McCain no longer rocks in Granite State  —  As Mitt, Hillary, Barack and a dozen others jump into the presidential stampede, something interesting is happening in New Hampshire.  —  For seven years, conventional wisdom has said that the state's pivotal independent voters would line …

A Spy Program in From the Cold  —  Of the many ways that President Bush has trampled civil liberties and the balance of powers since the 9/11 attacks, one of the most egregious was his decision to order wiretaps of Americans' international calls and e-mail without court approval.

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY TO ALLOW REBUTTAL AFTER CARTER SPEECH  —  WASHINGTON — Former President Jimmy Carter won't go unchallenged after his appearance next week at Brandeis University, where he is lecturing on his latest book about what he terms the Palestinian apartheid by Israel.

Republicans Halt Ethics Legislation  —  Senate Republicans scuttled broad legislation last night to curtail lobbyists' influence and tighten congressional ethics rules, refusing to let the bill pass without a vote on an unrelated measure that would give President Bush virtual line-item-veto power.

After Iraq Trip, Clinton Proposes War Limits  —  Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday called President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq "a losing strategy" and proposed placing new limits on the White House's conduct of the war.  —  Her comments came after a weekend trip to Iraq …

An American in Paris  —  Buchwald launched his career as a columnist in 1949 in Paris, where he wrote about the light side of Paris nightlife in the European edition of the New York Herald Tribune.  He returned to the United States around 1962 and moved to Washington, where he began writing columns filled …

Exclusive: Pelosi Won't Block Iraq Funding to Stop Troop Surge  —  Tells ABC News' Diane Sawyer Bush "Has to Answer for This War"  —  There may be a growing battle between Congress and the president over the Iraq War strategy, but new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she won't block funding for additional troops.

Mahdi Army expressing siege mentality  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Mahdi Army fighters said Thursday they were under siege in their Sadr City stronghold as U.S. and Iraqi troops killed or seized key commanders in pinpoint nighttime raids.  Two commanders of the Shiite militia said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki …

Taking Power, Sharing Cereal  —  SOME of the most powerful Democrats in America are split over a most incendiary household issue: rodents.  —  "I once had to pick up a mouse by the tail that Durbin refused to pick up," complained Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, referring to his roommate Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

Chinese Test Anti-Satellite Weapon  —  U. S. intelligence agencies believe China performed a successful anti-satellite (asat) weapons test at more than 500 mi. altitude Jan. 11 destroying an aging Chinese weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile.

Speaking Chic to Power  —  LAUDING someone for their style on Capitol Hill is a lot like celebrating the best surfer on Florida's Gulf Coast — it's all relative, and some would argue irrelevant.  Washington has never embraced fashion (nor, for that matter, has the fashion world embraced Washington), and for understandable reasons.

The Nonwar War Against Iran  —  While the Iraq debate was gripping Washington over the past few weeks, the Bush administration was also shifting its policy toward neighboring Iran — in a more confrontational direction.  —  U.S. officials, who asked not to be identified …

U.S. Launches Armed Force to Block Iranian Influence in Iraq  —  The U.S. military has launched a special operations task force to break up Iranian influence in Iraq, according to U.S. News sources.  The special operations mission, known as Task Force 16, was created late last year …

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST THINK TROOP SURGE IS BUSH'S LAST CHANCE IN IRAQ  —  NEW YORK — A majority of Americans consider President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq his last chance for victory there, according to a new FOX News poll.  —  Overall, the president's plan receives only minority support …

Defense reluctant to share data on Iraqi troop readiness  —  The Defense Department has resisted auditors' efforts to obtain data on the military readiness of U.S.-trained Iraqi troops, according to a senior government official.  —  Comptroller General David M. Walker told audience members …

No Blank Check on Iran  —  The Iraq Study Group recommended that the Bush Administration engage Iran.  Instead, the Administration chose to threaten it.  —  In recent weeks President Bush attacked Iran in a speech announcing his escalation in Iraq, deployed a second naval battleship …