Challenge to Texas Pledge Denied
A federal judge on Tuesday denied a request for a preliminary injunction sought by a North Texas couple who object to the words "one state under God" being added to the state pledge of allegiance and want to stop it from being recited.

'Virtual School Network' Lacks Real Funding
A new law aimed at creating a "Virtual School Network" across Texas goes into effect Saturday, but another law that recently went on the books may have more of an immediate impact.

Texas Republicans' Presidential Straw Poll Looking Lightweight
Judging from the RSVPs for Texas Republicans' presidential straw poll this week in Fort Worth, the GOP is throwing a dud of a party.

As Counsel, Thompson Walked Capital's Fine Line
The Reagan administration was only a few months old when it faced a major test: Senators were calling for the head of the president's new director of central intelligence, and no one knew if he would survive their investigation into his tangled past business dealings and questionable agency management.

Michigan Weighs Moving Primaries To Mid-January
Michigan is poised to move its presidential primaries to Jan. 15 or earlier, becoming the latest state to leapfrog to the front of the voting calendar in the ongoing battle for relevance in choosing the next White House occupant.

Ex-governor Pulls Out of Straw Poll
Another prominent Republican presidential candidate is pulling out of the Texas straw poll: former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who finished a surprising second in the Iowa straw poll.

Clinton Donor Under a Cloud in Fraud Case
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said yesterday that it would give to charity $23,000 it had received from a prominent Democratic donor, and review thousands of dollars more that he had raised, after learning that the authorities in California had a warrant for his arrest stemming from a 1991 fraud case.

GOP Maneuvers to Change Take-all System
Often when Republicans are worried about losing elections, they try to change the rules. That's exactly what they are attempting in California right now with a statewide ballot measure regarding that state's 55 electoral votes.

Democrats Create ePrimary to Counter GOP
Texas Democrats don't want to be left out of the presidential sweepstakes, either, so on the day Republicans descend on Fort Worth for a GOP presidential straw poll, Democrats will start their own - virtual - presidential primary.

NH Frustrated With Fred?
Yesterday rumors abounded that Fred Thompson would make the long-awaited announcement that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president. But as it turned out, Thompson only announced that he will make the big announcement on September 6. (Hey, I'm not pushing it; I'm the one who was told flatly by a top operative with the Tennessean's unannounced campaign that he would make it official August 8th.)

Romney Rising?
A new Zogby poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus- goers shows something a bit unexpected: former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has barreled ahead of the rest of the pack. In a recent interview with John Zogby, he told me that the trend for Romney is striking: at just 5 percent six months ago, he's now polling 33 percent today. His nearest competitor -- former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, is a staggering 19 points behind him at 14 percent. Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson is third with 12 percent. Zogby also told me that the biggest news out of this poll was that Thompson has already begun to fade, even though -- or perhaps BECAUSE -- his candidacy is still undeclared.

Texas GOP Split Between Grass Roots Voters and Donors
When it comes to Republican presidential politics in Texas, the money is going one way and the grass roots another.

A Scandal-Scarred G.O.P. Asks, 'What Next?'
Scott Reed, a Republican strategist, was at a dinner in Philadelphia on Monday night when his cellphone and Internet pager began beeping like crazy. Only later did he learn why. His party was buzzing with news of a sex scandal involving a Republican United States senator - again.

Terrorism Policies Split Democrats
A growing clamor among rank-and-file Democrats to halt President Bush's most controversial tactics in the fight against terrorism has exposed deep divisions within the party, with many Democrats angry that they cannot defeat even a weakened president on issues that they believe should be front and center.

"Shadow Of A Nuclear Holocaust"
by Gary Bauer
Speaking before the American Legion convention today, President Bush again outlined the stakes in Iraq and offered a stark warning about the nature of the enemy we are confronting.

Hardball
by Gary Bauer
We got a lot of positive feedback today from my interview last night with Chris Matthews on Hardball. Of course, there was also the usual smattering of obscene, vile e-mails from homosexual activists and their leftwing supporters. I am always amazed at how hateful the self-described "tolerance" crowd is. Their mantra is that everything should be tolerated - except of course the voices of those of us speaking from the perspective of Judeo-Christian values!

For Want of A Mission
by Bill Murchison
Umm-hmm. Yep. The Alberto Gonzales thing never was primarily about Alberto. Witness some of the edifying commentary that accompanies our first Hispanic attorney general on his way back to Texas.

CNN's God's Christian Warriors Leaves Viewers... Scared
One of these days, CNN will have to dispense with the ominous music it uses for Christian documentaries and go for the full effect, using the Jaws soundtrack.