EXCLUSIVE: Cheney Says British Troop Withdrawal Is Positive Sign  —  Vice President Tells Soldiers in Tokyo the U.S. Will Not Withdraw Until the Job Is Done  —  British Prime Minister Tony Blair's announcement that British troops will begin withdrawing from Iraq would appear to be bad news for the Bush administration.

Obama sees 2 sides of L.A.  —  The Democrat draws fans among Hollywood's elite and in Crenshaw in an early bid for support and money for his presidential campaign.  —  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama wrapped up his first California campaign swing Tuesday by invoking …

Berger Case Still Roils Archives, Justice Dept.  —  In a chandeliered room at the Justice Department, the longtime head of the counterespionage section, the chief of the public integrity unit, a deputy assistant attorney general, some trial lawyers and a few FBI agents all looked down at their pant legs and socks.

The Defense Rests, and Not a Minute Too Soon  —  For a brief moment yesterday, Scooter Libby was not a former White House aide on trial for perjury.  He was an orphan in need of a loving home.  —  "He's been under my protection for the last month; now I'm entrusting him to you," defense lawyer Ted Wells told the puzzled jurors.

Swift Action Promised at Walter Reed  —  Investigations Urged as Army Moves to Make Repairs, Improve Staffing  —  The White House and congressional leaders called yesterday for swift investigation and repair of the problems plaguing outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center …

Open Letter on Iranian Holocaust Denial Conference  —  [This has been sent to me by an Iranian reader, with with a request that I post it.]  —  An open letter by a group of Iranian academics, writers, and artists regarding the Tehran Conference on Holocaust Denial

Black President More Likely than Mormon or Atheist  —  A recent Gallup poll reveals that Americans are much more likely to elect a black man or a woman president than a Mormon or an old man.  More interestingly, they'd rather be governed by a homosexual than an atheist:  —  Now, these numbers are prospective.

Ex-GOP Rep. Kasich considers run for governor  —  COLUMBUS - Former U.S. Rep. John Kasich is contemplating a run for Ohio governor 2010, prompting him to begin speaking regularly at Republican functions around the state.  —  "I've made it clear to people that I'm going to look at the governor's office …

The 'Crime' Of Blogging In Egypt  —  A former college student, Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman, is sitting in an Egyptian prison, awaiting sentencing tomorrow.  His alleged "crime": expressing his opinions on a blog.  His mistake: having the courage to do so under his own name.

Hornets hit France and could reach Britain  —  Swarms of giant hornets renowned for their vicious stings and skill at massacring honeybees have settled in France.  —  And there are now so many of the insects that entomologists fear it will just be a matter of time before they cross to Britain.

Merck Stops Campaign to Mandate Gardasil Vaccine Use (Update3)  —  Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) — Merck & Co. will stop lobbying state officials to require that girls receive the company's Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine before they can attend school.  —  Merck made the decision after groups including …

The Woman in the Middle  —  Moderate Democrat Is New Target of Liberal Bloggers  —  The Democratic majority was only three weeks old, but by Jan. 26, the grass-roots and Net-roots activists of the party's left wing had already settled on their new enemy: Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.) …

Mitt Romney's Extreme Makeover  —  Precisely two years ago, Mitt Romney, then the governor of Massachusetts but already eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, sat in the coffee shop of a Washington hotel, doing his best not to explain his views on abortion.  —  Romney was speaking to a few of us from The Post …

Lower Voter Turnout Is Seen in States That Require ID  —  States that imposed identification requirements on voters reduced turnout at the polls in the 2004 presidential election by about 3 percent, and by two to three times as much for minorities, new research suggests.

Some Employers Are Offering Free Drugs  —  For years, employers have been pushing their workers to pay more for health care, raising premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses in an effort to save money for the company and force workers to seek only the most necessary care.

Father killed family for being too western  —  A father killed his wife and four daughters in their sleep because he could not bear them adopting a more westernised lifestyle, an inquest heard yesterday.  —  Mohammed Riaz, 49, found it abhorrent that his eldest daughter wanted to be a fashion designer …