for the Bush administration, a federal court Thursday ruled the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered it ended immediately.

In a 44-page memorandum and order, U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor struck down the Terrorist Surveillance Program, or TSP, which she said violates "the Separation of Powers doctrine, the Administrative Procedures Act, the First and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution, the FISA and Title III." (Full story)

"The President of the United States... has undisputedly violated the Fourth [Amendment] in failing to procure judicial orders," she wrote.

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, where Taylor, 75, presides. Nominated by President Carter in 1979, Taylor is one of the first African-American women to sit on a federal court.

Last month, Arlen Specter, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the White House agreed to submit the TSP to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court for review.

From The Morning Grind

Despite losing the Democratic primary earlier this month, Sen. Joe Lieberman (D) holds double-digit leads over his two November opponents, a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows.

Lieberman gets support from 53 percent of likely voters, while Democratic nominee Ned Lamont receives 41 percent and embattled GOP nominee Alan Schlesinger registers only 4 percent.

Lieberman has launched an independent bid for re-election after losing to Lamont in a race that was largely about the incumbent's support for the Iraq war. Lieberman has come under fire for his continued support of the Iraq war, an issue Lamont was able to seize on and ride to victory in the Democratic primary.

But the Quinnipiac poll shows that Lieberman's political appeal extends far beyond the Democratic base, support that he will need to win a fourth term.

"Sen. Lieberman's support among Republicans is nothing short of amazing," Quinnipiac Poll Director Douglas Schwartz said in a statement accompanying the release of the poll. "It more than offsets what he has lost among Democrats. As long as Lieberman maintains this kind of support among Republicans, while holding onto a significant number of Democratic voters, the veteran senator will be hard to beat."

Several of Lieberman's Democratic colleagues, though, are trying to do just that. Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) sent out an e-mail to his financial supporters Wednesday asking them to donate to Lamont's campaign. Today, former Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) heads to New Haven, Connecticut to attend a campaign rally for Lamont. Other Democrats such as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (New York) have cut checks to Lamont. As for Schlesinger, he has been unable to attract support from Republican Gov. Jodi Rell or the White House.

From The Morning Grind

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is headed to an easy re-election in November, but the New York Democrat has decided to purchase air time for a 60 second commercial running on upstate and suburban cable television stations. Clinton, who is eyeing a potential presidential bid, relies on constituents to sing her praises for her work on issues ranging from trying to help revive the economy in the upstate to her successful effort on behalf of a family to receive life saving treatment for their son.

"New Yorkers took a chance on me in 2000, and I have worked hard every single day to deserve that chance," Clinton says in the ad. It can be viewed at www.hillaryclinton.com

From The Morning Grind

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) heads to Santa Monica today and stands with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to urge California voters to support Proposition 83 -- Jessica's Law.

From The Morning Grind

The Lebanese death toll surpassed 1,000 as Israel slowly relinquished its power of territories in Lebanon after Monday's U.N.-sanctioned cease-fire, the Lebanese Internal Security Forces said Thursday.

More than 4,000 Lebanese have been wounded in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that began July 12.

The Israeli death toll stood at 159, including 41 civilians killed in Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel Wednesday, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF reports more than 1,000 wounded, including 600 civilians.

IDF said about 4,000 Hezbollah rockets have hit northern Israel since July 12. Of those, more than 900 have hit populated areas, including the worst-hit cities of Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya. IDF said 242 rockets hit Kiryat Shmona, and 180 hit Nahariya.

TERROR PLOT EXPOSES "DRAMATICALLY FLAWED" TSA SCREENING SYSTEM: The fact that screening systems at U.S. airports cannot quickly detect liquid explosives has prompted some lawmakers and critics to ask why such technology is still not available when the threat was identified more than 10 years ago. Other legislators are questioning the Department of Homeland Security's plans to shift resources toward hiring more personnel and the current limit of 45,000 federal transportation security screeners. "Our first mistake was when we opted for an army of personnel and not for technology," said Rep. John L. Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on aviation, who is surveying the use of new technologies at 14 U.S. airports during the recess. "We unfortunately have a highly labor-intensive passenger-screening system that is dramatically flawed." Los Angeles Times: Critics Say TSA Must Catch Up With Technology

"KINDLER, GENTLER APPROACH" TO ATTACKING DEMS ON THE WAR: President Bush on Wednesday picked up his party's attack against Democrats for having what the Republicans have called the wrong approach to the fight against terrorism. But his was a kinder, gentler approach than the one used by Vice President Dick Cheney and others in recent days. Referring to the war in Iraq, Mr. Bush said: "There's some good people in our country who believe we should cut and run. They're not bad people when they say that, they're decent people." But he added, "I just happen to believe they're wrong, and they're wrong for this reason: this would be a defeat for the United States in a key battleground in the global war on terror." New York Times: President Joins in G.O.P. Attacks on Democrats About Terrorism

SWANN GETS A $700K BOOST FROM BUSH: Bush's appearance on behalf of Swann -- the former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers making his first run at public office -- raised $700,000 for the GOP nominee, Swann spokesman Leonard Alcivar said. The influx of cash comes at a welcome time for Swann as the Republican trails Rendell by 20 percentage points, according to a poll released by Quinnipiac University. The Connecticut school this month polled about 1,400 voters, who favored Rendell over Swann by a margin of 54 percent to 34 percent. Swann supporters at the Host said the numbers will turn more favorably toward the Republican when television and radio advertisements appear after Labor Day. Lancaster Intelligencer Journal: Bush signs Swann's song -- President says U.S. must stay in Iraq

