Sunday Short Takes

In case you missed any of this last week:

- Shocking. "Republican politicians warn that intelligence professionals are being insufficiently alarmist about Iran."

- Iran: "A key House committee issued a stinging critique of U.S. intelligence on Iran yesterday, charging that the CIA and other agencies lack 'the ability to acquire essential information necessary to make make judgments' on Tehran's nuclear program, its intentions or even its ties to terrorism."

- 9/11: "It's the unexamined question of 9/11: What if Rudy Giuliani wasn't quite the hero everybody thought?"

- Bad news for journos: "...the judge also ruled it was acceptable for the government to spy on anyone who handles government information 'not generally available to the public' -- a category which seems to cover any reporter worth his or her salt."

- Katherine Harris: "Separation of church and state 'a lie'." "..God is the one who chooses our rulers." MORE: "If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin."

- Lieberman: "So, when Democrat Ned Lamont says we need to start a timetable for withdrawal, Lieberman says that would be a victory for terrorists. When Democrats in the Senate put that up for a vote, Joe leads off the debate on the side of... the Republicans. But when Republican Chris Shays says we need a timetable then Lieberman says:...he would consider taking a look at a fellow lawmaker's proposal for a timeline for troop withdrawals."

- McCain: "No Longer Offering Himself As The Alternative...Now Positioned Himself As Bush's Heir"

- New Orleans: "Army Corps worries about Big Easy levees"