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 …

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.

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.

Kadima wins with 28 seats  —  Kadima makes history: With 99.67 percent of votes counted, Kadima wins 2006 elections with 28 Knesset seats, Acting PM Olmert to be tasked with forming new government.  Labor second with 20; Likud suffers major setback, wins only 11 seats  —  Ynetnews

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

'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 …

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.

Redemption Among the Faithful  —  There are those who would say Tom DeLay lost his job as House majority leader because he was indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges of money laundering and conspiracy, or because of his extensive ties to lawbreaking lobbyist Jack Abramoff.  But they would be wrong.

Senate Votes Down Outside Ethics Office  —  The Senate rejected a proposal to establish an independent office to investigate ethics complaints against its members, and then cleared the way to pass a broad-based ethics and lobbying bill this week.  —  On a 67 to 30 vote …

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 …

US News law school rankings for 2007  —  Thanks to a student of mine, I've been forwarded a copy of what purports to be the new US News Rankings for law schools.  Apparently it will be on newstands shortly and circulated to admissions offices at law schools imminently too.

Anchor-Advocate on Immigration Wins Viewers  —  The nation's most prominent opponent of current immigration policy began his day yesterday on the "Today" show on NBC, debating a Hispanic defender of illegal immigrants.  He moved on to "American Morning" on CNN to denounce a bill passed …