THAT "D" SUDDENLY LOOKS GOOD ON YOUR RESUME! Washington lobbying firms, trade associations and corporate offices are moving to hire more well-connected Democrats in response to rising prospects that the opposition party will wrest control of at least one chamber of Congress from Republicans in the November elections. In what lobbyists are calling a harbinger of possible upheaval on Capitol Hill, many who make a living influencing government have gone from mostly shunning Democrats to aggressively recruiting them as lobbyists over the past six months or so. "We've seen a noticeable shift," said Beth Solomon, director of the Washington office of Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm that helps to place senior lobbyists and trade association heads. Washington Post: Democrats' Stock Is Rising on K Street

DEMS GROUPS/'08 CANDIDATES "POURING RESOURCES" INTO SEC OF STATE RACES: The political battle for control of the federal government has opened up a new front: the obscure but vital state offices that determine who votes and how those votes are counted. The state post of secretary of State was a backwater until 2000, when Florida's Katherine Harris became a central figure in the presidential recount controversy. Now national Democratic groups and White House prospects, unhappy about Harris' decisions and those of Republican Kenneth Blackwell in Ohio two years ago, are pouring resources into contests for the job. At least three Democratic political action committees are spotlighting secretary of State candidates, most of them in states where they expect the presidential vote to be close. Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and Ohio top their lists. Secretaries of State control most voting regulations and influence state purchases of voting machines. Looking ahead to 2008, Democrats say they want people they trust in those offices. USA Today: Top vote counter becomes prize job

GOP TRYING TO AVOID STATEHOUSE "TSUNAMI": Republicans will play defense in this fall's state legislative races to avoid a "tsunami" that could alter the political landscape in statehouses around the country, the head of the GOP's legislative campaign committee said Wednesday. Democrats, who currently hold a 21-seat advantage among the country's 7,382 state legislative seats, are hoping the national mood and historical trends contribute to legislative gains. "Some years you play offense, and some years you play defense," said Alex Johnson, executive director of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee. "And this is a year when we play a bit of defense and hope to steal a few." AP via Yahoo! News: GOP plays defense in statehouse races

DSCC/NRSC WANT RECOUNT RULES FOR NOVEMBER: In a rare show of bipartisan unity, and with an eye on what may be a very close race in Pennsylvania this November, the Senate Democratic and Republican campaign committees are asking the Federal Election Commission to clarify the rules covering recounts. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee filed an Aug. 7 request for an advisory opinion from the FEC, in which they asked the commission to determine from whom they can raise money, and how much, to pay for any recounts that may occur this year. The two committees also want the FEC to determine whether they can use soft money from wealthy individuals, corporations and labor unions to cover litigation costs or any other expenditures arising from a recount. Soft-money donations are banned in federal elections, although they are permitted in a number of states. Roll Call: NRSC, DSCC File Joint FEC Inquiry on Recounts

HISPANICS SAY DSCC AD UNFAIRLY EQUATES ILLEGAL ALIENS TO TERRORISTS: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) yesterday pulled an ad from its Web site after Hispanic groups accused Democrats of unfairly equating illegal aliens to terrorists. "To liken Latino immigrants to bazooka-toting terrorists not only undermines the positive relationship our party has with this community, but it also lowers us to a despicable level as breeders of unfounded fear and hatred," Houston City Council member Carol Alvarado, a Democrat, said in a letter to Sen. Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who heads the DSCC. The 35-second ad, released on its Web site earlier this week, criticizes the Bush administration as leaving America unsecured by showing illegal aliens scaling a border fence. That scene is mixed with images of Osama bin Laden and North Korean President Kim Jong-il. While the DSCC did not publicly apologize for the ad, it had been removed from the site by last night and replaced with another. All links to the ad that had worked throughout the day also went dead. Washington Times: Hispanics scold Democrats for ad mixing illegals, terrorists

BIG-NAME DEMS TAKING ON WAL-MART: Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, a likely Democratic presidential candidate in 2008, delivered a 15-minute, blistering attack to warm applause from Democrats and union organizers [in Des Moines, Iowa] on Wednesday. But Mr. Biden's main target was not Republicans in Washington, or even his prospective presidential rivals. It was Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer. Among Democrats, Mr. Biden is not alone. Across Iowa this week and across much of the country this month, Democratic leaders have found a new rallying cry that many of them say could prove powerful in the midterm elections and into 2008: denouncing Wal-Mart for what they say are substandard wages and health care benefits. Six Democratic presidential contenders have appeared at rallies like the one Mr. Biden headlined, along with some Democratic candidates for Congress in some of the toughest-fought races in the country. New York Times: Eye on Election, Democrats Run as Wal-Mart Foe

