Gore defends his carbon credentials  —  Group skeptical of global warming notes his home is big energy user  —  Al and Tipper Gore live in this Nashville, Tenn., mansion.  A group skeptical of global warming is calling the former vice president a hypocrite because of the home's large electricity consumption.

Judge rules Padilla competent for trial  —  A federal judge ruled Wednesday that suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla is competent to stand trial on terrorism support charges, rejecting arguments that he was severely damaged by 3 1/2 years of interrogation and isolation in a military brig. Padilla …

Cheney's contempt for American public opinion  —  Since the smashing repudiation his party suffered at the hands of the American voter in the 2006 midterm elections, Dick Cheney's behavior has become palpably more secretive, combative, and scornful.  The embittered interview he gave …

U.S. Concedes Uncertainty on North Korean Uranium Effort  —  Last October, the North Koreans tested their first nuclear device, the fruition of decades of work to make a weapon out of plutonium.  —  For nearly five years, though, the Bush administration, based on intelligence estimates …

Hospital Officials Knew of Neglect  —  Complaints About Walter Reed Were Voiced for Years  —  Top officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, including the Army's surgeon general, have heard complaints about outpatient neglect from family members, veterans groups and members of Congress for more than three years.

McCain Declares He's Running For President But Is His Campaign Collapsing?  —  So now the big non-drama is finally over: Arizona Senator John McCain has declared his candidacy for Presidency on David Letterman.  —  But if you look at recent polls, it seems that many voters would have thought …

Staring Adversity In The Face  —  Not that Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) was out for revenge or anything.  But he sure did seem to enjoy at least a wee measure of satisfaction in making mega GOP donor Sam Fox squirm during Tuesday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to consider Fox's nomination to be ambassador to Belgium.

Arthur Schlesinger, Historian of Power, Dies at 89  —  Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., the historian whose more than 20 books shaped discussions for two generations about America's past and who himself was a provocative, unabashedly liberal partisan, most notably in serving in the Kennedy White House, died last night in Manhattan.

UFO science key to halting climate change: former Canadian defense minister  —  OTTAWA (AFP) - A former Canadian defense minister is demanding governments worldwide disclose and use secret alien technologies obtained in alleged UFO crashes to stem climate change, a local paper said Wednesday.

Military chiefs give US six months to win Iraq war  —  An elite team of officers advising US commander General David Petraeus in Baghdad has concluded the US has six months to win the war in Iraq - or face a Vietnam-style collapse in political and public support that could force the military into a hasty retreat.

Giuliani-Appointed Judges Tend to Lean to the Left  —  When Rudy Giuliani faces Republicans concerned about his support of gay rights and legal abortion, he reassures them that he is a conservative on the decisions that matter most.  —  "I would want judges who are strict constructionists because I am …

Attorney Says He Was Pressured on Corruption Probe  —  The fired U.S. attorney in New Mexico says he was pressured by two members of Congress prior to the November elections about the pace of an ongoing public corruption probe that targets local Democrats.  —  David C. Iglesias …

P.S. to Patterico  —  THE WORD.  I followed the links today (h/t Malkin, Reynolds) to Patterico's takedown of Glenn Greenwald.  For any InstaPunk readers who don't know what I'm talking about, here's the background.  A blogger at the Huffington Post reported that an attempt to "assassinate" Dick Cheney in Afghanistan failed.

L'Eggo My Lego  —  Some Seattle school children are being told to be skeptical of private property rights.  This lesson is being taught by banning Legos.  —  A ban was initiated at the Hilltop Children's Center in Seattle.  According to an article in the winter 2006-07 issue of …

Video: Glenn Beck unloads on Olbermann  —  From last night's show.  Gratifying, yet not as gratifying as one might hope simply because it doesn't rise to the level of viciousness Olbermann himself operates at.  One of the reasons righties are disappointed in "The Half-Hour News Hour," …