In Both Parties, 2008 Politeness Falls to Infighting  —  The sun was not yet up yesterday, and members of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign team were confronted with the kind of attack that most infuriates them: one questioning the character of Mrs. Clinton and her husband.

PELOSI CALLS BUSH TO COMPLAIN OF CHENEY'S COMMENTS ON DEMOCRATS' IRAQ STRATEGY  —  WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday phoned President Bush to air her complaints over Vice President Dick Cheney's comments that the Congressional Democrats' plan for Iraq would "validate the Al Qaeda strategy."

Tell Democrats to Freeze Out Fox News  —  The Nevada Democratic Party is working with Fox News Channel to host a debate with all the Democratic Party presidential candidates in August.  This is, to put it mildly, insane.  Fox News is a partisan Republican propaganda outlet, not a news station …

The Thinking Behind Blair's Iraq Decision  —  Tony Blair's announcement Wednesday of the planned withdrawal of about 1,600 UK combat troops from Iraq has been greeted with predictable gloating and derision on both sides of the Atlantic.  —  Most of the commentary in Britain …

Iranian official offers glimpse from within: A desire for U.S. ally … TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — As I sat down recently with a senior Iranian government official, he urgently waved a column by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times in my face, one about how the United States and Iran need to engage each other.

Iraqi insurgents use 2nd 'dirty' bomb  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents exploded a truck carrying chlorine gas canisters Wednesday — the second such "dirty" chemical attack in two days — while a U.S. official said ground fire apparently forced the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter.

National Guard May Undertake Iraq Duty Early  —  The Pentagon is planning to send more than 14,000 National Guard troops back to Iraq next year, shortening their time between deployments to meet the demands of President Bush's buildup, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

Pentagon Faults Leadership for Walter Reed  —  Officials Say They Learned of Serious Problems From Post Exposé  —  Top Pentagon officials today blamed a breakdown in leadership for problems with outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and vowed to take quick corrective action.

Libby's Fate Now Rests In the Hands Of the Jury  —  Reliability of Memory Remains the Key Issue  —  A federal jury ended its first day of deliberations yesterday in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby after the presiding judge urged jurors to rely on their "life experiences" …

Romney running as turnaround expert  —  epublican Mitt Romney will get an early start on the 2008 presidential race today when he rolls out television ads in New Hampshire and several other key states.  —  According to a transcript, the 60-second ad presents Romney as a masterly businessman who …

Affidavit: McVeigh had high-level help  —  According to Oklahoma bombing conspirator, ranking officials were involved in the attack  —  Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols says a high-ranking FBI official "apparently" was directing Timothy McVeigh in the plot to blow …

Mission to the Moon: How We'll Go Back — and Stay This Time  —  With the iconic Space Shuttle nearing retirement, the pressure is on NASA to design a new manned vehicle — one that will deliver us safely to the lunar surface by 2020 before building a lasting lunar base.

Bread Scarce in Zimbabwe as Mugabe Holds Party  —  President Robert G. Mugabe of Zimbabwe turned 83 on Wednesday to the strains of the song "God Bless President Mugabe" on state-controlled radio, along with an interview on state television, a 16-page paean to his rule in Harare's daily newspaper …

Double Standards  —  Two cases, both involving allegations of rape at a party held in an off-campus house rented by Duke students.  The disparities in the responses are striking.  —  The Police  —  In the current rape case, the police conducted the investigation, as would be expected under the Durham Police chain of command.