LAMONT MAKES GAINS, BUT LIEBERMAN LEADS 49-38 IN NEW CT SEN POLL: Ned Lamont, whose anti-war campaign rattled the political landscape by toppling Sen. Joe Lieberman last week in Connecticut's Democratic primary, is gaining support in November's three-way Senate race, according to a poll released Thursday. But the Quinnipiac University poll shows that Lamont still has an uphill battle against Lieberman, the 2000 nominee for vice president who is now running an independent campaign. Lieberman leads Lamont among registered voters 49 percent to 38 percent. Republican Alan Schlesinger gets support from 4 percent. That's an improvement for Lamont, who trailed Lieberman 51 percent to 27 percent in a three-way race in a July 20 Quinnipiac poll. AP/Hartford Courant: Lamont Trails Lieberman In New Poll

GIULIANI TALKS PORT SECURITY IN SC: Seaports in the United States, including the Port of Charleston, are not as safe from terrorism as they should be, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said [in Charleston] Wednesday. Giuliani, a potential 2008 Republican presidential candidate, was in South Carolina's major port city for a $2,500-per-person fundraiser for the state Republican Party at the Hibernian Hall on Meeting Street. Standing less than a mile from the headquarters of the busiest container port in the Southeast or Gulf Coast, Giuliani told reporters at a pre-event news conference that nearly five years after the 9/11 attacks, the country's "ports are not as safe as the airports. We have not emphasized port security the same way as airport security." Columbia State: Beef up ports security, Giuliani says

HILLARY CAMP RELEASES FIRST AD: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's re-election campaign began airing its first television ad Wednesday, a 60-second series of testimonials from New Yorkers lauding her for everything from preserving a military base to securing a boy's bone marrow transplant. The ad, produced by Clinton's longtime media adviser Mandy Grunwald, will air on broadcast and cable stations upstate and on cable stations in Westchester and Long Island, campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said. Wolfson would not disclose how much the campaign had spent to air the spot but called the ad buy "substantial." It was scheduled to begin airing Wednesday afternoon. AP via NY Newsday: New York Sen. Clinton's campaign launches 1st TV ad

SPENCER AD "BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS," SAYS HIL: Sen. Hillary Clinton lashed out yesterday at Republican John Spencer's campaign ad linking her and Osama Bin Laden, calling it "beyond outrageous." "He'll have to answer for it, but I think it's a terrible injustice," Clinton said. "People in public life do a great disservice to our country accusing patriotic Americans of [being in league with] Osama Bin Laden." The Spencer camp noted that Clinton began airing a polished campaign commercial -- her first this year across the state -- and gleefully, though improbably, claimed credit. "They are very very nervous about John Spencer," said his spokesman Rob Ryan. "He's hit a nerve with this ad and now they have to respond." New York Daily News: Ad tying me to Osama 'outrageous,' says Hil

POTENTIAL '08 PRIMARY OPPONENT McCAIN STUMPS FOR ALLEN: Sen. George Allen, his re-election campaign under fire amid charges he made racially insensitive remarks, received a boost yesterday from a would-be rival. Sen. John McCain of Arizona bolstered Allen's defense credentials at a Veterans for Allen rally in downtown Norfolk. About 125 people attended the event at the Norfolk Marriott hotel. McCain and Allen may face each other in 2008 for the Republican presidential nomination. Yesterday, each complimented the other. McCain said of Allen, "He works hard, he believes in what he does, he understands the issues and he studies hard every day." Richmond Times-Dispatch: McCain boosts Allen at rally

ALLEN TRIES TO MEND FENCES WITH INDIAN COMMUNITY: Sen. George Allen met Wednesday with Indian-American political leaders concerned that he referred to a rival's campaign staffer as "Macaca" and told the Virginia native of Indian descent, "Welcome to America." Members of the US Indian Political Action Committee said they have received hundreds of e-mails about the comments Allen made Friday at a speech that S.R. Sidarth was videotaping for his Democratic challenger, Jim Webb. "Obviously, we'll be looking at his actions in terms of working with us and hopefully trying to mend some of the fences that have been broken," said Sonjay Puri, a businessman and director of the PAC, which claims 30,000 members. AP via Yahoo! News: Allen meets with Indian PAC over remarks

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:

What does it mean if Hezbollah is leading the reconstruction effort in Lebanon?

That is simple math. If Hezbollah is orchestrating the reconstruction, they are not leaving town!
Beatrice, Boynton Beach, Florida

Hezbollah reconstruction aid for Lebanon is great... for us! It means Iran is paying instead of American taxpayers. We couldn't win the hearts and minds of Muslims no matter how much money we wasted on them. All we would see is enormous corruption and even more hatred of the U.S.
Errol

If you allow Hezbollah to take part in the reconstruction of Lebanon, did the objective really get accomplished by Israel? Obviously not... Not only will the reconstruction of Lebanon take place, but so will that of Hezbollah. Sort of makes you think that all those lives and structures were lost for nothing.
Stewart, Tallahassee, Florida

I think we need Hezbollah in New Orleans! It sounds like they know what they're doing.
J.

It means more elaborate and better bunkers will be built for the next go around. The Lebanese people will someday realize that sleeping with the enemy won't bring peace, only future grief.
Mike, Charlotte, North Carolina

Jack, It means the Democratic Party needs to be in touch with Hezbollah's Public Relations director.
Curtis, Portland, Maine

Should the ACLU keep its nose out of Hazelton, Pennsylvania's immigration laws?

The people of Hazleton elected their mayor and city council to enact and enforce ordinances they feel are needed in the local community. Why? One reason is because the federal government will not enforce its own laws! I believe there is a place for the ACLU but not here. I think they have bigger and more important battles to fight - many with the federal government.
Joe, Binghamton, N.Y.

