F.B.I. Raid Divides G.O.P. Lawmakers and White House  —  WASHINGTON, May 23 — After years of quietly acceding to the Bush administration's assertions of executive power, the Republican-led Congress hit a limit this weekend.  —  Resentment boiled among senior Republicans for a second …

An Amnesty by Any Other Name ...  IN the debate over immigration, "amnesty" has become something of a dirty word.  Some opponents of the immigration bill being debated in the Senate assert that it would grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.  Supporters claim it would do no such thing.

Bill Frist: A Doctor at Heart  —  The houses were dark on Bill Frist's street.  A morning bird chirped; the others were waiting for dawn.  But Frist was awake, and his bedroom light was on.  "I'm going to take a shower," the Senate majority leader said brightly.  Ten minutes later, the blow dryer roared.

Iran Requests Direct Talks on Nuclear Program  —  TEHRAN, May 23 — Iran has followed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent letter to President Bush with explicit requests for direct talks on its nuclear program, according to U.S. officials, Iranian analysts and foreign diplomats.

Any differences between Democrats in 2003 and today?  —  Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday essentially assured that President Bush's nominee to head the CIA, Gen. Michael Hayden, would not only be confirmed by the full Senate, but confirmed overwhelmingly.

A.C.L.U. May Block Criticism by Its Board  —  The American Civil Liberties Union is weighing new standards that would discourage its board members from publicly criticizing the organization's policies and internal administration.  —  "Where an individual director disagrees with a board position …

In need of moral clarity  —  "I was aiming to follow in the footsteps of one of my role-models, Muhammad Atta." … Do you remember Taheri-azar?  The 25-year-old Iranian graduate of the University of North Carolina rented an SUV in March and drove it into The Pit, a campus gathering place for UNC students.

Pelosi asks congressman snared in bribery probe to resign post  —  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has formally asked Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) to resign from the powerful Ways and Means Committee.  —  Jefferson wrote Pelosi quickly in reply, refusing to surrender his seat.

Gonzales Defends Phone-Data Collection  —  Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday that the government can obtain domestic telephone records without court approval under a 1979 Supreme Court ruling that authorized the collection of business records.

Armed Groups Propel Iraq Toward Chaos  —  Haider Hamid was arrested in Baghdad on April 15 by officers wearing Interior Ministry uniforms, according to Mr. Hamid's brother, Majid.  Majid Hamid found his brother's body, above, showing signs of torture, five days later in the city morgue.

Keep 'America' in Michigan schools  —  State bureaucrats want to do what Stalin, Osama could only dream about  —  C ensoring the word "America" from our own schools is something Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden would never have thought possible.  Michigan has done it without a whimper.

Senator McCain Worked Blue  —  On New York Stage  —  Behind Closed Doors, Republican Works in Material: 'I'd Tell Shiites and Sunnis, "Stop the Bulls**t"'; Fresh From Falwell, Attacks Right-Wing Nativism  —  For all the national attention surrounding John McCain's two highly anticipated …

Lloyd Bentsen Dies at 85; Senator Ran With Dukakis  —  Lloyd Bentsen, former congressman and senator from Texas, onetime secretary of the Treasury and the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1988, died yesterday at his home in Houston.  He was 85.  The cause was complications of a stroke he suffered in 1998, his family said.

It Was Just A Matter of Time  —  ... before Lou Dobbs went full-on racist on the immigration question.  Liberal Oasis has the story: … The CCC is a well known neo-confederate group that is the direct heir to the White Citizens Councils of the Jim Crow south.

Al-Zarqawi Aide, Arrested in Jordan, Confesses to Iraq Killings  —  May 23 (Bloomberg) — An aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, today appeared on state-run Jordanian television and confessed to involvement in the killings of Iraqis and other Arabs.

Intelligence Czar Can Waive SEC Rules  —  Now, the White House's top spymaster can cite national security to exempt businesses from reporting requirements  —  President George W. Bush has bestowed on his intelligence czar, John Negroponte, broad authority, in the name of national security …