President Stands by Gonzales  —  President Bush said yesterday that Democrats in Congress are engaging in "pure political theater" by preparing resolutions of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, and he repeated his support for his embattled aide and longtime friend.

Today's Must Read  —  OK, so you knew Duke Cunningham was dirty, but you didn't know that he was this dirty.  —  The Wrong Stuff: The Extraordinary Saga of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the Most Corrupt Congressman Ever Caught, the book about Cunningham by the reporters who brought him down, hits stores this coming Monday.

After the Surge  —  The Administration Floats Ideas for a New Approach in Iraq  —  President Bush and his senior military and foreign policy advisers are beginning to discuss a "post-surge" strategy for Iraq that they hope could gain bipartisan political support.

The Left's Iraq Muddle  —  Yes, it is central to the fight against Islamic radicalism.  —  At this year's graduation celebration at The New School in New York, Iranian lawyer, human-rights activist and Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi delivered our commencement address.

Immigration Compromise Faces New Opposition  —  Proposal Stays Alive, But Foes Lie in Wait  —  The Senate voted last night to move forward on an overhaul of immigration laws, but even proponents of the delicate compromise proposal conceded that the furor over the deal was surpassing their expectations and endangering the plan.

Giuliani sends mixed signals about Iowa  —  DES MOINES, Iowa - Some Iowa Republicans are questioning whether presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani intends to largely skip the state's leadoff caucuses.  —  A sluggish start to campaign organizing and indecision about whether to compete …

Bush could double force by Christmas  —  (05-22) 04:00 PDT Washington — The Bush administration is quietly on track to nearly double the number of combat troops in Iraq this year, an analysis of Pentagon deployment orders showed Monday.  —  The little-noticed second surge …

Edwards charges $55,000 to speak to UC Davis students about poverty  —  Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who as a Democratic presidential candidate recently proposed an educational policy that urged "every financial barrier" be removed for American kids who want to go to college …

Ron Paul Boomlet To Implode In 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ...  I have watched with some amusement as centrist, liberal and uncategorizable blogs attempt to herald Ron Paul as a reasonable conservative, especially after his statement in the last debate that claimed that American foreign policy invited the 9/11 attacks.

Baghdad District Is a Model, but Only for Shiites  —  Ice cream shops in the Shiite stronghold of Kadhimiya are flush with sweet-toothed customers.  Hospitals have new supplies.  Rents have tripled as displaced Shiites flock to the historic district's spacious homes, while pilgrims stream to the golden-domed shrine at its heart.

Massive Protest Against Iranian Regime in Tabriz (Video!!)  —  IT WAS A YEAR AGO TODAY... That ethnic protests broke out across northern Iran against the regime.  Tens of Thousands of protesters marched in Tabriz.  Later a few of the protesters hurled stones and torched buildings …

McCain's temper back on campaign's front-burner  —  His shouting match with a Senate colleague raises new questions about an old issue.  —  An angry, profane exchange between Sen. John McCain and another Republican senator last week prompted a new round of questions Monday …

Clinton, Obama whip for ''08  —  Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) have intensified their fight for congressional endorsements, setting up whip operations in which their surrogates are cajoling undecided lawmakers to get off the fence.

Rachel's Helpful Guide to Online Dating: For Men  —  Must get this one out of my system.  —  Almost all of the single people I know use online dating services; the taboo seems to have completely lifted in the last few years.  Because, would it really be better to meet men in bars?  Eww.