Most of the time the ACLU angers me with what I consider stupid law suits. But, one of the few remaining liberties is the right to put government to task. I feel that any group that helps keep the government somewhat in check is necessary, like it or not.
Scotty, Tivoli, New York

Jack, The answer is yes. They should concentrate on protecting the civil rights of legal citizens. Ambulance chasers probably score higher on the respect poll than the ACLU right now.
Dave, Arizona

In light of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, are the media paying enough attention to Iraq?

Dear Jack, Not only have the media ignored Iraq lately, but Afghanistan, which was our only legitimate incursion, has been ignored for years. From what little I read/see, things aren't going well there, either.
Pat , Sneads Ferry, North Carolina

Jack, Thank you for bringing this up. It has made me as a 100% disabled veteran sick to my stomach we were not covering our soldiers; instead we were covering terrorists and Israel. Thanks for keeping the truth before us.
Scott, Athens, Alabama

No, the media are not paying enough attention to the total breakdown of order in Iraq, and because of the 24/7 coverage of every hangnail and burp in Lebanon, the Bush administration is heaving a giant sigh of relief we can hear clear out here on the West Coast.
Rod, Eugene, Oregon

I think the media overkills the coverage of all the news. I don't know what is happening in America because of the coverage in the Middle East, in either Iraq or Lebanon.
Ted, Boerne, Texas

The coverage by the media reminds me of a runaway football game... you have one team winning by 20 to 30 points and the network switches over to a more exciting game. It seems to me that Americans are more interested in seeing the actual destruction of a country than the recovery of, or the slow disintegration of, a country.
Daniel, Columbus, Ohio

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said Wednesday that Israel has opened its airspace to planes from Arab countries carrying humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

Speaking from Washington, Peres said there have been a number of such flights, but would not identify the countries providing assistance. Israel normally won't allow overflights from Arab nations with whom it does not have diplomatic relations -- a position also taken by such Arab countries.

"Whenever we are asked, we agreed, as long we we are convinced" they are legitimate, said Peres.

The vice premier added that Israel expects the safe release of two soldiers whose capture July 12 by Hezbollah set off weeks of fighting. The latest information he's received suggests the men "are alive and they are healthy," he said.

Peres is in the United States to raise money for parts of northern Israel damaged by Hezbollah rockets launched from southern Lebanon during the recent fighting. He launched the fund-raising effort at the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Reputed Mexican drug lord Javier Arellano-Felix has been captured by U.S. authorities in an offshore operation in the Pacific, according to federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

The U.S. Coast Guard currently has Arellano-Felix in custody, and the infamous fugitive will be brought ashore in San Diego, California, where he has been indicted and will be arraigned, federal officials said. (Full story)

Arellano-Felix and his brother, Eduardo, who together headed the drug cartel that bears their name, top the Drug Enforcement Agency's Most Wanted List, with $5 million offered for their capture.

The brothers face several felony indictments, including conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine and marijuana on a massive scale. Officials have said the cartel was responsible for a recently discovered, elaborately constructed tunnel under the Mexico-California border.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Virginia court Wednesday allowed a teenage boy battling cancer to forgo chemotherapy and receive an alternative treatment.

The court signed a consent decree allowing Abraham Cherrix, 16, to receive the Hoxsey treatment, which involves herbal medicines, from a specialist in Mississippi.

Virginia's Department of Social Services had argued that if Cherrix did not undergo chemotherapy, the most common treatment for cancer, it would constitute medical neglect.

Speaking after the ruling in Accomac, Virginia, Cherrix expressed relief that the court battle was over and he would be able to move forward with his treatment.

"Everything that we wanted to ever have, we've won," he said. "We finally got our freedom back."

Cherrix did not rule out radiation, saying he would do it if the Hoxsey treatment does not work. But he expressed optimist, saying "we expect very positive results."

-- CNN Correspondent Joe Johns and Senior Producer Steve Turnham contributed to this report.

From The Morning Grind

Sen. George Allen (R-Virginia) denied he used a racially-charged remark last week to describe a campaign worker for his Democratic opponent, saying in a statement released Tuesday afternoon that his comments "have been greatly misunderstood by members of the media."

Allen referred to S.R. Sidarth, a volunteer on Democrat Jim Webb's Senate campaign, as "Macaca" on two occasions during an event on Friday in Breaks, located in the southwest corner of Virginia. In an e-mail sent to political supporters Monday, the Webb campaign questioned whether Allen was using a racial slur to describe Sidarth, who is of Indian descent, as a monkey.

Sidarth was taping Allen with a hand-held video camera, a standard campaign practice that is often used by opponents for research purposes, as the senator campaigned throughout the state for a second term. He captured Allen's comments on camera and the Webb campaign provided a link to the video in the e-mail sent out Monday.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is," said Allen, who at times pointed directly at the camera. "He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great."

After suggesting Webb has not visited many parts of the state and has no intention of doing so, as well as criticizing his opponent for meeting with "a bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," the senator turned back to the camera and addressed Sidarth. "Let's give a welcome to Macaca, here," Allen said. "Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."

Macaca is a class of monkey, including the rhesus monkey.

