Republican wins bellwether House race  —  A former Republican congressman narrowly beat his Democratic rival early Wednesday for the right to fill the House seat once held by jailed Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a race closely watched as a possible early barometer of next fall's vote.

Supporters lose in gay marriage ban vote  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, dealing a defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters on Election Day.

Retirement Account of DeLay's Wife Traced  —  With Disclosure, Family's Known Benefits From Ties With Lobbyist Exceed $490,000  —  A registered lobbyist opened a retirement account in the late 1990s for the wife of then-House Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and contributed thousands of dollars …

Proposal Would Let Iran Enrich Uranium  —  TEHRAN, June 6 — The confidential diplomatic package backed by Washington and formally presented to Iran on Tuesday leaves open the possibility that Tehran will be able to enrich uranium on its own soil, U.S. and European officials said.

Senate Contender in Florida Presses On  —  VENICE, Fla. — Undaunted by a run of horrific poll numbers, staff turmoil and public doubts from leaders of her party, Representative Katherine Harris is thinking confidently beyond November.  —  Once Ms. Harris wins her race for a Senate seat …

McKinney deal may be in works  —  Lawyer rejects talk of any negotiations  —  WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors investigating the confrontation between Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and a Capitol police officer have been talking privately with McKinney's office in hopes of resolving …

Bush Turns to House in Immigration Debate  —  ARTESIA, N.M., June 6 — President Bush tried on Tuesday to win back the trust of conservatives who have distanced themselves from him on immigration, promising to "get this border enforced" and warning those who enter the country illegally that "if you get caught, you get sent home."

The 'Native Hawaiian' Bill: An Unconstitutional Approach in Furtherance of a Terrible Idea  —  The U.S. Senate is scheduled to begin debate as early as June 7, 2006, on the misleadingly named "Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005" (S.147).  [1] The proponents of this bill …

Block the Vote, Ohio Remix  —  If there was ever a sign of a ruling party in trouble, it is a game plan that calls for trying to win by discouraging voting.  —  The latest sign that Republicans have an election-year strategy to shut down voter registration drives comes from Ohio.

Salvaging Iraq  —  The images from Iraq are of hell on earth: On Sunday 12 Iraqi students traveling to Baqubah to take their final exams were dragged from a bus and killed because they practiced the wrong religion.  The next day gunmen dressed in police uniforms kidnapped 56 people near …