White House Shifts Into Survival Mode  —  In a White House known for both defiance and optimism, yesterday's senior staff changes represent a frank acknowledgment of the trouble in which President Bush now finds himself.  They are also a signal of how starkly Bush's second-term ambitions …

Death Lists and Dissenters  —  Allegations of "apostasy" among Muslims are presently a topic for global controversy.  To Westerners, apostasy from Islam seems to denote conversion to Christianity, since the persecution of Muslims who have changed their religion has gained media attention …

Bravo  —  And bravo again.  —  Whether or not you care for Michelle Malkin's political positions, you should be honest enough to admit that this crusade to try to intimidate her and her family—a crusade being waged by mostly anonymous cowards who no person in the blogosphere, left OR right …

Iraqi Premier's Offer to Step Aside Is Seen as Breakthrough  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 20 - In a sudden reversal, embattled Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said today that he was willing to relinquish his job, a move that was hailed by the country's other leaders as a breakthrough …

Unforeseen Spending on Materiel Pumps Up Iraq War Bill  —  Senate to Take Up Measure as Military Fights to Keep Guns, Tanks Working  —  With the expected passage this spring of the largest emergency spending bill in history, annual war expenditures in Iraq will have nearly doubled since the U.S. invasion …

Hundreds nabbed in immigration raid  —  Executives, workers arrested in nationwide move against pallet maker … WASHINGTON - Immigration agents arrested seven executives and hundreds of employees of a manufacturer of crates and pallets Wednesday as part of a crackdown on employers of illegal workers.

The Iranian Menace In Quotes  —  Although there is much debate about how long we have until Iran has a functional nuclear weapon, it's entirely possible that President Bush, in months, not years, may have to decide whether to bomb the Iranians in order to set their program back or whether to allow them to acquire nuclear weapons.

The Curt Weldon Employment Agency  —  Representative Curt Weldon (R., Penn.), a powerful member of the House Armed Services Committee, has been a good friend to the Italian firm Finmeccanica, and it appears that his good deeds on its behalf have been rewarded.

Muslim students 'being taught to despise unbelievers as filth'  —  Pupils protest as college linked to Iran puts fundamentalist text on curriculum, reports our correspondent  —  MUSLIM students training to be imams at a British college with strong Iranian links have complained …

The Worst President in History?  —  One of America's leading historians assesses George W. Bush  —  George W. Bush's presidency appears headed for colossal historical disgrace.  Barring a cataclysmic event on the order of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, after which the public might rally around …

Valerie Plame To Attend White House Correspondents Dinner  —  NEW YORK Will Valerie Plame be the talk of this year's White House Correspondents Dinner?  E&P has confirmed that she is slated to attend this year's gala, along with her husband Joseph Wilson and several other notable non-journalist guests …

The politics column - Martin Bright  —  I can't say that the Euston Manifesto has changed my whole way of thinking, but progressives, whatever they call themselves, or each other, cannot afford to ignore it, writes Martin Bright  —  While the left continues to fragment along the fault line of Iraq …

Storm Evacuees Are Straining Texas Hosts  —  HOUSTON, April 15 — To the long list of adjectives used to describe Texans since last summer's hurricanes — munificent, intrepid, scrappy — add one more: fed up.  —  Seven months after two powerful hurricanes blew through the Gulf Coast …