In the four-paragraph statement issued Tuesday, Allen said, "In singling out the Webb campaign's cameraman, I was trying to make the point that Jim Webb had never been to that part of Virginia -- and I encouraged him to bring the tape back to Jim and welcome him to the real world of Virginia and America, outside the Beltway, where he has rarely visited.

"I also made up a nickname for the cameraman, which was in no way intended to be racially derogatory. Any insinuations to the contrary are completely false."

And Allen said it "was certainly not my intent" to offend anyone by the remark.

"On every stop on my Listening Tour, I have talked about one of my missions for this country -- to make it a land of opportunity for all," Allen said in the statement. "I have worked very hard in the Senate to reach out to all Americans -- regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity or gender. And I look forward to continuing to advocate this important mission for America's future.

As for Sidarth, Allen said, "I never want to embarrass or demean anyone and I apologize if my comments offended this young man. Even though he has signed onto my opponent's campaign, I look forward to seeing him on the trail ahead."

In an interview with CNN's Andrea Koppel just a few hours before Allen released his statement, Sidarth said he had introduced himself to Allen days prior to the incident.

"He was doing that because he could, because he could get away with it," Sidarth said. "I think he was just trying to, trying to point out the fact that I was a person of color, in a crowd that was not otherwise."

In a follow-up interview after Allen released the statement, Sidarth told the Grind he did not view it as an adequate apology. "First of all, if he is going to single me out in a crowd of 100 people he ought to apologize to me personally," Sidarth said.

Added Webb campaign manager Jessica Vanden Berg, "From my perspective, if a U.S. Senator wanted to directly apologize to somebody he would do so. Sidarth has not been apologized to."

In addition, Vanden Berg said Webb's "family and roots are in southwestern Virginia," and he has lived in Falls Church "for a number of years. During Webb's campaign, she said, "he has traveled extensively throughout Virginia.

"So to say that Jim doesn't know Virginia is a lie," Vanden Berg added.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson, in Iraq for front-line medical facilities in Iraq, praised the military's treatment of service members wounded in combat.

"Our service members in the combat theater receive the best care in the world, and the VA will continue to provide world class care when they return home and take off their uniform," Nicholson said.

You can read the VA's full press release on the secretary's visit here.

From Lauren Kornreich
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Secret Service officer arrested a former NBA player after gunshots were reported just blocks from the White House early Wednesday morning.

Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said officers arrested former Charlotte Bobcats player Lonny Baxter, 27, and his passenger Irvin Martin, 35, at around 2:30 a.m. He said officers saw used shell casings in plain view and a handgun.

Zahren said it is unclear why the weapon was discharged and what the intended target was. The men were arrested for possession of a pistol without a license and for having unregistered ammunition and a firearm.

Zahren said a person flagged down the officer to report gunshots near the White House. The officer pulled Baxter and Irvin's SUV over on 17th and I street and arrested the two men.

From The Morning Grind

President Bush heads to Pennsylvania today to attend a fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial nominee Lynn Swann, but the former Pittsburgh Steelers great trails incumbent Gov. Ed Rendell (D) by 19 percentage points, a new poll released this morning shows. The Quinnipiac University poll shows Rendell leading Swann 57 percent to 38 percent among likely voters with 4 percent undecided.

"Lynn Swann is taking a big political gamble by inviting President Bush to campaign for him in Pennsylvania, but it's probably a risk he has to take," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement accompanying the poll. "Swann needs President Bush to help win back those Republicans who are backing Rendell. Also, the President can help raise the kind of money Swann needs to take on a well-financed Democratic incumbent."

A Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday showed that Bush's approval rating in Pennsylvania is 33 percent, while 64 percent disapprove of his job performance.

From The Morning Grind

Former President Gerald Ford (R), who has been in frail health in recent years, was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for "testing and evaluation," his office said in a statement Tuesday night.

Details about the former president's condition were not released. But Ford, 93, has been hospitalized four times since December, including late last month, when he was admitted for two days to a hospital in Vail, Colorado after suffering shortness of breath. In January, he spent 11 days in a hospital near his home in Rancho Mirage, California being treated for pneumonia. In December, he was admitted to the same hospital for unspecified tests. Ford was hospitalized in 2003 after suffering a dizzy spell while playing golf in 96-degree heat. He also suffered a mild stroke during the 2000 Republican National Convention.

Ford became president in August 1974, after the Watergate scandal forced then-President Richard Nixon from office. He sought election in his own right in the 1976 election but was narrowly defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.

From The Morning Grind

Looking for another reason why Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) is seriously considering running for president? The two-term senator is already retiring at the end of the year, giving up one of the most powerful political postings in the country. And he revealed to his political supporters in an e-mail Tuesday night that his wife, Karyn, "got a little teary-eyed last night when she started thinking about us being 'empty nesters.'" It seems as though the Frist's youngest son, Bryan, is heading off to college "in a couple of weeks." The couple's oldest son, Harrison, works in New York, while their middle son, Jonathan, is a sophomore in college.

With no curfews to enforce, dinners to cook or laundry to clean, the Frist's appear to have enough time on their hands to travel to exotic locations frequented by recent retirees such as Ames, Iowa; Manchester, New Hampshire; and Columbia, South Carolina.

