Members Were Aware of Lapses at Walter Reed  —  Senior Republicans who knew about problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center while their party controlled Congress insist they did all they could to prod the Pentagon to fix them.  —  But C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., former chairman …

Lawmaker's Intervention in Law Enforcement Crosses Line  —  The emerging scandal surrounding the dismissals of eight former U.S. attorneys should signify to American voters the depth, breadth, and permeation of corruption in the Bush administration.  —  When a U.S. senator (to wit …

Senate Republicans Deliver Sharp Criticism of Gonzales  —  Senators Say Attorney General Fired Prosecutors Without Explanation  —  Senior Senate Republicans today delivered scathing criticism of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales for his handling of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys …

SENATE DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE JOINT RESOLUTION TO TRANSITION THE MISSION IN IRAQ  —  Washington, DC — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today joined Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin, Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer, Democratic Conference Secretary Patty Murray …

Rove speaks in Little Rock (UPDATED W/VIDEO)  —  We just attended Karl Rove's speech at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, which was organized by the Clinton School of Public Service.  —  Rove spoke mainly about presidential history, but in a question-and-answer session that followed …

Wishful Thinking at the Post  —  Has any event ever engendered as much silly commentary as the Joe Wilson/Valerie Plame story?  The latest is by Dan Froomkin, who engages in some heavy breathing at the Washington Post.  Froomkin has a theory.  His theory is that Scooter Libby suddenly rested his defense …

Giuliani's Family Values — Oops  —  I don't care about Rudy Giuliani's family values, or lack thereof.  And as I wrote recently for ABC News, neither do conservatives.  They only pretend to care as a front to hate gay people.  —  The right-wing base is chock full of people who are divorced …

Fox Makes Friends And Foes  —  WASHINGTON — Joe Lieberman was beaming.  "Sam Fox represents what America is all about," he said, "and that's why he will be, when confirmed, an extraordinary ambassador."  —  The scene was last week's Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

FLASH: Here We Go Again — Pulitzer Finalists Leaked!  —  NEW YORK It didn't take long for the Pulitzer Prize finalist lists to begin leaking out.  Within hours of the 14 Pulitzer juries packing up to go home on Wednesday after three days of judging at Columbia University, the names of this year's alleged finalists began to spread.

John Edwards To Skip Nevada Debate  —  Liberal Activists Protest Fox News' Role In Presidential Candidate Forum  —  (CBS/AP) Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards won't participate in a debate co-hosted by Fox News and the Nevada Democratic Party, his campaign said …

Gitmo's Guerrilla Lawyers  —  How an unscrupulous legal and PR campaign changed the way the world looks at Guantanamo.  —  He was the first American to die in what some have called "the real war."  Johnny "Mike" Spann, the 32-year-old CIA paramilitary commando, was interrogating prisoners …

The Four Unspeakable Truths  —  WHAT POLITICIANS WON'T ADMIT ABOUT IRAQ.  —  When it comes to Iraq, there are two kinds of presidential candidates.  The disciplined ones, like Hillary Clinton, carefully avoid acknowledging reality.  The more candid, like John McCain and Barack Obama …

Obama paid late parking tickets  —  Racked up penalties while at Harvard  —  Barack Obama received 17 parking tickets in Cambridge.  —  Barack Obama is no longer a scofflaw, at least in Cambridge and Somerville.  —  Two weeks before the US senator from Illinois launched his presidential campaign …

Clarence Thomas: Affirmative Action Not Needed... Even Though My Office Is "All White Males"  —  WASHINGTON - Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas famously opposes affirmative action, and clearly feels slandered by the suggestion he ever benefited from such a thing.

Net worth of U.S. households skyrockets  —  WASHINGTON - The net worth of U.S. households climbed to a record high in the final quarter of last year, boosted mostly by gains on stocks, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday.  —  Net worth — the difference between households' total assets …