Democrats Seek to Repeal 2002 War Authorization  —  Senate Democratic leaders intend to unveil a plan next week to repeal the 2002 resolution authorizing the war in Iraq in favor of narrower authority that restricts the military's role and begins withdrawals of combat troops.

Obama's `Netroots' Take On Clinton's Big Bundlers in 2008 Race  —  Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) — About 300 backers of Illinois Senator Barack Obama gathered in Dallas this week to boost his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.  The candidate was nowhere in sight.  —  He didn't need to be.

Rise of the candidate defined by September 11  —  Surrounded by firemen, medics and police officers in a small fire station in the Deep South, Rudy Giuliani was introduced by local dignitaries as "the face of the 9/11 response" and the man who "was there when the twin towers were hit".

Fears grow over Iran  —  Tony Blair has declared himself at odds with hawks in the US Administration by saying publicly for the first time that it would be wrong to take military action against Iran.  The Prime Minister's comments came hours before the UN's nuclear watchdog raised the stakes in the West's showdown with Tehran.

The Real News Behind "The Surge"  —  "More troops" isn't the most significant aspect of the military "surge" in Iraq.  —  Since at least fall 2003, an increase of 5,000 to 10,000 troops over a three-month window has been an option for coalition forces.  For example, deploying a "ready brigade" …

U.S. economy leaving record numbers in severe poverty  —  WASHINGTON - The percentage of poor Americans who are living in severe poverty has reached a 32-year high, millions of working Americans are falling closer to the poverty line and the gulf between the nation's "haves" and "have-nots" continues to widen.

Pelosi Seeks Tougher Oversight on Ethics  —  AP Photo FX101  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for tighter ethics rules in federal agencies Wednesday after government officials approved the purchase of a $980,000 vacation home by a top Justice Department lawyer with an oil company lobbyist.

Arab States, Wary of Iran, Add to Their Arsenals but Still Lean on the U.S.  —  As fears grow over the escalating confrontation between Iran and the West, Arab states across the Persian Gulf have begun a rare show of muscle flexing, publicly advertising a shopping spree for new weapons and openly discussing their security concerns.

For Clinton, New Wealth In Speeches  —  Fees in 6 Years Total Nearly $40 Million  —  Former president Bill Clinton, who came to the White House with modest means and left deeply in debt, has collected nearly $40 million in speaking fees over the past six years, according to interviews …

Ahmadinejad and Russian Roulette  —  On a sunny day, its cannons shining and its colors flying high, the gunboat slips into the waterway, with awe-struck natives watching from a safe distance.  In the evening, the captain entertains the native chiefs at a sumptuous banquet onboard.

Labor Seeks Boost From Pro-Union Measure  —  Organized labor is fighting for a pro-union bill as if its life depended on it.  —  Some labor experts say the union movement's ability to reverse its slide could in fact hinge on its winning passage of the bill, which would make it easier for workers to join unions.

Chimps Observed Making Their Own Weapons  —  Chimpanzees living in the West African savannah have been observed fashioning deadly spears from sticks and using the hand-crafted tools to hunt small mammals — the first routine production of deadly weapons ever observed in animals other than humans.

Rape of Second Sunni Woman by Iraqi Security Forces Alleged  —  An Iraqi police official in the northwestern city of Tall Afar said Thursday that a military officer and three soldiers had admitted to raping a Sunni woman and recording the act with a cellphone camera.