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.

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 …

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 …

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.

4 troops abducted, killed in Iraq attack  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - In perhaps the boldest and most sophisticated attack in four years of warfare, gunmen speaking English, wearing U.S. military uniforms and carrying American weapons abducted four U.S. soldiers last week at the provincial headquarters …

Amid Question of Flip-flopping, McCain to Back Reform Bill  —  Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will sponsor a bill to strengthen campaign finance laws in this session of Congress despite vehement opposition to campaign finance reform from conservative Republican activists whose support he needs …

Back in the Saddle  —  You know things are going well on your blog when everyone is so busy they don't even have room for you to post.  Our site administrator RBG finally gave me the thumbs up to start blogging again today since things are thankfully a bit slower (emptywheel's fingers must …

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.

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.

Immigration Raid Draws Protest From Labor Officials  —  An immigration raid at a huge North Carolina pork-packing plant provoked protests yesterday from union officials, who said the company, Smithfield Foods, had collaborated with the authorities searching for illegal immigrants to discourage its workers from organizing.