250 Are Killed in Major Iraq Battle  —  At least 250 militants were killed and an American helicopter was shot down in violent clashes near the southern city of Najaf on Sunday, Iraqi officials said.  —  For 15 hours, Iraqi forces backed by American helicopters and tanks battled hundreds …

Clinton: U.S. out of Iraq by January '09  —  DAVENPORT, Iowa - Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that President Bush should withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq before he leaves office, asserting it would be "the height of irresponsibility" to pass the war along to the next commander in chief.

NICE GOING, JOHN  —  Yesterday we noted John Kerry's disgraceful performance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.  Today, in the Power Line Forum, Glenn Bowen points out the follow-up from the Middle East.  Click to enlarge:  —  And, from the FARS News Agency: … Thanks, John.

MTP Transcript for Jan. 28, 2007  —  MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Iraq.  Will more U.S. troops stop the violence?  Will the Iraqis ever be able to secure their own country?  And what kind of country will the U.S. eventually leave behind?  —  With us, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer …

POST D.C. BUREAU CHIEF DEBORAH ORIN-EILBECK DIES  —  Deborah Orin-Eilbeck, The Post's longtime D.C. bureau chief whose passion for politics and unrivaled integrity kept Washington on its toes, died yesterday after a battle with cancer.  —  "Laura and I were saddened to learn of the death of Deborah Orin-Eilbeck," President Bush said.

Lieberman Might Back Republican in 2008  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2000 who won re-election as an independent last year, says he is open to supporting any party's White House nominee in 2008.

The Man Without Doubt  —  In a rare print interview, Dick Cheney talks about Iraq, Iran, Chuck Hagel, his image as 'Darth Vader' and Bob Woodward.  —  Still Fighting: Cheney in his office, unbowed  —  A man with a reputation for secrecy and seclusion, Vice President Dick Cheney has spent the past few months out in public.

Feeding Frenzy for a Big Story, Even if It's False  —  Jeffrey T. Kuhner, whose Web site published the first anonymous smear of the 2008 presidential race, is hardly the only editor who will not reveal his reporters' sources.  What sets him apart is that he will not even disclose the names of his reporters.

Anti-war protesters spray paint Capitol building  —  Anti-war protesters were allowed to spray paint on part of thewest front steps of the United States Capitol building after police wereordered to break their security line by their leadership, two sources toldThe Hill.

In Politics, the Camera Never Blinks (or Nods)  —  BEYOND its fulfillment of a constitutional requirement, the president's annual State of the Union address has come to provide much pomp.  It's a prime-time gala where Washington's best and brightest gather for an evening in the media spotlight …

Late Nite FDL: "I am So Very Sickened/Oh, I am So Sickened Now..."  —  Oh, the stupid.  It burns.  —  Sometimes you wonder how right-wing bloggers like Michelle Malkin keep from getting lost in the bathtub.  Do their more intelligent spouses and family members draw them maps on the bath tiles with a Sharpie?

Just "evolution in action"  —  (updated below - updated again)  —  Glenn Reynolds points to this article from The Independent which reports that a "leading Islamic doctor is urging British Muslims not to vaccinate their children against diseases such as measles, mumps …

Desolate Roads Part 2 of 2  —  I once knew an old man who saved everything that might have an eventual use, especially old lumber and nails.  He'd tear down old fences or sheds, and rip out the nails with a claw hammer.  The nails squeaked as he pried them from the dry, gray wood, weathered by years of sun and rain.