Dispatches From the Scooter Libby Trial  —  I wanted to raise my hand and ask, "Your Honor, may I approach the bench?"  —  I was at the Scooter Libby trial to cover it, and all of a sudden, I found myself in the middle of the case.  In his testimony today, former White House press secretary …

Bush Directive Increases Sway on Regulation  —  President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

With Iran Ascendant, U.S. Is Seen at Fault  —  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Kuwait rarely rebuffs its ally, the United States, partly out of gratitude for the 1991 Persian Gulf War.  But in October it reneged on a pledge to send three military observers to an American-led naval exercise in the Gulf …

Only the US hawks can save the Iranian president now  —  Ahmadinejad is failing to deliver for the poor and losing support, but he could yet survive because of the international threat  —  The honeymoon is over.  Iran's controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has finally come unstuck.

Cease-fire starts taking hold in Gaza  —  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - A cease-fire started taking hold in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, after five days of intense Hamas- Fatah fighting that left 34 people dead.  —  However, previous truce deals struck in recent weeks of factional clashes quickly collapsed …

Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions  —  Iraqi forces were surprised and nearly overwhelmed by the ferocity of an obscure renegade militia in a weekend battle near the holy city of Najaf and needed far more help from American forces than previously disclosed, American and Iraqi officials said Monday.

What the President Got Right  —  GIVE BUSH CREDIT FOR HIS ENERGY PROPOSAL.  —  It "fell far short" (Washington Post editorial) and offers only "marginal" gains (New York Times editorial) and is "nonsense" (Charles Krauthammer) and "isn't much" (Thomas Friedman).

KLEIN, MAN OF SUBSTANCE, DEFENDS BRODER'S SUBSTANCE-FREE ATTACK ON HILLARY.  —  Over at Swampland, Joe Klein responds to Atrios and Matthew Yglesias by defending David Broder's silly column attacking Hillary Clinton for not asking questions at the Senate hearing on General Petraeus.  Klein writes:

All the Old Dudes  —  "A man could make a fortune selling Geritol to these people."  —  Capitalist stooge that I am, that was my first reaction upon reaching the Washington Mall last Saturday to observe tens of thousands of demonstrators rally against the war in Iraq.

Full Transcript: NPR Interview with President Bush  —  · The following is a full transcript of NPR's interview with President George W. Bush, conducted by Juan Williams on Monday, Jan. 29, 2007.  —  JUAN WILLIAMS: Mr. President, we can't say thank you enough for giving NPR this time, so thank you.

RESISTANCE TO THE MSM LOVE-BOMBING.  —  Why, exactly, is Sen. Chuck Hagel showing "courage" in conspicuously denouncing the Iraq War now that virtually the entire American establishment has reached that same conclusion—now that Hagel is virtually assured of getting hero treatment from Brian Williams …