A Reluctant Rebel's Yell  —  From Vietnam to Capitol Hill, Chuck Hagel has never been afraid to fight.  Now he talks about what could be his biggest battle yet: a run for the White House.  —  Chuck Hagel wears pain on his face.  The senior senator from Nebraska earned two Purple Hearts in Vietnam …

Brownback Knocks Down Lieberman Claim That Iraq Resolutions 'Encourage The Enemy'  —  This morning on Fox News, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) echoed the Bush administration and claimed that people who oppose escalation in Iraq are emboldening terrorists.  "[I]t will discourage our troops …

Bin Laden, The Left and Me  —  As a conservative author, I'm used to a little controversy.  Even so, the reaction to my new book, "The Enemy at Home," has felt, well, a little hysterical.  —  "Ratfink writes new book," James Wolcott, cultural critic for Vanity Fair, declares in his blog.

ANTI-WAR PROTEST: WHERE IS EVERYONE?  —  I was too young for the May Day protest against the Viet Nam War held in Washington, D.C. in 1971.  My friends and I talked about going for weeks prior to the event, seeing ourselves as something as a cross between Che Guevara and Abbie Hoffman.

Nuclear plans in chaos as Iran leader flounders  —  Boasts of a nuclear programme are just propaganda, say insiders, but the PR could be enough to provoke Israel into war  —  Iran's efforts to produce highly enriched uranium, the material used to make nuclear bombs, are in chaos and the country …

It Has Unraveled So Quickly  —  A PAINFUL measure of just how much Iraq has changed in the four years since I started coming here is contained in my cellphone.  Many numbers in the address book are for Iraqis who have either fled the country or been killed.  One of the first Sunni politicians: gunned down.

Grand Delusion  —  It's quite a juxtaposition.  In Iraq, American soldiers are finally beginning the hard job of establishing a measure of peace, security and order in critical sections of Baghdad — the essential prerequisite for the lasting political solution everyone claims to want.

Iraq cultivates ties to Democrats  —  Expecting both U.S. parties to play a role in shaping policy, Baghdad starts building new relationships.  —  BAGHDAD — Representatives of Iraq's government are hedging their bets on America's political future, hoping to keep U.S. support for their country strong …

Hamas, Fatah Clashes Continue in Gaza  —  Gunmen from rival Hamas and Fatah movements battle each other in Gaza; 25 dead since Thursday  —  (AP) Hamas and Fatah gunmen battled each other in the streets Sunday, having sent civilians fleeing from their homes in an increasingly bloody power struggle …

Clinton concedes role in authorizing war  —  DES MOINES, Iowa - New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton blamed President Bush on Saturday for misusing authority given him by Congress to act in Iraq, but conceded "I take responsibility" for her role in allowing that to happen.

Unhappy Meals  —  Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.  —  That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.  I hate to give away the game right here at the beginning of a long essay …

Jeb Bush Rallies Conservatives at Summit  —  Non-Candidate Shows Ability to Excite the Party  —  At a time when the conservative movement is looking bereft, humbled by midterm-election defeats and hungering for a presidential candidate to rally around, Jeb Bush delivered yesterday in Washington …

Still Standing (Technically)  —  This isn't a slam, Michelle.  No, really: It's just a critique on a few minor points of your Iraq reporting — some constructive criticism for the next time that you and your boy ward set out to demolish the liberal MSM's war coverage during a couple of days in-country.

Fonda Reprises A Famous Role At Peace Rally  —  The Actress Speaks Out Against the War in Iraq  —  For her next act, Jane Fonda has entered the war against the Iraq war.  At the tail-end of yesterday's on-the-Mall rally, organized by United for Peace and Justice, Fonda stood onstage …

Biden: 'Failed policy' emboldens enemy  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman on Sunday dismissed criticism that a resolution opposing a troop buildup in Iraq would embolden the enemy and estimated perhaps only 20 senators believe President Bush "is headed in the right direction."