Headmaster Disputes Claim That Obama Attended Islamic School  —  Fresh doubt was cast yesterday on a magazine's allegation that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) attended a madrassah, or religious school that teaches a fundamentalist version of Islam.  —  Hardi Priyono, deputy headmaster …

Bush, at Low Point in Polls, Will Push Domestic Agenda  —  Carrying some of the worst public approval ratings of any president in a generation, President Bush is heading into his State of the Union address on Tuesday night seeking to revitalize his domestic agenda but facing stiff resistance …

Scant evidence found of Iran-Iraq arms link  —  U.S. warnings of advanced weaponry crossing the border are overstated, critics say.  —  BAQUBAH, IRAQ — If there is anywhere Iran could easily stir up trouble in Iraq, it would be in Diyala, a rugged province along the border between the two nations.

McCain Bashes Cheney Over Iraq Policy  —  With his presidential hopes tied to an administration whose Iraq policy he supports but cannot control, John McCain for the first time blamed Vice President Cheney for what McCain calls the "witch's brew" of a "terribly mishandled" war in which U.S. forces are on the verge of defeat.

Black Caucus: Whites Not Allowed  —  Freshman Rep. Stephen I. Cohen, D-Tenn., is not joining the Congressional Black Caucus after several current and former members made it clear that a white lawmaker was not welcome.  —  "I think they're real happy I'm not going to join," said Cohen …

Retreat Isn't an Option  —  Sen. Hillary Clinton declared this weekend, " I'm in to win."  Anyone who has watched her remarkable trajectory can have no doubt that she'll do whatever it takes to win the presidency.  I wish she felt the same way about the war.

WEB SITE KICKS SAND IN FACES OF GIS IN IRAQ ASKING FOR MATS TO EASE HARDSHIP OF SLEEPING ON GROUND  —  An American GI assigned to one of the harshest posts in Iraq had a simple request last week for a Wisconsin mattress company: send some floor mats to help ease the hardship of sleeping on the cold, bug-infested ground.

Bush Insurance Plan Gets Cold Reception  —  President Bush's proposed tax deduction for health insurance appears to be shaping up as a tough sell in the Democratic Congress.  —  Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., said Monday that the tax changes, which Bush will promote in Tuesday night's State …

Hezbollah Riots in Lebanon  —  While I was in Lebanon gathering the material I've been publishing, Hezbollah kept threatening to strangle the country by seizing major roads, including the one that leads to the airport.  I was worried I might get stuck there, but I didn't.

Abortion Foes to Renew Efforts  —  Activists Rally on Mall, Vow to Keep Pressure on Congress  —  Tens of thousands of abortion opponents marched through melting snow on the Mall yesterday and vowed to work harder — since Democrats have taken control of the Capitol — to overturn …

Casino Executive Contributes $1 Million to Gingrich Group  —  Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker and a possible presidential contender, jump-started his new political group with a check for $1 million from a source many in his conservative base would shun — the gambling industry.

Bush Poll Ratings Before Speech Fall to Nixon's Level (Update2)  —  Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) — President George W. Bush's approval ratings are now the lowest for any president the day before a State of the Union speech since Richard Nixon in 1974, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

CNN's Glenn Beck Calls Anti-Gay Slur Simply A 'Naughty Name'  —  Yesterday on CNN Headline News, host Glenn Beck addressed the controversy raised after Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington called his castmate T.R. Knight a "faggot."  —  Beck called the New York Times's refusal to print the anti-gay slur …

Surprises From Gates's 1996 Memoir  —  Defense Secretary Admires Leaders, Thinkers in Both Parties  —  Of all the presidents he worked for, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is particularly supportive of one — but it isn't, as might be expected, Ronald Reagan, the first President Bush or even Gerald R. Ford.