Gonzales Aide Suggested Replacements for Attorneys  —  A Justice Department e-mail released today shows that the former chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales proposed replacement candidates for seven United States attorneys nearly a year before those prosecutors were fired …

From the Courthouse to the White House  —  Fred Thompson auditions for the leading role.  —  A strange thing happened a few weeks back when I went to the Café Promenade at the Mayflower Hotel for an off-the-record interview with an unpaid adviser to the non-campaign of unannounced presidential candidate Fred Thompson.

In the Spotlight, the Politics of Buckling Up  —  As constituents and public officials wished Gov. Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey a full recovery from his injuries in a car accident, many were shaking their heads that someone who is so smart, and has so much to lose, would put himself at risk by apparently not wearing a seat belt.

Sunni Factions Split With Al-Qaeda Group  —  Rift Further Blurs Battle Lines in Iraq  —  Key Sunni militant groups are severing their association with al-Qaeda in Iraq, a Sunni group that claims allegiance to the organization led by Osama bin Laden.  The split could help isolate a primary foe …

Rove, others were warned to save e-mails  —  WASHINGTON — Karl Rove and other White House employees were cautioned in employee manuals, memos and briefings to carefully save any e-mails that might discuss official matters even if those messages came from private e-mail accounts, the White House disclosed Friday.

Snow won't dampen global-warming rallies  —  The weather forecast for Saturday's global warming rallies in Grand Rapids and Holland calls for snow and cold rain and temperatures in the 40s — about 10 degrees below normal.  —  For some, this might make global warming a tough sell.

In a Filmdom Premiere, a Foe for Gore  —  The screening here on Thursday night had many elements of a classic film-world shindig.  There were gift bags and television cameras, cold cocktails and hot popcorn.  Ushers showed V.I.P.'s to their seats, and local politicos rubbed shoulders with the movie's backers and flacks.

Flying Solo Past the Point of No Return  —  For a few days, it seemed as if Don Imus would somehow pull out of the death spiral.  After all, once he came under fire, Mr. Imus said he was sorry for the racial insult, said he was sorry again and then began a week of penance …

Excessive Force By Marines Alleged  —  Afghan Report on Killings of Civilians Is Called Consistent With U.S. Findings  —  A platoon of elite Marine Special Operations troops reacted with "excessive force" after an ambush in Afghanistan last month, opening fire on pedestrians and civilian vehicles along …

Life's little contradictions  —  We all know people whose passionate beliefs stand in direct opposition to their other passionate beliefs.  Here's a handy list of 30 contradictory concepts.  —  1 The same people who claim to worry most about future generations surviving climate change …

Imus, a postscript  —  I haven't written about the Imus affair here.  I never listen to Imus and thus have no opinion of or particular interest in him.  My main interest in the matter was simply to see how it would play out and what the outcome would say about the state of our culture.

'Israeli melons have AIDS'  —  Text message spreading through Saudi Arabia claiming melons entering the kingdom from Israel are infected with AIDS causes frenzy.  Officials deny rumors  —  Roee Nahmias  —  "Beware of Israeli melons infected with AIDS arriving in Saudi Arabia!" …