Bush: 'I'm the decision-maker' in Iraq troops  —  President challenges lawmakers to give 'surge' plan a chance to work  —  President Bush, right, meets with Defense chief Robert Gates, left, and Army Lt. General David Petraeus at the White House.  —  NBC VIDEO  —  Jan. 26: President Bush speaks to reporters on Friday.

Troops Authorized to Kill Iranian Operatives in Iraq  —  Administration Strategy Stirs Concern Among Some Officials  —  The Bush administration has authorized the U.S. military to kill or capture Iranian operatives inside Iraq as part of an aggressive new strategy to weaken Tehran's influence across …

In Ex-Aide's Testimony, A Spin Through VP's PR  —  Memo to Tim Russert: Dick Cheney thinks he controls you.  —  This delicious morsel about the "Meet the Press" host and the vice president was part of the extensive dish Cathie Martin served up yesterday when the former Cheney communications director took …

Secrecy Is at Issue in Suits Opposing Spy Program  —  The Bush administration has employed extraordinary secrecy in defending the National Security Agency's highly classified domestic surveillance program from civil lawsuits.  Plaintiffs and judges' clerks cannot see its secret filings.

Hagel Ponders White House Run As War Criticism Raises His Profile  —  His Republican colleagues regard him warily.  The White House barely speaks to him.  He is reviled by his party's conservative base.  —  Looks as though Sen. Chuck Hagel is on a roll.  —  Both parties have their Iraq war contrarians.

The vaulting ambition of America's Lady Macbeth  —  Hillary Clinton's shameless political reconstructive surgery  —  You can measure the scale of an American president's troubles by the number of skutniks he deploys during his State of the Union address.  —  Every year during …

FAQ - The Pledge!  —  1) I see you right wing bloggers who are demanding a loyalty oath as virtually goose-stepping through the internet.  I am gobsmacked.  I am filled with heart-ache.  —  Huh?  Are there any questions?  —  2) What is the purpose of the pledge?  —  It is not a loyalty oath.

Feingold Pushes Plan to Cut Off War Funds  —  Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday in his Judiciary Committee subcommittee to explore whether Congress has the authority to cut off funding for the U.S. military campaign in Iraq.  The move comes as Congress prepares …

Right-Of-Center Bloggers Select The Most & Least Desired 2008 Republican Nominee (First Half Of 2007 Edition)  —  Right Wing News emailed more than 230 right-of-center bloggers and asked them to send us a ranked list 1-5 of the candidates that they would most like to take the Republican nomination …

The Right & the Wrong  —  Conservative Talker Glenn Beck Puts His Own Failings Up Front  —  The set of Glenn Beck's talk show on CNN Headline News looks like the rooftop patio of a posh apartment, complete with simulated bricks and a huge photo-realist mural of a SoHo block.

CAMPAIGN RHETORIC....Is soaring campaign rhetoric enough?  Atrios says this: … I agree completely, but I still think there's an important distinction to be made here between cheap campaign rhetoric and serious campaign rhetoric.  Among Republicans, cheap campaign rhetoric includes things …

Iraq Leader and Sunni Officials in Clash on Security  —  Iraq's Shiite prime minister and Sunni lawmakers hurled insults at one another during a raucous session of Parliament on Thursday, with the prime minister threatening a Sunni lawmaker with arrest and the Sunni speaker of Parliament threatening to quit.