Anyone but a Bush or a Clinton  —  The U.S. needs a leader in 2008 who doesn't inherit the office because of a last name.  —  HAVING REFUSED a third term as president, George Washington offered the nation a farewell address in 1796, urging Americans to cherish the Union and to avoid the "baneful effects" of political partisanship.

BREAKING: Sen. John Warner To Introduce Resolution Opposing Iraq Escalation  —  Sen. John Warner (R-VA) will introduce a resolution today "making clear that he does not support the President on increasing the troop levels in Iraq" and calling escalation "a mistake," CNN's Dana Bash reports.

Libby Voir Dire, the Never-Ending Story  —  Hey guess who I found in the Libby trial media room?  Pachacutec and Christy!!  —  This is Pach: I'm handing the baton, and the press passes, to my illustrious co-bloggers, though I'm hanging around today to complete my notes on voir dire.

Details Emerge About Possible Terror Threat  —  Suspects, Reportedly Tied to Al Qaeda in Iraq, Sought Student Visas  —  Mimicking the hijackers who executed the Sept. 11 attacks, insurgents reportedly tied to al Qaeda in Iraq considered using student visas to slip terrorists into the United States …

Man kicked off flight for Bush-bashing T-shirt  —  CANBERRA, Jan 22 (Reuters Life!)  - An airline passenger barred from a flight for wearing a T-shirt labeling President Bush a terrorist has threatened legal action against Australia's flag carrier Qantas.  —  Allen Jasson, 55 …

The Invisible Enemy in Iraq  —  A homemade bomb exploded under a Humvee in Anbar province, Iraq, on August 21, 2004.  The blast flipped the vehicle into the air, killing two US marines and wounding another - a soft-spoken 20-year-old named Jonathan Gadsden who was near the end of his second tour of duty.

Words That Don't Work  —  I am not in the habit of offering partisan linguistic advice to Democrats.  But in the genuine spirit of bipartisanship - seriously - I thought this is the perfect time to convey a simple point to the still-euphoric faces of Democrat activists ...  Don't twist the knife.

In Raw World of Sex Movies, High Definition Could Be a View Too Real  —  The XXX industry has gotten too graphic, even for its own tastes.  —  Pornography has long helped drive the adoption of new technology, from the printing press to the videocassette.  Now pornographic movie studios …

ANDREW SULLIVAN WONDERS WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE SURGE: I thought I'd been fairly straightforward, but sometimes my thoughts, scattered across a lot of short posts, come across as more cryptic than I realize, so I appreciate being prodded to pull them together in one place.

Climate scientists feeling the heat  —  As public debate deals in absolutes, some experts fear predictions 'have created a monster'  —  Scientists long have issued the warnings: The modern world's appetite for cars, air conditioning and cheap, fossil-fuel energy spews billions of tons …

Pondering legacy is left to others  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush talked to USA TODAY's White House reporter David Jackson in advance of Tuesday's State of the Union address.  Here are excerpts from the interview.  —  State of the Union  —  Bush began the conversation …

Twin Bombing Kills Scores at Packed Market in Baghdad  —  In the most deadly bombing in Iraq so far this year, two powerful car bombs ripped through a crowded market in central Baghdad today, killing at least 75 people, wounding another 160 or more and leaving the area littered with pieces …

Blog For Choice Day — Some Politically Counterproductive Personal History  —  Given that it's Blog for Choice Day, I figure it's a good reason to explain why I'm glad that the current legal regime protects abortion rights with very few restrictions.  —  I've mentioned here before that I've …

State of the Union: Unhappy With Bush  —  Bush's 33 Percent Approval Rating Lowest Since Nixon for President Entering State of the Union Speech  —  President Bush faces the nation this week more unpopular than any president on the eve of a State of the Union address since Richard Nixon in 1974.

(UPDATE: Khalid "Relieved")  —  Posted by Bill  —  Members of General Khalid Juad Khadim's staff light a pyre in the late evening hours.  —  Something quite strange even for Fallujah happened here Saturday when the occupants of three civilian vehicles stopped at the home …

Iran bars 38 U.N. IAEA inspectors  —  TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said Monday it has barred 38 members of a U.N. nuclear inspection team from entering the country, in what appeared to be retaliation for sanctions imposed last month over its contentious atomic program.