LONDON PLOT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IRAQ, SAYS BILL: Former President Bill Clinton got in the current President's face yesterday, slamming the Bush administration for linking the London bomb plot and the war on terror to the war in Iraq. "The Republicans should be very careful in trying to play politics with this London airport thing, because they're going to have a hard time with the facts," Clinton said in an interview. "I don't think the foiling of that London bomb plot has any bearing on our Iraq policy," he said. Clinton's broadside, delivered on ABC's "Good Morning America," came as President Bush spent his second day in the wake of the defused British terror plot holding high-profile national security meetings. New York Daily News: Bill burns Bush

"DELIBERATE RACIST EPITHET" OR "WEIRD AD-LIBBED WORD WITH NO MEANING?" Sen. George Allen on Tuesday sought to contain the political damage from remarks he made to a Fairfax County man that dredged up charges of racial insensitivity -- allegations that have dogged him for years as governor, senator and now presidential hopeful. Despite a quick apology Monday, criticism poured in about Allen's use of the word "Macaca" to address a volunteer for the campaign of his Democratic opponent, James Webb, and also about another Allen comment, "Welcome to America." Democrats, left-wing bloggers and civil rights groups called him "insensitive" and "racist," while some conservatives called him "foolish" and "mean." The question was fiercely debated all day: Was "Macaca," which literally means a genus of monkey, a deliberate racist epithet or a weird ad-libbed word with no meaning? Washington Post: Allen on Damage Control After Remarks to Webb Aide

THE NEW, INDEPENDENT, JOEMENTUM: Just one week ago, national Democrats united to try to nudge Senator Joseph I. Lieberman out of his race for re-election after his defeat at the hands of his antiwar rival, Ned Lamont, in the Connecticut Democratic primary. But today Mr. Lieberman appears to be in the race to stay, running as a retooled independent candidate who is taking on both political parties, and Connecticut is already seeing a full-throated re-enactment of the men's blistering primary battle. Far from sulking in defeat, Senator Lieberman has fired most of his senior aides, energized his broad base of donors from his campaigns for president and vice president, produced a new television advertisement explaining his political intentions, and attacked Mr. Lamont over the London terror plot. New York Times: New Lieberman Retooling Race as Independent

LIEBERMAN ALIENATING SOME SENATE DEMS: A group of Senate Democrats is growing increasingly angry about Sen. Joe Lieberman's (D-Conn.) campaign tactics since he lost the Democratic primary last week. If he continues to alienate his colleagues, Lieberman could be stripped of his seniority within the Democratic caucus should he defeat Democrat Ned Lamont in the general election this November, according to some senior Democratic aides. In recent days, Lieberman has rankled Democrats in the upper chamber by suggesting that those who support bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq by a certain date would bolster terrorists' planning attacks against the U.S. and its allies. He also sparked resentment by saying last week on NBC's Today show that the Democratic Party was out of the political mainstream. The Hill: Dem angst escalates

FLOTUS HAS RAISED $10.7 MILLION THIS CYCLE: A Gallup/USA Today poll in June found that 69 percent of Americans had a favorable view of the first lady, much higher than the president's 40 percent favorability rating. So far this election cycle, the first lady has spoken at 24 political events, raising a total of $10.7 million, according to the Republican National Committee. "That is obviously an increase of activity from 2002," said Tracey Schmitt, an RNC spokeswoman. "Because of her broad appeal, she is a significant draw wherever she goes, and she is a critical asset to Republican candidates across the country." Washington Post: First Lady a 'Critical Asset' At Republican Fundraisers

GOP PLANNING $40M FALL AD BLITZ: House Republicans have reserved more than $40 million worth of television advertising time for the fall, most of it aimed at holding seats they control, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast. Republican incumbents in the Philadelphia area -- Reps. Jim Gerlach, Curt Weldon and Mike Fitzpatrick -- as well as Connecticut Reps. Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson are slated to get roughly $10 million combined in party advertising. In the Ohio River Valley, Reps. Steve Chabot of Ohio, Geoff Davis of Kentucky and Mike Sodrel of Indiana also are to benefit from advertising by the National Republican Congressional Committee. While most of the airtime reserved so far is meant to help GOP incumbents fend off Democratic challenges, House Republicans also plan to spend millions of dollars to try to unseat several Democrats, including Chet Edwards of Texas, John Spratt of South Carolina and Leonard Boswell of Iowa. The NRCC plans to spend at least $1 million in each of those races to help GOP candidates. AP via Yahoo! News: AP: House Republicans plan $40M ad push

SPENDING MILLIONS, SANTORUM CLOSES IN ON CASEY: It just goes to show what a few million dollars can do. After almost two months of running nonstop TV ads across the state, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum appears to have made up ground in his race with Democratic opponent Bob Casey Jr. A Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday suggested that Santorum had closed to within 6 points of Casey after trailing by 18 points in June, with the senator gaining among Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. The recent Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll showed a similarly narrowed gap. The Casey camp says Santorum has spent $3.5 million on ads since launching his TV blitz on June 23 from Erie to Pittsburgh to Scranton to Philadelphia, based on its review of public records at TV stations. The Santorum camp says that calculation may be high but won't release the numbers. But the campaigns agree that Santorum has spent several times what Casey has spent. Philadelphia Inquirer: Santorum cuts down Casey's lead

McCAIN TRIES THE PORK CHOP ON A STICK: Sen. John McCain, a potential presidential candidate who bypassed Iowa in campaigning for the Republican nomination in 2000, courted Iowans on Tuesday at the State Fair. The Arizona senator touted the importance of the Iowa caucuses in comments to reporters. McCain made all the requisite stops on a fairgrounds tour that created photo ops with beauties and beasts: the State Fair queen and Miss Iowa Angus, as well as the winners of the big boar and super bull contests. And, of course, McCain ate a pork chop on a stick. "This is a remarkable thing here," he said. While McCain hasn't decided whether to make a bid for the White House in 2008, he made no bones about the need to put the Iowa State Fair on his travel schedule in making his third trip to Iowa as a prospective candidate. Des Moines Register: McCain praises timing, clout of Iowa caucuses

GIBBONS VS. TITUS FOR NV GOV: As of today, it's Gibbons vs. Titus. Despite a bitterly fought campaign on both sides, Republican Jim Gibbons and Democrat Dina Titus emerged victorious from Tuesday's gubernatorial primaries by wide margins. Gibbons, a congressman from Reno, won in a landslide with 48 percent of the Republican vote. State Sen. Bob Beers took 29 percent, while Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt managed just 18 percent. Titus, the state Senate minority leader, buried her better-funded rival with 53 percent of the Democratic vote to Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson's 36 percent. It was the result many would have predicted six months ago. But the outcome appeared far less certain after an intense campaign in which new accusations were lobbed almost daily. Las Vegas Review Journal: Titus, Gibbons overcome tough primary competition

JACK CARTER WILL TAKE ON ENSIGN: Nevada voters picked a former first son to take on an incumbent Republican U.S. senator, set up an intriguing governor's race and delivered a razor-thin victory to a GOP candidate hoping to fill the state's only open U.S. House seat. Democrat Jack Carter, son of former President Carter, on Tuesday easily advanced to a November general election race against incumbent U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. Carter said Ensign has been too cozy with the White House. "You know, he's voted for the Bush administration 96 percent of the time," Carter said. AP via Las Vegas Review Journal: Jimmy Carter's Son Wins Nevada Primary

NJ AG RESIGNS AFTER ETHICS BREACH: Zulima Farber became the first New Jersey attorney general in modern history to resign in scandal, announcing her decision yesterday after a special prosecutor determined she violated state ethics rules by aiding her boyfriend at a traffic stop earlier this year. Gov. Jon Corzine, who pledged a "zero tolerance policy" for ethics infractions in his administration, stood side by side with Farber as they made the announcement at a somber news conference in the governor's Statehouse office last night. Just seven months earlier, the pair stood in the same room as Corzine tapped Farber as the first Hispanic to serve as New Jersey's chief law enforcement official. Corzine praised Farber's service and her decision to step down. Newark Star-Ledger: Farber resigns under fire

STUDEBAKER WITHDRAWS: Democratic candidate Stephanie Studebaker notified Montgomery County officials Tuesday that she was quitting her bid for Ohio's 3rd Congressional District, which covers the Dayton area. Studebaker, 45, had shut down her campaign after she and her husband were arrested for domestic violence over the weekend at their home in a suburban township. A veterinarian and political newcomer, she was challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, a former Dayton mayor. Cleveland Plain Dealer: Candidate Studebaker quits race after arrest

TX REPUBLICANS SCRAMBLE TO FIND A WRITE-IN FOR TX 22: With dwindling hopes of keeping Tom DeLay's longtime House seat from falling to a Democrat in November, Texas Republicans on Tuesday called an urgent meeting for Thursday to exercise their only option: agreeing on a write-in candidate. But that slender prospect -- no such write-in campaign has succeeded in the state -- seemed to suffer a blow when a leading candidate facing party opposition disparaged the meeting, saying "that may have worked in Moscow," and vowed to keep running even if it meant two Republican write-in candidates. "I'm in the race and I'm in it to win," said the candidate, David G. Wallace, the part-time mayor of [Sugarland,] this booming Houston suburb named for its onetime Imperial sugar factory. He said he might be too busy campaigning to attend the meeting. New York Times: DeLay's Seat Up for Grabs, Texas Republicans Will Meet to Weigh Write-Ins

BILL NOT HAPPY ABOUT TURNING 60: The big 6-0 is fast approaching and Bill Clinton says he hates it - man, does he hate it. Once, the nation's 42nd president was the youngest person in the room. Now, he often is the oldest -- and, for Clinton, that's hard to take. The soon-to-be sexagenarian -- he turns 60 on Saturday -- admitted yesterday at the 16th International AIDS conference in Toronto, where he is the featured speaker, that the milestone fills him with fear. Delegates responded by serenading him with "Happy Birthday." "In just a few days, I will be 60 years old. I hate it, but it's true," Clinton grumbled. New York Post: BUBBA'S BLUES OVER THE
BIG 6-OH

SURPRISE DELIVERY FOR JINDALS: When it comes to health care policy, they don't come much wonkier than Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner. But all the statistics, charts and graphs in the world didn't prepare the freshman lawmaker for the words he heard from his wife's mouth early Tuesday morning. "This baby is coming now!" Supriya Jindal yelled. Jindal threw out the instruction book and delivered his baby son at home. Slade Ryan Jindal, the couple's third child, was born Tuesday about 3:25 a.m. on the floor of his parents' bedroom in Kenner. He is healthy and at birth weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and was 21 inches long. New Orleans Times-Picayune: Jindal is forced to stand in for stork

What exactly does the word "macaca" mean? According to some, it's a variation on "macaque"-- a French word describing a type of monkey. Now the word is causing headaches for Virginia Senator George Allen, a Republican running for re-election this November against Democrat Jim Webb. While on the campaign trail on Friday in Breaks, Virginia, Allen twice referred to a Webb volunteer who was recording the speech as "macaca."

