Ex-Aide Says Gonzales Was Involved in Firings  —  The former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales testified today that contrary to Mr. Gonzales's earlier assertions, the attorney general was involved in discussions to fire United States attorneys.

Britain takes case against Iran to U.N.  —  UNITED NATIONS - Britain took its case to free its 15 sailors and marines held by Iran to the United Nations on Thursday, asking the Security Council to support a statement that would "deplore" Tehran's action and demand their immediate release.

Senate OKs war bill with Iraq timeline  —  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats ignored a veto threat and pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq," dealing a rare, sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief.

Zogby Poll: "America's Mayor" Top Pick of Iowa Republicans  —  McCain retains second spot; Fred Thompson shows potential  —  Rudy Giuliani of New York leads the field at 25% in the race for the Republican presidential nomination in Iowa, where GOP caucus-goers next January will start …

Giuliani, wife discuss White House roles  —  WASHINGTON - Republican presidential contender Rudy Giuliani says if elected, he'd be open to his wife attending Cabinet meetings on issues in which she's interested.  —  In an interview with Barbara Walters to air Friday on ABC News' "20/20," …

Evil Americans, Poor Mullahs  —  Forty-eight percent of Germans think the United States is more dangerous than Iran, a new survey shows, with only 31 percent believing the opposite.  Germans' fundamental hypocrisy about the US suggests that it's high time for a new bout of re-education.

Chastized head of local FBI office anounces retirement  —  SAN DIEGO - San Diego FBI chief Dan Dzwilewski, who was rebuked by superiors for publicly defending ousted U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, has announced his retirement.  —  Dzwilewski, who has been at the helm of the San Diego office since July 2003 …

Democrats Fail to Impress in First 100 Days  —  Government Faulted on Vets' Care, Military Ratings Slip Post-Walter Reed  —  Summary of Findings  —  Also inside...  Reps see McCain, Giuliani and Romney as more moderate than "self"  —  Hillary and Obama Backers differ little on Iraq

Bush's long history of tilting Justice  —  The administration began skewing federal law enforcement before the current U.S. attorney scandal, says a former Department of Justice lawyer.  —  THE SCANDAL unfolding around the firing of eight U.S. attorneys compels the conclusion …

THE JIM WEBB / PHILLIP THOMPSON GUN ARREST STORY has had the salutary effect of bringing more attention to the District of Columbia's silly gun laws.  The Washington Post headlines its story this way: You Can Bring Gun to Capitol, But Not Through D.C. and observes: … Jeez.

Supply-Side Giuliani  —  The announcement yesterday by the magazine executive and former presidential candidate, Steve Forbes, that he is endorsing Mayor Giuliani in 2008 and joining the campaign as a national co-chairman and senior policy adviser, crystallizes for us a feeling that has been germinating …

Question for Hillary: What will Bill's impact be?  —  WASHINGTON — The former leader of the free world cast a spell across a stilled ballroom as he recalled his history with the woman he hopes will be the next leader of the free world.  —  "We met and had our first date 36 years ago this month …

Sullivan on Brooks II: Nobody wants to read a fisk of a fisk, I assume, so I'll confine my own response to Andrew's critique of David Brooks to one point, which is that I don't actually think Andrew and Brooks actually have a major substantive disagreement about public policy.

U.S. Iraq Role Is Called Illegal by Saudi King  —  King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told Arab leaders on Wednesday that the American occupation of Iraq was illegal and warned that unless Arab governments settled their differences, foreign powers like the United States would continue to dictate the region's politics.

Sampson Suggested Removing Fitzgerald  —  Here's Kyle Sampson's testimony about suggesting to White House counsel Harriet Miers and deputy White House counsel Bill Kelley that they remove U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.  —  Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) asks if Fitzgerald was ever considered for removal?