Dems seek GOP support on Iraq resolution  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats won their first major vote against the Iraq war.  Now they need to get some Republicans on board.  —  A resolution swiping at President Bush's Iraq war plans is headed to the full Senate as early as next week …

Defending Iraq War, Defiant Cheney Cites 'Enormous Successes'  —  Vice President Cheney said yesterday that the administration has achieved "enormous successes" in Iraq but complained that critics and the media "are so eager to write off this effort or declare it a failure" …

Big States' Plan for Earlier Primaries Scrambles Race  —  As many as four big states — California, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey — are likely to move up their 2008 presidential primaries to early next February, further upending an already unsettled nominating process and forcing candidates …

At the Libby Trial, Hints of Intrigue and Betrayal  —  The assertion by lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr. that White House aides had sacrificed him to protect Karl Rove, the senior political adviser, appears to be based primarily on Mr. Libby's own sense that the administration had failed to defend …

Hillary's Hollywood Friends Switch Sides  —  Steven Spielberg and David Geffen Invite Hundreds of Stars to Their Big Barack Obama Fundraiser  —  Is Hollywood abandoning Hillary?  —  On Wednesday morning, hundreds of Hollywood's movers and shakers received an invitation that they may find hard to refuse.

CNN defends host's use of the word "faggot" - network slammed by lead gay anti-defamation group  —  Apparently, no one at CNN has heard of Isaiah Washington, and what happens to TV networks that think the word "faggot" is nothing more than a "naughty name."  —  So CNN is now defending its host …

Kerry won't run for president in '08  —  WASHINGTON —An emotional Senator John F. Kerry today said he will not run in the 2008 presidential race and vowed to use his Senate perch to hasten an end to the war in Iraq, saying he would work with lawmakers from both parties to reverse President Bush's troop …

Incomes and Inequality: What the Numbers Don't Tell Us  —  The growing inequality in wealth and income has led many people to question whether the contemporary American economy is rigged in favor of the rich.  While there is little doubt that the gap between the wealthy and everybody else …

2 election workers convicted of rigging '04 presidential recount  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Two election workers in the state's most populous county were convicted Wednesday of illegally rigging the 2004 presidential election recount so they could avoid a more thorough review of the votes.

Rumsfeld's transition raises questions  —  Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has left the Pentagon, but not the Defense Department.  —  On Jan. 4, Mr. Rumsfeld opened a government-provided transition office in Arlington and has seven Pentagon-paid staffers working for him, a Pentagon official said.

Minimum Wage Bill Suffers Setback in Senate  —  WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 — Prospects for an increase in the minimum wage suffered a setback today in the Senate, where a move fell short, at least for now, to raise the minimum by $2.10 an hour without tax breaks for small businesses

The Democrats' Rude Rebuff  —  When President Bush called for a bipartisan "special advisory council" of congressional leaders on the war against terrorism in his State of the Union address, he had in his pocket a rude rejection from Democratic leaders.  Thank you very much …

Take The Pledge  —  Take the pledge.  This is the temporary site.  The full-service site will be up soon.  —  If you are a blogger who has taken the pledge and linked to the site, please send me a note so I can add your support here.  —  I interviewed Tony Snow at the top of the program today …

Senate Shows Its Age; Health Problems Pose Challenge For Governing  —  The average age of members of the U.S. Senate is older than it has ever been, according to Senate Historian Richard Baker.  For many senators, advanced age is starting to show, raising questions about their ability to govern.

Ayatollah's snub pressures Iran president  —  Internal pressure on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to abandon his confrontational policies with the West has intensified after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme spiritual leader, snubbed a request for a meeting on the country's controversial nuclear programme.

Of Gay Sheep, Modern Science and the Perils of Bad Publicity  —  Charles Roselli set out to discover what makes some sheep gay.  Then the news media and the blogosphere got hold of the story.  —  Dr. Roselli, a researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, has searched …