AP: Vilsack to end White House bid  —  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Tom Vilsack is abandoning his bid for the presidency after struggling against better-known, better-financed rivals, a senior campaign official told The Associated Press on Friday.  —  Vilsack left office in January …

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.

Detour From High Road in Clinton-Obama Clash  —  After weeks of watching in frustration as Senator Barack Obama presented himself as a fresh face gliding above partisan politics, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has drawn Mr. Obama onto a muddy political field, engaging him in a back-and-forth …

Stepping to the Plate, Giuliani Is Seeing Only Softballs  —  In a swing through South Carolina this week, Rudolph W. Giuliani chose to campaign at a fire house, which is a little like Derek Jeter meeting with Yankees fans — a most unlikely forum for hostility, or even much skepticism.

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.

A Gathering of Eagles  —  I attended the press conference for Gathering of Eagles, which is an event scheduled for March 17 ... concurrent with ANSWER's anti-war rally ... and is intended to protect the Vietnam Memorial from desecration by those thugs.  The ANSWER rally starts at the Vietnam Memorial and ends at the Pentagon.

U.S. Used Bases in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda in Africa  —  The American military quietly waged a campaign from Ethiopia last month to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, including the use of an airstrip in eastern Ethiopia to mount airstrikes against Islamic militants …

Fake Private Parts Are No Joke, Myers Says  —  Delegate Wants to Ban Vehicle Displays of Plastic Genitals  —  Maryland Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr. to truckers: If you've got 'em, you don't need to flaunt 'em.  —  As the General Assembly debates global warming and the death penalty, Myers …

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.

Dems in uproar over Fox plan to cover debate  —  The first presidential primary is 11 months away, but liberals are arguing among themselves over how to best reach new voters — and whether to cooperate with one of their biggest media nemeses.  Their dilemma:  —  Should we Fox?

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.

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" …