Clooney for Congress?

And now some fresh pickings from the wartime grapevine:

Omar's Warning

Taliban leader Mullah Omar (search) has reportedly announced the start of a guerrilla war in Afghanistan that he says will -- "turn the earth red with the blood of the invaders and make them spend sleepless nights."

In a letter sent to Pakistan's International News, Omar urges Muslims to unite against U.S. and British forces in Afghanistan, whom he says are only now talking about writing a constitution and holding elections there so they can prolong their stay in Afghanistan and deprive Muslims of their sovereignty. Omar says it's all part of a U.S. plan to take control of the assets of Islamic countries.

According to the Mass.-es

Three new polls from Massachusetts have Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (search) losing to rival Howard Dean (search) in Kerry's own home state. A Boston Herald poll shows that if elections were held today, Dean would beat Kerry by a margin of 33 to 24 percent.

A Boston Globe poll has Dean beating Kerry 27 to 24 percent. And while a Lawrence Eagle Tribune poll has Dean barely topping Kerry, 33 percent of Massachusetts's residents still say Dean is the Democrats' best hope in 2004, compared with about 19 percent who say that about Kerry.

Clooney for Congress?

Kentucky Rep. Ken Lucas -- the only Democratic congressman from his state -- has announced he will retire after three terms in office because he has found a -- "quality Democratic candidate" to replace him. So who is this quality candidate?

Why, it's Nick Clooney (search), former host of cable's American Movie Classics ... brother of the late Rosemary Clooney and father of movie megastar George Clooney. The elder Clooney announced his candidacy earlier today, promising to speak his mind, whether -- "you agree with me or not, [and] whether it is politically correct or not."

— FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report