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

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.

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.

"Bong Hits 4 Jesus," "Bong Hits 4 Jesus," "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"...  It never gets old, does it?  It's funny, and it will always be funny.  "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."  People will be laughing about that line in Conlaw classes years and years from now.  I hope the Supreme Court writes an interesting opinion …

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. "

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.

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 …

G.O.P. Candidates Confront Immigration Politics  —  Immigration, an issue that has divided Republicans in Washington, is reverberating across the party's presidential campaign field, causing particular complications for Senator John McCain of Arizona.  —  The topic came up repeatedly …

Obama's record shows caution, nuance on Iraq  —  WASHINGTON — As Senator Hillary Clinton continues to take heat for her vote authorizing the invasion of Iraq, her presidential rival, Senator Barack Obama has used his long-running opposition to the war as a cornerstone of his campaign …

And Now, 'Welfare Reform' for Men  —  Reforms in the 1990s shifted more than 60 percent of mothers off the welfare rolls, mostly into jobs.  The changes used both "help and hassle" — new subsidies for wages and child care coupled with stiffer demands to work as a condition of aid.

Charter School Effort Gets $65 Million Lift  —  The charter school movement, begun 16 years ago as an alternative to struggling public schools, will today make its strongest claim on mainstream American education when a national group announces the most successful fundraising campaign …

Anatomy, Mystery, and Impact of The Obama 1984 Ad  —  Chris higlighted Micah Sifry from Personal Democracy Forum's Tech President on his post on the Obama 1984 YouTube video earlier today.  The 1984 Obama video has exploded across the internet in the last week, hopping from 100,000 views last week to almost 400,000 at around 2pm today.