Kennedy: Justice firings are keyed to '08 vote  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Edward M. Kennedy yesterday accused President Bush of using the Department of Justice to further his administration's "right-wing ideology," saying that veteran prosecutors were replaced by political operatives in key states …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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).

Gore climate event turned away from D.C.  —  GOP senator says the proposed 'Live Earth' concert is partisan and shouldn't be at the Capitol.  —  WASHINGTON — When former Vice President Al Gore testified before Congress last week, his appearance was viewed as the triumph of environmentalists …

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 …

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.

As Forbes Endorses Giuliani, Giuliani Endorses a Flat Tax  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani accepted the endorsement of Steve Forbes yesterday and embraced Mr. Forbes's signature issue, saying he liked the idea of a flat tax — something Mr. Giuliani denounced when Mr. Forbes was running for president.