McCain responds and then some  —  McCain responds to Obama in tough enough, if predictable, language:  —  "While Senator Obama's two years in the U.S. Senate certainly entitle him to vote against funding our troops, my service and experience combined with conversations with military leaders …

White House Said to Debate '08 Cut in Iraq Troops by 50%  —  The Bush administration is developing what are described as concepts for reducing American combat forces in Iraq by as much as half next year, according to senior administration officials in the midst of the internal debate.

O'Donnell Will Not Be Back on 'The View'  —  ABC Announces Early Departure for Host  —  The saga is over.  —  Rosie O'Donnell will not be returning to "The View."  —  In a statement today, Brian Frons, the president of Disney-ABC's Daytime Television Group, said, "We had hoped that Rosie …

LIBBY TRIAL JUDGE JOINS SECRET FISA COURT  —  The judge who presided over the trial of vice presidential aide Lewis Libby has been appointed to the secret court that oversees U.S. intelligence wiretaps.  —  Reggie Walton, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia …

Sadr reemerges, demands U.S. pullout from Iraq  —  KUFA, Iraq — Influential cleric Muqtada Sadr resurfaced today after months in hiding and delivered a fiery sermon in this Shiite Muslim holy city in which he reiterated his demand for the swift departure of U.S. forces.

Who's Afraid of Democracy?  —  Believing that "people are rational as consumers and irrational as voters," many conservatives would favor free markets without democracy  —  SHARE Digg del.icio.us Reddit Newsvine  —  Behavioral economists at UC San Diego recently conducted a study …

US rejects all climate proposals  —  The US has rejected any prospect of a deal on climate change at the G8 summit in Germany next month, according to a leaked document.  —  Despite Tony Blair's declaration on Thursday that Washington would sign up to "at least the beginnings" …

Thompson headlines Prescott Bush Awards  —  STAMFORD — Character actor and former Sen. Fred Dalton Thompson's next role is as president — he's playing Ulysses S. Grant in the HBO film "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee."  —  But Thompson last night did not end speculation about his possible run for the White House.

How to kill a book, in 3 easy steps  —  Here's how you kill a book:  —  First, see to it that it emerges into the public eye on the Friday of a holiday weekend.  —  Then, express ostentatious boredom at its contents.  —  Then, attack.  —  Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson declined …

U. S. ATTORNEYS: Fewer candidates apply for positions as U.S. attorneys  —  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's decision to fire nine U.S. attorneys last year has created a new problem for the White House: The controversy appears to be discouraging applications for some of the 22 prosecutor posts that President Bush needs to fill.

Danish Cyclist Admits Doping in Tour Victory  —  Bjarne Riis, a former Danish cyclist who won the 1996 Tour de France, admitted yesterday that he used several banned drugs, including EPO, steroids and human growth hormone, while competing in the 1990s, becoming the first champion of the sport's …

Thailand set to make Buddhism the state religion  —  BANGKOK: In a step that could sharpen divisions in its increasingly violent, largely Muslim southern provinces, Thailand appears ready for the first time to make Buddhism the state religion in a new constitution.

GEN Petraeus' Chief Counter-Insurgency Adviser on "Iraqi Narratives"  —  This morning I participated in a telephonic question and answer session with Dr. David Kilcullen, senior counter-insurgency advisor to Gen. David Petraeus and Multi-National Force -Iraq.

Pre-War Intelligence Report on Iraq Released  —  Report Forecast Militant Violence, Saw Establishing Democracy as Difficult  —  The U.S. intelligence community accurately predicted months before the Iraq war that al-Qaeda would link up with elements from former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime …