The Blue State: Will be live blogging Alberto Gonzales' testimony before the House Judiciary Committee today

Truly Equal: Dick Cheney claims "violence is down dramatically." Looks like Iraqi children could use some body armor

All Spin Zone: The Department of Justice may have intentionally tanked the prosecution of an international terrorist

Senate 2008 Guru: Keeping a close eye on developments in the 2008 Senate races, the Guru presents a "retirement watch" update.

Common Dreams: In the run-up to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon planned to create a ‘Rapid Reaction Media Team’ (RRMT) designed to ensure control over major Iraqi media while providing an Iraqi ‘face’ for its efforts, according to a ‘White Paper’ obtained by the independent National Security Archive (NSA) and released Tuesday. (h/t Susan J.)

HOLY CRAP: Podcast interview with Michael Weinstein, former Assistant General Counsel at the Reagan white House and co-author of With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against An Evangelical Coup in America's Military...Here's the latest example of how the military has been hijacked by a right-wing Christianists...Before he resigned from the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Wade Horn was a veritable faith-based slot machine for religious organizations, some, with which he'd had longtime close relationships...A crowd packed an Orlando amphitheater for a man claiming to be Jesus Christ reincarnated...The "Flat Earth" wars and the Darwin wars are remarkably similar...In a related development, Mitt Romney forgot to raise his hand the other night...A retired Marine preaches that killing terrorists is an ‘act of love for our nation’...CBC interview with Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion...Theocrat of the Week... A Democratic Saint?