Statement on Campaign Bloggers  —  The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me.  It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion …

Prosecution Rests in Libby Perjury Trial  —  After 10 witnesses and 11 days of testimony, the prosecution completed its case this afternoon in the perjury trial of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.  —  "The government rests its case," …

Air travel flap circles over Pelosi  —  The House speaker says she simply wants to fly home without refueling.  Critics call it an abuse of power.  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's aides say she just wants to get home to California now and then and would like to do it in a plane …

Anna Nicole Smith dies after collapsing in hotel … (CNN) — Reality TV star and former model Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead Thursday after being taken to a Florida hospital, a law enforcement source told CNN.  —  Smith, 39, collapsed at a south Florida hotel, according to news reports.

Al Qaeda in Iraq Crumbling: al Masri on the run  —  Coalition forces in Iraq have delivered a series of stunning blows to al Qaeda in Iraq in the last 48 hours.  —  A key aide to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the man who replaced Abu Musab al Zarqawi as the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has been south of Baghdad.

Iran warns U.S. it will retaliate if hit  —  TEHRAN, Iran - Iran stepped up its warnings to the United States Thursday, with the nation's supreme leader saying Tehran will strike U.S. interests around the world if his country is attacked.  —  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's words were also likely meant …

MANY 1967-72 SPITTING INCIDENTS ARE DOCUMENTED IN THE PRESS.  Hundreds of Vietnam-era veterans have publicly claimed in recent decades that they were spat on by citizens or anti-war protesters because of their military status either before they went to Vietnam, on leave, or after their return from overseas.

Mormon Candidate Braces for Religion as Issue  —  As he begins campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, is facing a threshold issue: Will his religion — he is a Mormon — be a big obstacle to winning the White House?

Mitt changes tax-cut tune  —  After refusing to endorse President Bush's tax cuts when he was governor, Mitt Romney has now made them a central part of his presidential campaign, stirring accusations that he is changing his position to appeal to GOP primary voters.

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: Hello.  I just learned an interesting factoid, apropos of Black History Month.  On this day in 1944, Harry S. McAlpin became the first black reporter admitted to a White House press briefing …

Obama Off and Running  —  Barack Obama smiled when I asked him why white people always call him "unthreatening."  —  Does a black man have to be "unthreatening" to get elected president in 2008?  I asked.  —  "Well, look, our racial politics are complicated in this country," Obama said.

The Snake Eater  —  Give our troops the tools our cops have.  —  Problem: If a cop in Anytown, USA, pulls over a suspect, he checks the person's ID remotely from the squad car.  He's linked to databases filled with Who's Who in the world of crime, killing and mayhem.  In Iraq, there is nothing like that.

Gore: Nations Must Take Lead in Warming  —  MADRID, Spain (AP) — Emerging economies such as China are justified in holding back on fighting greenhouse gas emissions until richer polluters like the United States do more to solve the problem, former Vice President Al Gore said Wednesday.