Gonzales Defends Move to Fire Attorneys, Denies Political Role  —  Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, facing criticism for the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, defended the action as appropriate but said the Justice Department handled the situation poorly.  —  "We could have rolled …

Companies to pull ads from Coulter's Web site … WASHINGTON (CNN) — At least three major companies want their ads pulled from Ann Coulter's Web site, following customer complaints about the right-wing commentator referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot."

9 U.S. soldiers killed north of Baghdad  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Nine American soldiers died in explosions north of Baghdad, the U.S. military announced Tuesday after the deadliest single day for U.S. troops in Iraq in nearly a month.  —  Six soldiers died when a bomb exploded Monday near …

Walter Reed woes bring turmoil at the top  —  The more than 1 million soldiers of the Army, deeply involved on two war fronts, suddenly find themselves serving under leadership tainted by scandal and in critical transition.  Army Secretary Francis Harvey is out, pushed out the door by his boss, Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

States may force megaprimary, winnow the 2008 field early  —  19 states look to have early say in '08 race  —  WASHINGTON — States with more than half the nation's population are zeroing in on Feb. 5 next year to stage their presidential primaries, creating a single day that could determine …

Libby Jurors Consider Cooper Conversation  —  Jurors in the perjury trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby indicated yesterday they remain focused on whether Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff lied to the FBI about a July 12, 2003, conversation with Matthew Cooper, then a reporter for Time magazine.

Hil & Bam gear up for battle over Jewish vote  —  WASHINGTON - Fresh off their battle for the hearts of black Americans, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are about to go head to head for Jewish votes.  —  The leaders for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 plan dueling receptions Monday …

MCCAIN STAFFERS BAIL OFF THE CRAZY TRAIN  —  John McCain's Obama- esque remarks about our "wasted" resources in Iraq weren't the only comments that landed him in hot water after a recent appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.  Many of his staff were blindsided by his campaign announcement.

War of words after call for independence  —  The simmering feud between China and Taiwan burst into the open yesterday when Beijing criticised the President of Taiwan for making strident calls for independence.  —  Li Zhaoxing, the Chinese Foreign Minister, speaking at the Chinese People's …

WEBB INTRODUCES BILL BARRING FUNDING FOR MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN  —  WASHINGTON — A Democratic senator on Monday introduced legislation that in some cases would deny funding for the Bush administration to take military action against Iran without first getting congressional approval.

The Romney Rehab Plan  —  Mitt Romney may be low in the polls right now, but he is a man with a plan, a plan to make him the Republican nominee for president.  —  Though he is at only 4 percent in national polls, The Politico has learned that in the coming weeks and months, he will:

Democrats Alter Plan To Restrict Iraq War  —  Senior House Democrats, seeking to placate members of their party from Republican-leaning districts, are pushing a plan that would place restrictions on President Bush's ability to wage the war in Iraq but would allow him to waive them if he publicly justifies his position.

Incivility  —  I wanted to write something about the degenerative effects of incivility in politics in the wake of the comments and commentary today.  Instead, a CQ reader sent me a link to a speech three years ago by Heritage Foundation president Dr. Edwin J. Fuelner.

Missing Iranian official may have information on Ron Arad  —  A former Iranian deputy defense minister whose reported disappearance in Turkey sparked allegations of a Mossad and CIA-linked kidnapping is likely to possess information on missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad, a British newspaper reported Monday.

Hillary, Iraq, and the press  —  The press insists Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq could doom her 2008 campaign.  But a new, largely ignored, poll indicates Democrats don't much care about her vote.  In fact, most Democrats don't even think the vote was a mistake.