Card's Departure Seen as a Sign President Hears Words of Critics  —  A few weeks ago, President Bush's spokesman dismissed talk of an impending staff change as "inside Washington babble."  —  White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr.'s resignation yesterday suggests that Bush was listening.

THE AMERICAN FLAG COMES SECOND  —  ***scroll for updates...new photo added below of a student in Dallas screamed at by an angry mob for carrying an American flag...plus fence-hopping at Montebello H.S...unreality-based Ted Kennedy gets the Clueless Blowhard of the Day Award...chanting in Las Vegas …

Bush Opposes Iraq's Premier, Shiites Report  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 29 — The American ambassador has told Shiite officials that President Bush does not want the Iraqi prime minister to remain the country's leader in the next government, senior Shiite politicians said Tuesday.

Afghan convert given Italy asylum  —  The Italian cabinet has approved a request for asylum from an Afghan who escaped a possible death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity.  —  Welfare Minister Roberto Maroni said the case of Abdul Rahman, 41, was now in the hands of the interior ministry.

Mexican illegals vs. American voters  —  It is lucky America has more than two centuries of mostly calm experience with self-government.  We are going to need to fall back on that invaluable patrimony if the immigration debate continues as it has started this season.

Time Magazine's Michael Ware from Baghdad.  —  HH: Joining me now live from Baghdad is Michael Ware, bureau chief for Time Magazine.  Michael, welcome to the Hugh Hewitt Show.  —  MW: Thanks, Hugh.  —  HH: Michael, we met each other courtesy of CNN on a couple of editions of Anderson Cooper's program last week.

Democrats Pledge to 'Eliminate' Osama  —  WASHINGTON - Congressional Democrats promise to "eliminate" Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006 in an election-year national security policy statement.  —  In the position paper to be announced Wednesday …

Senators End Right to Derail Votes Secretly  —  Nearing a vote on ethics and lobbying rules that many say are too weak, they also defeat a bid to create an independent public integrity office.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday voted to strip its members of the power to secretly place a …

Judges on Secretive Panel Speak Out on Spy Program  —  WASHINGTON, March 28 — Five former judges on the nation's most secretive court, including one who resigned in apparent protest over President Bush's domestic eavesdropping, urged Congress on Tuesday to give the court a formal role in overseeing the surveillance program.

Democrats Opening Assault on Bush Security Policies  —  WASHINGTON, March 28 — Seeking to capitalize on President Bush's troubles overseas, leading Democrats in Congress are unveiling a broad attack this week on the administration's security policies at home and overseas along with a set …

'The Last Helicopter'  —  Mideast dictators try to "wait Bush out."  They may be miscalculating.  —  Hassan Abbasi has a dream—a helicopter doing an arabesque in cloudy skies to avoid being shot at from the ground.  On board are the last of the "fleeing Americans," forced out of the Dar al-Islam …

Can you spot the mistakes in this photo?  —  This is a picture that Howard Kaloogian, a conservative Republican candidate in San Diego's upcoming congressional special election to replace disgraced GOPer Duke Cunningham, has placed on his Web site.  It is billed as a photo that Kaloogian and his party took on a recent trip to Iraq.

'War' on Christians Is Alleged  —  Conference Depicts a Culture Hostile to Evangelical Beliefs  —  The "War on Christmas" has morphed into a "War on Christians."  —  Last December, some evangelical Christian groups declared that the religious celebration of Christmas — and even the phrase …

Olmert Declares Victory in Israel Election  —  JERUSALEM - Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared victory for his centrist Kadima party in Israel's elections Tuesday, vowing to act on his own if necessary to draw Israel's final borders and "painfully" uproot Jewish settlers if negotiations with the Palestinians are not possible.

Abramoff Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison in Fraud Case  —  MIAMI — Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and a business partner were sentenced Wednesday to five years and 10 months in federal prison, the minimum they faced for fraud related to their 2000 purchase of the SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet.

Justices Hint That They'll Rule on Challenge Filed by Detainee  —  WASHINGTON, March 28 — As the justices of the Supreme Court took their seats Tuesday morning to hear Osama bin Laden's former driver challenge the Bush administration's plan to try him before a military commission, one question …

Saudis, with Pakistani help, working on nuclear programme  —  BERLIN (AFP) - Saudi Arabia is working secretly on a nuclear programme, with help from Pakistani experts, a German magazine reports in its latest edition, citing Western security sources.  —  The German magazine Cicero says that during …

Appeals Court: Rep. McDermott Violated Law in Leaking Taped Call  —  WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Rep. Jim McDermott violated federal law by turning over an illegally taped telephone call to reporters nearly a decade ago.  —  In a 2-1 opinion, the U.S. Court …

Rubber Stamp Republican Congress: Citizen Action Update  —  Morning everyone — happy Jack Abramoff Sentencing in Florida Day.  Looks like Jack still has a few friends on the Hill.  But today, it's all about the sentencing judge — and the proffer as to what cooperation Jackie Boy has been giving the Feds.

Iraq: Prosecutions threaten freedom of expression in northern Iraq  —  Amnesty International is greatly concerned by the prosecutions of two critics of the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq and the threat these pose to freedom of expression in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.