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.

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.

House Speaker Pelosi visits Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) and Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), both vocal war critics, were in the Iraqi capital Friday at the head of a delegation of House members on a fact-finding mission …

Insurgents post video of downed copter  —  CAIRO, Egypt - An insurgent group that has claimed responsibility for the downing this week of a U.S. helicopter in Baghdad that killed five Americans posted a video Thursday on an Islamic Web site showing the wreckage and two bodies.

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.

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.

AP Disputes Military Claims on Deaths of Americans in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD Contrary to U.S. military statements, four U.S. soldiers did not die repelling a sneak attack at the governor's office in the Shiite holy city of Karbala last week.  New information obtained by The Associated Press shows …

Energy Independence?  —  A Serious Plan Requires Taxes, ANWR and Nukes  —  Is there anything more depressing than yet another promise of energy independence in yet another State of the Union address?  By my count, 24 of the 34 State of the Union addresses since the oil embargo of 1973 have proposed solutions to our energy problem.

Groups Head to Capital to Step Up Antiwar Drive  —  Tens of thousands of demonstrators are set to arrive in the capital this weekend for a major antiwar march, staging the first of several protests intended to persuade the new Democratic-controlled Congress to do more than simply speak against President Bush's Iraq policy.

Zogby Poll: Bush Job Approval: 32%  —  President's rating remains low, though his State of the Union speech received solid marks  —  The nation's opinion of the job President Bush is doing in office improved slightly following his nationally-televised State of the Union message to Congress …

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 …

Sharp Decline in Union Members in '06  —  Union membership dropped sharply last year in the United States, as the percentage of manufacturing workers in unions fell below the percentage of American workers in unions for the first time in modern history.  —  The Bureau of Labor Statistics …

Politico Mojo  —  FEBRUARY/MARCH ISSUE PREVIEW » Robert Allbritton hopes his ambitious new print and Internet ventures will lure political junkies and benefit from a fast-changing media landscape.  —  Kathy Kiely is a USA Today Washington correspondent.

Al Qaeda-Cowed Nation Persecutes U.S. Soldiers  —  A Spanish court last week issued a "search and capture" warrant against three soldiers involved in the Hotel Palestine incident, in which Spanish cameraman Jose Cuoso and Reuters's Taras Protsyuk were killed.

Ottawa reaches $10M settlement with Arar  —  Ottawa has reached a $10-million settlement with Maher Arar over Canada's role in a U.S. decision to deport him to Syria, where he was jailed and tortured.  —  Prime Minister Stephen Harper is scheduled to make the settlement announcement on Friday afternoon …