Libby Live: Ari Fleischer One  —  Hey, look at the exploding pig in the poke cartoon graphic I found!  Or perhaps "pig in the poke to stay out of the pokey"?  —  If you don't know the reference, Patrick Fitzgerald described the process of offering Ari Fleischer immunity "buying a pig in a poke."

U.S., Iraqi forces kill 250 militants in Najaf  —  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen in a fierce battle involving U.S. tanks and helicopters on the outskirts of the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on Sunday, a senior Iraqi police officer said.

Extreme youth: the Muslims who would swap British law for Sharia  —  A growing number of young Muslims are embracing radical Islam, with more than a third wanting Sharia to replace British law, according to a poll for a Conservative think-tank.  —  David Cameron will respond today …

Was 9/11 really that bad?  —  The attacks were a horrible act of mass murder, but history says we're overreacting.  —  IMAGINE THAT on 9/11, six hours after the assault on the twin towers and the Pentagon, terrorists had carried out a second wave of attacks on the United States, taking an additional 3,000 lives.

Paper Chase  —  Did investigators turn a blind eye to the seriousness of the Sandy Berger scandal?  —  Washington scandals are curious things.  Sometimes special prosecutors are appointed and the media provide saturation coverage of their doings.  An example would be the Valerie Plame episode …

Clinton's Presidential Posturing  —  When Lt. Gen. David Petraeus went before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week in open session, its members understandably had many questions for the new commander of American forces in Iraq.  —  They knew of his reputation as a battlefield leader …

HILL'S 'EVIL' JOKE ON HUBBY BUBBA  —  DAVENPORT, Iowa - Hillary Rodham Clinton left caucus-goers here yesterday believing that Bubba had given her a baptism by fire in how to deal with "evil and bad men."  —  Clinton's quip, made during a morning rally with about 500 Iowans …

EXCLUSIVE: AIR AMERICA RESCUED  —  Air America Radio, in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings since October, will be rescued at the 11th hour by Manhattan real estate developer Stephen L. Green.  —  Al Franken, the best-known host of the liberal network, will announce his expected departure …

Baghdad Is Key  —  The Baker-Hamilton report explained that failure in Iraq could have severe consequences for our national interests in a critical region and for our national security here at home.  In my many conversations with members of Congress and foreign policy experts, few have disagreed.

Migrants Stream Into South Mexico  —  TAPACHULA, Mexico — Four Salvadoran men in jeans and T-shirts trudged along the railroad tracks under a hot sun, their steps carrying them steadily toward a fuzzy but seductive dream.  —  They had been in Mexico for only a few hours and already federal police officers …

Women Feeling Freer to Suggest 'Vote for Mom'  —  Some women were struck by the politics of maternity practiced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in recent weeks, the imagery and stagecraft that highlighted their roles as mothers and/or grandmothers.

What She Meant  —  Hillary's odd, non-verbal joke that's getting all the attention today was a revealing moment.  —  But it wasn't revealing because she was suggesting her husband is "evil and bad."  —  It was revealing because — asked about dealing with evil men like Osama bin Laden …

CONFLICT IN IRAQ  —  Pelosi's trip: She believes more strongly that withdrawal will help region, says troops deserve better policies than president's  —  (01-29) 04:00 PST Washington — Three days in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan have made House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even more certain …

Our little Churchills  —  We've now arrived at the point where the White House and its followers reflexively characterize any criticism of the Leader's war of any kind as aid to the Enemy and an attack on our troops.  They don't even bother any more to pretend that some types of criticism are "acceptable."

Iran Wants Time to Review Plan That Delays U.N. Sanctions  —  The top nuclear negotiator for Iran said Sunday that his country needed time to review a plan proposed by the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency that called for a delay in imposing Security Council sanctions if the Iranians suspended uranium enrichment.

Attack ads go online and underground  —  'Viral' Web video spreads fast and far, biting candidates hard — sometimes with their own words.  —  In a dim Culver City editing room, two video snippets of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain fill the monitors.  In the first, he says same-sex marriage should be allowed.

Dropout rate a crisis for state, experts say  —  Some estimates show half of all students in urban high schools quit  —  AUSTIN — At least half of all high school students in the state's urban school districts are dropping out of school, creating a crisis that state leaders are not doing enough to address, some education experts say.

Spotting Freelancer Conflicts: A Solution With Problems  —  THE ability of The New York Times to maintain its ethical standards among its far-flung outside contributors continues to be a major concern of mine.  As these freelancers fill column after column at a lower cost than full-time reporters …

Three people killed in suicide bombing at Eilat bakery  —  An Islamic Jihad suicide bomber killed at least three people Monday morning, when he blew himself up in a bakery in the southern resort city of Eilat.  —  Authorities said that another person was wounded, but not seriously …

Professor: Carter said 'Too Many Jews' on Holocaust Council, Saw as 'Political Gimmick'  —  We spoke to the former Executive Director of the Holocaust Memorial Council, Monroe Freedman, who confirmed a WorldNetDaily report that he had received a note from Jimmy Carter complaining that there were …