Edwards's Bloggers Cross the Line, Critic Says  —  Two bloggers hired by John Edwards to reach out to liberals in the online world have landed his presidential campaign in hot water for doing what bloggers do — expressing their opinions in provocative and often crude language.

Black women face dilemma in Democratic primary  —  Barack Obama is black.  Hillary Rodham Clinton is a woman.  —  So if you're an African-American woman - and therefore, presumably, a Democrat - how do you choose between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton in what could turn out to be a precedent-setting presidential election?

Ban Proposed On Walking While Talking, Listening To iPod  —  Ban Would Apply To MP3 players, Blackberrys  —  A state senator from Brooklyn said on Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation that would ban people from using an MP3 player, cell phone, Blackberry or any other electronic device …

Baghdad Push Begins, U.S. Military Says  —  The long-awaited Baghdad security operation has begun, the top United States military spokesman in Iraq said today, also confirming that a transport helicopter had come down near Baghdad.  He declined to comment on any casualties.

Waxman Probes Iraq Contracting, Missing $12 Billion (Update1)  —  Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) — Representative Henry Waxman, kicking off hearings on government contracting, questioned former Ambassador L. Paul Bremer today on what happened to as much as $12 billion in unaccounted-for cash spent when he was in charge of rebuilding Iraq.

Giuliani speaking fees draw scrutiny  —  Firm headed by `America's mayor' challenged in court  —  WASHINGTON — As Rudolph Giuliani prepares to run for the nation's highest public office based on his image as the heroic take-charge mayor of New York in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks …

Deputy Attorney General Defends Prosecutor Firings  —  A senior Justice Department official acknowledged yesterday that a top federal prosecutor in Arkansas was removed to make room for a former aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove, but he said that six other U.S. attorneys were fired for "performance-related" issues.

Live-blogging McCain's blogger outreach...  I've been invited to a bloggers conference call... You get a front-row seat too.  Why?  Because I care about you.  (Note: I'm paraphrasing the quotes because I'm not a "real" reporter.  Deal.)  —  3:06 PM: After a five-minute wait with really piss poor music …

New Takes on the New Deal  —  When it released its budget proposal Monday, the Bush administration — and its congressional critics — focused anew on the country's giant Social Security program.  Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has said "significant political differences" …

Labor pushes Dems to deny Bush extension of authority  —  The AFL-CIO, United Autoworkers and other groups representing organized labor are pressing Democrats to deny the Bush administration an extension of its authority to send free-trade deals to Congress for up or down votes …

As Inflation Soars, Zimbabwe Economy Plunges  —  For close to seven years, Zimbabwe's economy and quality of life have been in slow, uninterrupted decline.  They are still declining this year, people there say, with one notable difference: the pace is no longer so slow.

Iran Considers Gasoline Rationing  —  Sitting on a mountain of oil, the Iranians move toward gas rationing.  —  IRANIANS are among the world's biggest consumers of gasoline because the product is kept at an artificially low price through government subsidies.

Wash. initiative would require married couples to have kids  —  OLYMPIA, Wash. - An initiative filed by proponents of same-sex marriage would require heterosexual couples to have kids within three years or else have their marriage annulled.  —  Initiative 957 was filed by the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance.

Hardball, Anyone?  —  Not the TV blah blah blah show ... the game.  The Great Game.  —  That's what Stratfor suggests the US is playing in the abduction of that Iranian diplomat ... who, Stratfor suggests, is an Iranian intelligence operative: … Hey, I just remembered.

Keys to a successful surge  —  Sending more troops to Iraq will work only if the U.S. changes its ways.  —  WHILE politicians debate whether more U.S. troops should be sent to Iraq, just as important is how those troops will be utilized.  In the Boer War, a "surge" of soldiers helped.

Pelosi's push for jet remains up in air  —  The Bush administration has agreed to provide House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with regular access to an Air Force passenger jet, but the two sides are negotiating whether she will get the big aircraft she wants and who she may take as passengers …

In Campaign 2008, Candidates Starting Earlier, Spending More  —  Starting as early as last June, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was hiring staffers and consultants in New Hampshire and Iowa and building the foundation for his 2008 presidential bid at a time when those in early battleground states typically …