Democrats' New Intelligence Chairman Needs a Crash Course on al Qaeda  —  Forty years ago, Sgt. Silvestre Reyes was a helicopter crew chief flying dangerous combat missions in South Vietnam from the top of a soaring rocky outcrop near the sea called Marble Mountain.

Iraqis Near Deal on Distribution of Oil Revenues by Population  —  Iraqi officials are near agreement on a national oil law that would give the central government the power to distribute current and future oil revenues to the provinces or regions, based on their population, Iraqi and American officials say.

What I think is really going on in the war on trans fat. … I simply do not believe that the so-called health side is really composed of people who are solicitous about everyone else's health.  I can't prove it, but my intuition is that all the strength on the "health" …

Romney's Gay Rights Stance Draws Ire  —  Gov. Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts Republican who has built a presidential campaign on a broad appeal for conservative support, is drawing sharply increased criticism from conservative activists for his advocacy of gay rights in a 1994 letter.

Adopt our values or stay away, says Blair  —  Your view: what next for "multicultural" Britain?  —  Full text of Blair's multiculturalism speech  —  Audio: Andrew Pierce on why Blair isn't facing questions  —  Tony Blair formally declared Britain's multicultural experiment over yesterday …

Report on Iraq Exposes Divide Within G.O.P.  —  The release of the report by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group this week exposed deep fissures among Republicans over how to manage a war that many fear will haunt their party — and the nation — for years to come.

Democrats frustrated by Bush's reaction to Iraq report  —  WASHINGTON - Top Democrats in Congress left a White House meeting with President Bush on Friday frustrated over what they perceived as his reluctance to embrace major recommendations from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.

Senators to Gather in Closed Meeting  —  Reid Plan Defended as Effort to 'Establish a Dialogue,' but Some See a Bad Precedent  —  Senate Democrats, who campaigned on a pledge of more openness in government, will kick off the 110th Congress with a closed meeting of all 100 senators in the Capitol.

Iraqis Line Up to Put Hussein in the Noose  —  One of the most coveted jobs in Iraq does not yet exist: the executioner for Saddam Hussein.  The death sentence against Mr. Hussein is still under review by an appeals court, but hundreds of people have already started lobbying the prime minister's office for the position.

Majority Fact of the Day  —  SENATOR INHOFE ANNOUNCES PUBLIC RELEASE OF "SKEPTIC'S GUIDE TO DEBUNKING GLOBAL WARMING"  —  Contact: Marc Morano (Marc_Morano@epw.senate.gov ), Matt Dempsey (Matthew_Dempsey@epw.senate.gov )  —  Washington D.C. - Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) …

How George W. Bush has ruined the family franchise.  —  On the eve of a report that repudiates his son's leadership, former president George H.W. Bush broke down crying when he recalled how his other son, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, lost an election a dozen years ago and then came back to serve two successful terms.

Rumsfeld Discusses Successes, Failures  —  Defense Secretary Says Abu Ghraib Was a Low Point  —  Departing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday that his most difficult moment on the job was when he learned of the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison.

Jeane Kirkpatrick  —  Her blunt style and strong defense of liberty will be missed.  —  Jeane Kirkpatrick, who died yesterday at 80, was that rare thing—a public intellectual and a public figure.  She excelled at both.  —  Ms. Kirkpatrick is known to the public at large because Ronald Reagan …

Chickenus Dovus Asniniensis  —  The anti-war movement's big moment has arrived.  The pressure for cut-and-walk is on.  The moment of defeat is at hand!  —  Back when the war started, there were some highly principled peaceniks who decided to go to Iraq to shield the innocent Iraqi people …