Former Key Aide Testifies Today on Gonzales's Statements  —  D. Kyle Sampson, point man for the removal of eight United States attorneys, has spent almost seven years at the right hand of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.  —  And over time, friends and former colleagues say …

Democrats Are Building on Unity Over Iraq Pullout  —  No one has seemed more surprised by the Democrats' success in pushing an exit strategy for Iraq than the Democrats.  —  Their aggressiveness and unity on a major foreign-policy challenge to the president is a striking change for a party that has …

A 'Law & Order' Presidential Candidate?  —  "Law & Order" star and former U.S. senator Fred Dalton Thompson is considering a bid for the White House that would test whether Hollywood can once again launch a Republican to the world's premier political stage.  —  His interest, confirmed …

Bush, Rove, Crack Up Press Corp  —  White House adviser Karl Rove boogied, backed by NBC's David Gregory, Brian Wiliams burped the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the President cracked wise, all to the general delight, and occasional gales of laughter, of journalists gathered …

The Myth Of Voter Fraud  —  As Congress probes the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, attention is centering on who knew what, and when.  It's just as important to focus on "why," such as the reason given for the firing of at least one of the U.S. attorneys, John McKay of Washington state …

Poll: A Surprising G.O.P. Edge for '08  —  Could things be any worse for George W. Bush and his beleaguered party?  In the new TIME poll, the President's job approval rating continues to wallow near his all-time lows, at 33%, while his disapproval rating breaks the 60% barrier for the third consecutive survey.

Senate's Bold Proposal for Iraq: Sugar Beets and Rural Schools — in the U.S.  —  Midway through the Senate debate yesterday over the "emergency" spending bill for Iraq, Barbara Boxer rose to speak in favor — of strawberries.  —  "There's a song called 'Strawberry Fields Forever,' " …

Democrats say McCain nearly abandoned GOP  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions.

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.

Obama's K Street project  —  Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is benefiting from the support of well-connected Washington lobbyists even though he has prohibited his campaign from accepting contributions from them and political action committees (PACs).  —  While Obama has decried the influence …

Scottish Firm In The Poo  —  A Scottish company has been slammed for inviting customers to "send a poo" to an Englishman on St George's Day.  —  Edinburgh-based firm PostaPoo.com is selling plastic "realistic poo" to send to "your favourite (or least favourite) Englishman" to mark April 23.

Md. Senate Advances Bill To Dodge Electoral College  —  Maryland is poised to become the first state to agree to bypass the electoral college and effectively elect U.S. presidents by national popular vote under legislation moving briskly toward the desk of Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).

Witness the death of vlogging  —  Speechless.  I'm just... speechless.  —  I would give credit to the person who tipped me off to this but he doesn't want his name used.  I'm guessing he doesn't want Ann to cut off his alimony payments.

Iran's Latest Hostage Gamble  —  The sailors call them "RHIBs" — rigid hull inflatable boats.  Add powerful outboard motors, and the agile, shallow-draft RHIB becomes an ideal watercraft for scooting around the Tigris and Euphrates estuary or for slipping among suspicious dhows in Iraqi coastal waters.

Moderate American Muslim gives a challenging response to the six imams  —  Dr. Zuhdi Jasser of Phoenix was deeply troubled after 9/11.  A Muslim, he saw his faith threatened by extremists seeking to hijack it for political ends.  "Islam is a spiritual path," he says.

Culture Of Corruption, Democrat Style  —  The new Congress has barely made it past its start before a new face has been put on lobbyist influence.  Dianne Feinstein, the senior Senator from California, has resigned her leadership position on a subcommittee which put billions of dollars into her family's business (via QandO):