Iraqi official: Al-Qaida in Iraq leader wounded  —  Al-Masri reportedly hurt, in custody; aide slain in skirmish north of Baghdad  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was wounded and an aide was killed in a clash Thursday with Iraqi forces north of Baghdad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Bush Regains His Footing  —  It may seem perverse to suggest that, at the very moment the House of Representatives is repudiating his policy in Iraq, President Bush is poised for a political comeback.  But don't be astonished if that is the case.  —  Like President Bill Clinton …

NBC sinks too low for this talking head  —  Like some second marriages and most Hollywood sequels, it's usually a bad idea for a columnist to revisit the same topic.  But last week's discussion of renegade blogger and NBC military analyst Bill Arkin proved some larger points.

A Hard Right Punch  —  Michelle Malkin's Conservative Fight Has Others Coming Out Swinging  —  Michelle Malkin has seen her head electronically grafted onto a photo of a bikini-clad body.  —  She had to cancel a Berkeley book signing in the face of 200 shouting protesters.  —  YouTube banned one of her videos.

Good News Bad News  —  Lots of news from and about Iraq, Iran, Waziristan, all these places.  Good, bad, ugly and irrelevant.  How's it stack up?  Let's have a look:  —  Good news from Iraq: al-Zarqawi's replacement wounded and a top aide killed, Iraqi officials say.

Democrats in State Capitols Push Antiwar Resolutions  —  Frustrated by the inability of Democrats in Congress to pass a resolution opposing President Bush's policies in Iraq, state legislators across the country, led by Democrats and under pressure from liberal advocacy groups, are pushing forward with their own resolutions.

Bush, Congress Could Face Confrontation on Issue of War Powers  —  President's Allies See Possible Challenges in Proposals Placing Restrictions on Funding for Iraq  —  President Bush has not been shy about asserting robust powers for the presidency in waging war, but lately he has seemed …

Rep. Jefferson Gets Seat on Homeland Security  —  Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.  —  The appointment will be announced Friday …

Late Nite FDL: Death Threats from Malkin Readers (And Other Occupational Hazards of the Liberal Blogger)  —  I think the wider world has learned a lot about the world of blogging over the last few weeks, not just with FDL being front-and-center-and-above-the- fold in today's New York Times …

Why I had to quit the John Edwards campaign  —  During my brief tenure as blogmaster for a Democratic presidential contender, I experienced the right-wing smear machine firsthand  —  As one of the thousands, possibly millions, of bloggers out there holding forth on everything from cooking to politics …

Antarctic temperatures disagree with climate model predictions  —  COLUMBUS , Ohio - A new report on climate over the world's southernmost continent shows that temperatures during the late 20th century did not climb as had been predicted by many global climate models.

CONGRESSMAN MURTHA CRAFTS BILL TO PREVENT IRAQ TROOP DEPLOYMENTS  —  WASHINGTON — A powerful Democrat and Iraq war foe said he intends to introduce legislation in the coming weeks that would effectively end President Bush's plans to send 21,500 more troops into Iraq by setting limits on which troops can be sent.

Broad Swath of GOP Defecting on Iraq Vote  —  Some Backing Resolution Are in Safe Seats  —  From the moderate suburbs of Delaware to the rural, conservative valleys of eastern Tennessee, House Republican opponents of President Bush's latest Iraq war plan cut across the GOP's ideological and regional spectrum.

Libby defense skirted conspiracy theory  —  The former White House aide's fate in his perjury trial may rest on a lack of evidence — and the fact that he did not testify.  —  WASHINGTON — In his opening statement three weeks ago in the federal perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby …

January Weather Hottest by Far  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - It may be cold comfort during a frigid February, but last month was by far the hottest January ever.  —  The broken record was fueled by a waning El Nino and a gradually warming world, according to U.S. scientists who reported the data Thursday.