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.

Clinton Camp to Obama: Cut Ties & Return Cash After Top Booster's Vicious Attacks  —  As Obama rails against "slash & burn" politics, his top Hollywood fundraiser - David Geffen - personally attacks Hillary & her family  —  Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson issued …

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.

Arguing from ignorance  —  Paul Campos has beclowned himself.  He did it in the usual way, by arguing loudly about things he does not understand.  —  Campos chose to devote an entire column ("The right's Ward Churchill," Feb. 20) to a blog entry of mine from last week …

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 …

Rape Accusation Reinforces Fears in a Divided Iraq  —  The most wicked acts are spoken of openly and without reserve in Iraq.  Torture, stabbings and bodies ripped to pieces in bombings are all part of the daily conversation.  —  Rape is different.  —  Rape is not mentioned by the victims, and rarely by the authorities.

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

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 …

Losing Louisiana to the GOP  —  While the rest of America gets more Democratic, Katrina — and George W. Bush — may have turned the state bright red.  Can John Breaux save the Democrats?  —  Last Friday, Feb. 16, brought word that former Democratic Sen. John Breaux may come out of retirement to run for Louisiana governor this fall.

Michael Interviews Michael... and Pilgrims and American Exceptionalism  —  Michael J. Totten interviewed Michael Oren, author of Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present - which appears to be a fascinating book and a must read for everyone interested in this subject.

Where Tim Hardaway Was Right  —  Recent comments by retired basketball star Tim ("I hate gay people") Hardaway did serious damage to his image and career but also unwittingly raised serious cultural issues about sexuality and gender.  —  Hardaway appropriately apologized for his harsh remarks …

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.

Nevada Democratic Party Response On Fox News Debate  —  The Beacon figured out what the obscure Western Majority Project is.  What we haven't heard is anything from the State Democratic Party about the movement to boycott the debate sponsored by the WMP and Fox News.

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 …

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.

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.) …

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.

Fitting the Bill  —  Why isn't Bill Richardson's presidential candidacy taken seriously?  —  On Thursday, February 8, Bill Richardson delivered a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on "The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership," laying out the foreign policy vision …

NRCC to keep Alishtari money — for now  —  As we discussed yesterday, Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari (aka Michael Mixon) currently faces federal charges of providing material support to terrorists.  Alishtari is also a generous Republican donor contributing more than $15,000 in the '02 …