Officials linked to al-Sadr deny he fled  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr said Wednesday that the radical Shiite cleric was still in Iraq, denying a report that he fled to Iran ahead of a security crackdown targeting his militia.  —  An Iraqi government official said al-Sadr …

Neoconservatives hate liberty as much as they love war  —  Frank Gaffney, one of the country's most influential and well-connected neoconservatives, has a column in today's Washington Times in which he argues that the debate taking place in Congress over the war in Iraq constitutes treason.

For the GOP, Taking the War Out of the War Debate  —  Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida, the man in charge of Republican strategy in this week's great debate on Iraq, was a study in nervous energy as he waited to speak on the House floor yesterday.  —  He paced behind the back row.

People who claim to love Jesus write me  —  Update: To correct misinformation in the comments, I was not "fired".  I offered my resignation and it was accepted.  —  Because I had the nerve to be critical of the Catholic church's stance on birth control and abortion—nevermind …

House Democrats' New Strategy: Force Slow End to War  —  Led by Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and supported by several well-funded anti-war groups, the coalition's goal is to limit or sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops available for the Iraq conflict, rather than to openly cut off funding for the war itself.

Explosion in Iran Kills Busload of Al Quds Members!!  —  An explosion today killed a reported 18 Al Quds members traveling in a bus in southeastern Iran.  —  Fars News is carrying this picture of one of those arrested after the blast earlier today  —  A car bomb exploded killing 18 Al Quds members today in Zahedan, Iran:

Libby and Cheney Won't Testify, Says the Defense  —  Lawyers defending I. Lewis Libby Jr. against perjury charges surprised the courtroom on Tuesday by saying that they would rest their case this week and do so without putting on the stand either Mr. Libby or Vice President Dick Cheney.

Army Giving More Waivers in Recruiting  —  The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show.  —  During that time …

Newspaper: Questions in death of ground zero worker  —  NEW YORK Questions are being raised about the story of a New York City police officer whose death sparked wide interest in the plight of ailing September Eleventh first responders.  —  The New York Times says Officer Cesar Borja …

On Fla. Menus, a Favorite Fish Experiences Identity Theft  —  MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — What the undercover agents ordered, over and over, was the grouper.  —  What wound up on their plates could stifle anyone's appetite.  —  The alleged grouper at 17 of 24 area restaurants sampled …

The Ever-'Present' Obama  —  Barack has a along track record of not taking a stand.  —  Finally and officially, Barack Obama is running for president.  His symbolic announcement, in the Land of Lincoln, called for a new era in politics.  Obama downplayed his thin federal experience …

Ready to aim  —  ARMED AMERICA: THE STORY OF HOW AND WHY GUNS BECAME AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE  —  By Clayton E. Cramer, Nelson Current, $26.99, 320 pages  —  In 1996, Michael Bellesiles published a paper in the Journal of American History.  The thesis: Early Americans rarely owned firearms …

HOUSE HEARING ON 'WARMING OF THE PLANET' CANCELED AFTER SNOW/ICE STORM HEARING NOTICE  —  The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building has been postponed due to inclement weather.

In 1993 Memo, Giuliani Staff Gave Harsh Assessment of Flaws  —  Sometimes in politics, the most damaging accusations come from your own staff.  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani learned that lesson again yesterday when a "vulnerability study," including warnings about his "weirdness factor" …

Iraqis Announce New Crackdown Across Baghdad  —  The Iraqi government on Tuesday ordered tens of thousands of Baghdad residents to leave homes they are occupying illegally, in a surprising and highly challenging effort to reverse the tide of sectarian cleansing that has left the capital bloodied and Balkanized.