Gore campaign team assembles in secret  —  Friends of Al Gore have secretly started assembling a campaign team in preparation for the former American vice-president to make a fresh bid for the White House.  —  Two members of Mr Gore's staff from his unsuccessful attempt in 2000 …

Bush Doesn't Joke at WHCA Dinner Due to Virginia Tech Killings — But Rich Little Says 'Nuts'  —  WASHINGTON What would the White House Correspondents Association dinner do for an encore on Saturday night in Washington following last year's controversial Stephen Colbert routine?

French Style Politics  —  The Fix spends most of his time focused like a laser on American politics, but occasionally the eye wanders across the ocean to presidential elections in other countries.  —  The more worldly of Fix readers know that Sunday marks the first round of the French presidential race …

Candidate Giuliani Shifts His Tone on Immigration  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani is a long way from Ellis Island.  —  A decade ago, as mayor of New York, Mr. Giuliani used that historic backdrop to champion the cause of immigrants, calling attacks on people who came here legally a blow to "the heart and soul of America."

REMEMBERING ADMIRAL STOCKDALE  —  The disgrace of the British sailors and marines in Iranian captivity caused many to recall the heroics of Admiral James Stockdale.  The photo above depicts Admiral Stockdale's reunion with his family in 1973 after President Nixon secured his release.

Lower Than Dirt  —  For some reason — don't ask — I was looking at Rush Limbaugh's web site, and I saw this headline: "Can Any Good Come from V Tech Horror?" followed by this blurb: "Maybe, just maybe, we'll face the hatred for American traditions and capitalism infesting our campuses."  No, I thought.

Hank Paulson "Needs More" to Knife Wolfowitz: How About Wolfowitz's Employment Contract that He Be Allowed to Take Speaker Fees?  —  Secretary of the Treasury "Hank Paulson can easily control his enthusiasm for Paul Wolfowitz," according to a source close to Paulson, "but he does not have enough yet to stick the final knife in."

Hi,  —  This is evidence of what I told you earlier about the very important developments taking place.  I have tried to draw attention to the significant change of mood of the people which started in the Anbar province with the creation of the "Anbar Salvation Council".

Sunni struggle claims 4th Fallujah chief  —  BAGHDAD- The Fallujah city council chairman, a critic of al-Qaida who took the job after his three predecessors were assassinated, was killed on Saturday, the latest blow in a violent internal Sunni struggle for control of an insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad.

Before Deadly Rage, a Life Consumed by a Troubling Silence  —  From the beginning, he did not talk.  Not to other children, not to his own family.  Everyone saw this.  In Seoul, South Korea, where Seung-Hui Cho grew up, his mother agonized over his sullen, brooding behavior and empty face.

The New 5-to-4 Supreme Court  —  AFTER the 5-to-4 decision last week in which the Supreme Court reversed course on abortion, upholding the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, many court watchers were wondering what to expect next.  —  For guidance, law professors and Supreme Court specialists looked …

50% Good News Is the Bad News in Russian Radio  —  At their first meeting with journalists since taking over Russia's largest independent radio news network, the managers had startling news of their own: from now on, they said, at least 50 percent of the reports about Russia must be "positive."

U.S. Database Exposed Social Security Numbers  —  The Agriculture Department for years publicly listed Social Security numbers of tens of thousands of people who received financial aid from two of its agencies, raising concerns about identity theft and other privacy violations.

Bush Rebuffs GOP Pressure For Gonzales to Step Down  —  After Testimony, Attorney General Loses Lawmakers' Support  —  President Bush yesterday stood by his embattled friend, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, defying the broad bipartisan consensus emerging in Washington …

Zero Tolerance for Humans  —  John McCain singing "Bomb bomb bomb, Iran" to the  —  tune of "Barbara Ann" wasn't even exactly a joke.  He  —  was clarifying a question from the audience that  —  used euphemisms and circumlocutions to urge him to  —  bomb Iran.  Being famously quirky and ready to blurt