Senate limits Gonzales' hiring authority  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to end the Bush administration's ability to unilaterally fill U.S. attorney vacancies as a backlash to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' firing of eight federal prosecutors.

'We want this baby polar bear dead' say animal rights lobby  —  Tiny, fluffy and adorable, Knut the baby polar bear became an animal superstar after he was abandoned by his mother.  —  He rapidly became the symbol of Berlin Zoo, whose staff bottle-fed him and handed out cuddles in between

Mitt's Commie phrase sparks rage  —  Cubans in Miami are steaming mad at former Gov. Mitt Romney for shooting his mouth off in stumbling Spanish, mispronouncing names and erroneously associating a notorious Fidel Castro-spewed Communist catch phrase with freedom fighters.

War Bill Includes Tempting Projects  —  Democrats' Tactic Poses Dilemma for Some Lawmakers  —  House Democratic leaders are offering billions in federal funds for lawmakers' pet projects large and small to secure enough votes this week to pass an Iraq funding bill that would end the war next year.

TPM Needs YOU to Comb Through Thousands of Pages  —  Josh and I were just discussing how in the world we are ever going to make our way through 3,000 pages when it hit us: we don't have to.  Our readers can help.  —  So here's what we're going to do.  This comment thread will be our HQ for sorting through tonight's document dump.

THE IRAQ SURGE: WHY IT'S WORKING ...  'I WALKED down the streets of Ramadi a few days ago, in a soft cap eating an ice cream with the mayor on one side of me and the police chief on the other, having a conversation.  " This simple act, Gen. David Petraeus told me, would have been "unthinkable" just a few months ago. "

Climate scientist sees cover-up  —  A NASA scientist who said the Bush administration muzzled him because of his belief in global warming yesterday acknowledged to Congress that he'd done more than 1,400 on-the-job interviews in recent years.  —  James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute …

Giuliani Top Choice Among Both Moderate, Conservative Republicans  —  Gingrich, Romney do better among conservatives than moderates  —  PRINCETON, NJ — With the 2008 Republican presidential field beginning to come into shape, there are still questions and apparent opportunities for a favorite "conservative" candidate to emerge.

Victory for Free Expression at San Francisco State University  —  No Punishment for Stepping on Hamas, Hezbollah Flags  —  In a crucial victory for free expression, San Francisco State University (SFSU) announced yesterday that its College Republicans will face no punishment for hosting …

Congress Job Approval Back Down Again This Month  —  January and February uptick appears to have dissipated  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The modest uptick in approval of the job being done by Congress has dissipated for the most part after only two months.  Congress job approval had risen …

Bush at Claycomo: Hybrids one of the avenues to energy independence  —  President Bush continued his drumming for less reliance on foreign oil Tuesday, using two Kansas City-area auto assembly plants as his backdrop.  —  Speaking at Ford's Claycomo facility, he offered it and GM's Fairfax operation …