Bush: U.S. aims to protect troops, not wage war with Iran … WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush said Wednesday he did not know if Iranian leaders sent weapons used to kill U.S. troops in Iraq but Iranian-made bombs were having a deadly effect and the United States had to respond.

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 …

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:

Rep. Ellison calls the cops to snuff Tancredo's cigar  —  Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) believes it is his right as a Muslim to be sworn into Congress with the Quran.  But apparently, the freshman lawmaker doesn't believe it's Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-Colo.) right to smoke a cigar in his congressional office.

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.

America's view of Republicans crumbles in Iraq  —  According to the latest Gallup survey, Republican self-identification has declined nationally and in almost every American state.  Why?  The short answer is that President Bush's war of choice in Iraq has destroyed the partisan brand Republicans spent the past four decades building.

6 minutes of horror … In just six minutes, 18-year-old Sulejman Talovic left a tragic path of destruction that forever changed the lives of dozens of people.  —  "His intent was to shoot as many people as he possibly could," said Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank.

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.

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.

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 …

War with Iran is in no one's interests  —  'War in Iraq, war in Iran?  " That's a headline I saw in Britain earlier this week.  In Washington, the headlines read more like "Tentative nuclear deal reached with North Korea" and "Obama must show more than potential", but never mind …

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" …

Candidates Find A New Stump In the Blogosphere  —  Nearly a year before the first caucuses and primaries take place, the 2008 presidential campaign advertising war is under way online.  —  Candidates of both parties are already buying space on search engines, blogs and other Internet sites popular …

Madeira Beach, Florida: It ain't just Mexico, folks.  —  for art, gifts and collectibles, all hand made in Mexico.  —  Madeira Beach, Florida: It ain't just Mexico, folks.  —  Readers, especially those who either haven't been around long or who haven't had time to browse my archives …

Parsing the Polls: Answering the Mormon Question  —  The fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon is no secret.  Scads of stories have been written about that very fact, and it's a regular topic of conversation among Washington's chattering class.  —  What effect Romney's religion will have on his chances …