McCain Hits Romney Hard  —  Mitt Romney has been trying to make quite a bit of political hay out of the compromise immigration bill — he sees it as one of John McCain's key weaknesses as relates to the Republican base and a great way to differentiate himself as the One True Conservative in the race …

Gunbattle rages around Lebanon refugee camp … BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — Smoke billowed Monday over a Palestinian refugee camp as Lebanese forces battled Islamic militants for a second day near the northern city of Tripoli.  The clashes have left dozens dead and wounded.

Mitt Romney leads Republicans  —  Mitt Romney has sprinted ahead of presidential competitors John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in a new Iowa Poll of likely Republican caucus participants.  —  The Des Moines Register poll shows Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is the top choice of 30 percent …

Pentagon Studies Long-Term Commitment in Iraq  —  · The White House and Pentagon are under increasing pressure from Congress and the public to end U.S. military involvement in Iraq.  But the Pentagon is considering maintaining a core group of forces in Iraq, possibly for decades.

Public Divided on "Pro-Choice" vs. "Pro-Life" Abortion Labels  —  Few are single-issue voters  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Americans hold a complex set of beliefs about the legality of terminating a woman's pregnancy.  The majority want the Supreme Court to uphold its 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which protects abortion rights.

Early primary gives Florida big say  —  State jumps ahead of most others with primary set for Jan. 29, 2008  —  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill Monday moving Florida's 2008 presidential primary up to Jan. 29, leapfrogging several other states in a change …

The Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist  —  By popular demand, you'll find the playlist for the Nineties Alt-Rock Party below.  A few words.  For one thing, this is just the songs in alphabetical order; at the party itself, the Party Shuffle was in effect.

Lott, `Scorned' After Katrina, Targets State Farm, Allstate  —  ``Are you kidding me?'' says Senator Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, when asked why he's so critical of insurance companies.  —  Lott, 65, launches into a critique of the industry, peppering it with words such as ``arrogant …

G.O.P. Senator Says Gonzales Might Quit  —  Senator Arlen Specter, the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said Sunday that Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales might resign rather than face a potential no-confidence vote in the Senate.  —  Senate Democrats have said they would bring …

Efforts to stop `voter fraud' may have curbed legitimate voting  —  WASHINGTON - During four years as a Justice Department civil rights lawyer, Hans von Spakovsky went so far in a crusade against voter fraud as to warn of its dangers under a pseudonym in a law journal article.

Gay Britons Serve in Military With Little Fuss, as Predicted Discord Does Not Occur  —  The officer, a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force, felt he had no choice.  So he stood up in front of his squad of 30 to 40 people.  —  "I said, 'Right, I've got something to tell you,' " he said.

Getting in Deeper...  Another week reveals more lapses in judgment by the Bush team  —  For months, congressional Democrats have tried to force embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales out of his job by using what one congressional source called "conventional weapons"-incriminating E-mails …

Interviews, Going the Way of the Linotype?  —  The humble interview, the linchpin of journalism for centuries, is under assault.  —  It is a transaction that clearly favors the person asking the questions.  A print reporter writes down someone's answers, then picks and chooses how much …

Sawyer's Interview Focuses On Media's Obsessions With Gore, Reaffirms Thesis Of His Book  —  In his new book, The Assault on Reason, which will be released tomorrow, Al Gore explains "why logic and reason and the best evidence available and the scientific discoveries do not have more force …

Chronicle to cut 25% of jobs in newsroom  —  To cut costs and try to adapt to a changing media marketplace, The Chronicle will trim 25 percent of its newsroom staff by the end of the summer.  —  "This is one of the biggest one-time hits we've heard about anywhere in the country," …

U.S. policy turnabout may enable Israel to enter talks with Syria  —  Washington has given Israel the green light to accept Syrian President Bashar Assad's call for peace talks, in a change of position accompanied by several preconditions.  —  The Bush administration has given Israel permission …