For Bush's Ex-Aide, Quick Fall After Long Climb  —  WASHINGTON, March 13 — Claude A. Allen often said his religious upbringing took him from a two-room apartment in a poor neighborhood of Washington to a post at the White House.  —  "Probably the vast majority of the kids who grew …

Bush's Approval Ratings Slip In the Latest Harris Poll  —  President Bush's job-approval ratings continue to slip, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll, while job-approval ratings for most of his key cabinet members also remain low.  —  Mr. Bush's current job-approval ratings stand at 36% in March …

Isaac Hayes Quits 'South Park'  —  NEW YORK - Isaac Hayes has quit "South Park," where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion.  —  Hayes, who has played the ladies' man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday that he feels a line has been crossed.

US postwar Iraq strategy a mess, Blair was told  —  Senior British diplomatic and military staff gave Tony Blair explicit warnings three years ago that the US was disastrously mishandling the occupation of Iraq, according to leaked memos.  —  John Sawers, Mr Blair's envoy in Baghdad …

Myths of Iraq  —  During a recent visit to Baghdad, I saw an enormous failure.  On the part of our media.  The reality in the streets, day after day, bore little resemblance to the sensational claims of civil war and disaster in the headlines.  —  No one with first-hand experience of Iraq …

Bush Sets Target for Transition In Iraq  —  Country's Troops to Take Lead This Year  —  President Bush vowed for the first time yesterday to turn over most of Iraq to newly trained Iraqi troops by the end of this year, setting a specific benchmark as he kicked off a fresh drive …

Magazine: Bradlee Knows Woodward's Source on Plame  —  Vanity Fair is reporting that former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee says it is reasonable to assume former State Department official Richard L. Armitage is likely the source who revealed CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward.

The Daily Muck  —  Ronnie Earle's DeLay Subpoenas Thrown Out  —  Ronnie Earle, the Travis County prosecutor in Texas who indicted Tom DeLay on money laundering charges, has been engaged in a litigation war with DeLay's attorneys ever since that indictment.

Iraqis Find 85 Bodies in 24-Hour Period  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Police in the past 24 hours have found the bodies of at least 85 people killed by execution-style shootings — a gruesome wave of apparent sectarian reprisal slayings, officials said Tuesday.  —  The dead included at least 27 bodies stacked …

wherein we prove that the "wartime president" defense is inconsequential - no - make that outright "lame"  —  we've heard it before, and we're hearing it now: … there are three prongs of logic that defeat the entire "he's a wartime president, so don't be mean to him" defense.

Judge Calls Halt to Penalty Phase of Terror Trial  —  ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 13 — An angry federal judge delayed the sentencing trial of Zacarias Moussaoui on Monday and said she was considering ending the prosecution's bid to have him executed after the disclosure that a government lawyer had improperly coached some witnesses.

WHEN HAWKS RUN  —  March 14, 2006 — CAN the War on Terror be won?  America's inability to secure a victory in Iraq against the insurgency suggests to many people of good will and good sense that it really can't be.  They believe the enemies of the United States are motivated by a force …

We were right to invade Iraq  —  The failures of occupation may be legion, but at least we confronted Saddam at a time of our choosing  —  With the advantage of three years of hindsight, politicians' failed predictions about Iraq make dispiriting reading.  "Any war will cause a refugee crisis …

Gore: Country straying from principles  —  Former vice president urges Democrats 'not to take anything for granted' during fund-raiser.  —  WEST PALM BEACH — The people of "these United States are going to stand up and take our country back," former Vice President Al Gore said Sunday …