The volunteer, University of Virginia student S.R. Sidarth, is a Virginia native of Indian descent who has been traveling with Allen videotaping his speeches for the Webb campaign. Sidarth said of the comment, "I was the only person of color there, and it was useful for him in inciting his audience." He gave the video of the speech to the Webb campaign, which posted it on YouTube, emailed it to supporters, and sent it to the Washington Post. The comments also sparked controversy on political blogs, some of which have claimed that Allen has a "race problem."

Allen issued a statement today saying that he "made up a nickname for the cameraman, which was in no way intended to be racially derogatory. Any insinuations to the contrary are completely false."

Allen, a possible 2008 presidential candidate, is leading Webb in both polling and fundraising.

In June, the Webb campaign was accused of distributing an anti-Semitic flyer in his Democratic primary race against opponent Harris Miller, a charge Webb denied.

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:

What does it mean when more Americans can name the Three Stooges than the three branches of government?

Just another example of the dumbing of America.
William, White, Ohio

I'm sick and tired of people putting the Three Stooges down. They are an important part of our history and it is clear that millions of other Americans, the ones who voted for George Bush the second time, agree with me.
Jerry, Silver City, New Mexico

Because the media, namely television, is the classroom of choice for most Americans, perhaps it should take teaching seriously and look for more opportunities to educate us.
Irene, Cullman, Alabama

Apparently, No Child Left Behind has left more than a few behind.
Michael, Jacksonville, Florida

We are on the fast track to becoming a nation of stooges!
Darrell, Arkansas

How should local communities deal with large increases in their immigrant populations?

To treat the immigration problem at a local level is like trying to put the caboose in front of the train... this problem needs to be addressed at a national level.
Geoff, Reno, Nevada

The same as they always have: Free medical care & services, food stamps & welfare, affordable housing, and a "no child left behind" education for their offspring. Let the legitimate taxpayers pick up the tab. Also, it might be a good idea for the locals to take a few Spanish lessons at the local high school.
Ed, North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We should phone Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. He knows how to handle such problems.
Emil, Sun City, Arizona

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" -- it is perhaps NASA's most memorable quotation... problem is, NASA can't remember where they put the original recording of Neil Armstrong saying this historic line. The original transmissions from the 1969 landing on the moon are missing, along with over 2,500 boxes of magnetic tape recordings from NASA's Apollo missions. The hope is the original transmissions will be of a higher quality than what was first broadcasted on television. While NASA will continue to look for the originals, some of the replicated footage is still available online at both NASA's Web site and the National Archives' Google video library.

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) -- Federal authorities dismantled a Mexican heroin trafficking organization Tuesday, arresting about 130 suspects in eight states.

The network produced Mexican-produced black tar heroin and smuggled it across the Southwest border in vehicles or under the clothes of illegal immigrants who came into the United States on foot, anti-drug agents said. U.S. officials said they were concerned by the relatively high purity -- about 80 percent -- of the heroin, known as chiva.

"Some of those arrested had been hanging around outside methadone clinics, waiting to hit up addicts as they left," said one official familiar with the investigation, which began last November.

The Drug Enforcement Administration made arrests in Los Angeles, California; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cincinatti and Columbus, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, Tennessee; and Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Florence, South Carolina.

About half those arrested in "Operation Black Gold Rush" were U.S. citizens. The other half were Mexicans in the United States illegally who controlled a heroin pipeline from Nayarit, Mexico, to Nashville, DEA officials said. Anti-drug agents, who seized $380,000 in cash, said about $3 million per month of heroin flowed through the pipeline.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- John Hinckley, who staged an unsuccessful assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981, is asking a federal judge for permission to continue visiting his parents' Williamsburg, Virginia, home without supervision.

Last year, the court granted Hinckley -- found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting, though he has been in a mental hospital since -- seven unsupervised visits. His lawyers say he has completed all but one of those trips, according to a court filing this month.

"On each of these trips, Mr. Hinckley has complied fully with all of the conditions of release, and not a single negative occurrence has been reported," attorney Barry Levine wrote in a memorandum filed in U.S. District Court.

The Justice Department opposed the request, expressing concern "about the lack of reliable" personnel responsible for monitoring Hinckley. Government officials argued they have not seen or assessed reports filed by Hinckley's psychiatrist, saying the request "must await Mr. Hinckley's request for a hearing."

U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman has scheduled a hearing November 6.

From The Morning Grind

Sen. Rick Santorum (R) has gained significant ground in the last two months on State Treasurer Robert Casey (D), who is challenging him for his Pennsylvania Senate seat, a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows. But Santorum still faces an uphill battle to win re-election, as 49 percent of Pennsylvania likely voters say that the incumbent should not be re-elected.

The poll says that Casey leads Santorum 48 percent to 42 percent among likely voters, with Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli collecting 5 percent and the remaining 5 percent of voters undecided. In a head-to-head match-up, Casey has