Largest Iraq Air Assault Since '03 Begins  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — U.S. forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched the largest airborne assault since the U.S.-led invasion, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.  —  The military said the operation …

House rejects spending for birth control  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An attempt to resume state spending on birth control got shot down Wednesday by House members who argued it would have amounted to an endorsement of promiscuous lifestyles.  —  Missouri stopped providing money for family planning …

Report Backs Iraq Strike and Cites Iran Peril  —  WASHINGTON, March 15 — An updated version of the Bush administration's national security strategy, the first in more than three years, gives no ground on the decision to order a pre-emptive attack on Iraq in 2003, and identifies Iran …

Cornered rats  —  There is a palpable increase in the level of extremism and desperation among Bush followers as the Commander in Chief's approval ratings fall lower and lower and as the views which Americans have of both him and his party become more hostile.

Researcher Will Face Charges in Steele Case  —  Federal prosecutors have decided to bring charges against a Democratic researcher accused of fraudulently obtaining a credit report on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

The lesson, my friends...  ...is that no matter what you do, Rush Limbaugh is going to crow about it, Ken Mehlman is going to do a mass-mailing about it, and the American Family Association will launch a boycott over it.  —  And even if you choose to do nothing, all of them will still attack you …

I'm Blue  —  I have uncovered a sinister plot.  —  As I've mentioned, I was in Austin this week.  Cool city— one of those great, Southern college towns where be-baseball-capped frat guys and be-dreaded hippies mostly-happily coexist, though usually at different bars.

Hey, Big Spender  —  Should we have known that President Bush would bust the budget?  —  This week's column is a question, a brief one addressed with honest curiosity to Republicans.  It is: When George W. Bush first came on the scene in 2000, did you understand him to be a liberal in terms of spending?

THE FALLING MAN REVISITED  —  Some images leave an indelible mark on your heart and soul.  —  Like "The Falling Man" on 9/11:  —  Credit: Richard Drew, AP  —  His identity has not been confirmed, though many have speculated over the last 4 1/2 years.  Tom Junod wrote an extraordinary piece …

Senate Bill Would Override State Health Coverage Rules  —  GOP backers see the legislation as a way for insurers to offer more affordable plans.  Critics say it would undermine treatment protections.  —  WASHINGTON — The battle over healthcare moved to a new front Wednesday …

GOP Seeks Curbs On '527' Groups  —  House Republican leaders proposed changes in lobbying laws yesterday that would include a crackdown on independent, big-money committees that heavily aided Democrats in the 2004 elections.  —  The proposed ethics package would increase the amount …

FEC raises the stakes for blog bill  —  The Federal Election Commission (FEC) yesterday postponed a controversial decision on subjecting Internet political speech to campaign-finance regulations, raising the stakes for today's scheduled House vote on a bill that exempts all blogs, Web ads and other online communications.

Rep. Harris Pledges Fortune to Revive Senate Race  —  MIAMI, March 15 — Representative Katherine Harris announced late Wednesday that she would not end her flagging campaign for the Senate, saying she would instead invest her $10 million fortune in the race.