Turkish officials: Troops enter Iraq  —  ANKARA, Turkey - Hundreds of Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who attack Turkey from bases there, Turkish security officials said.  One official said the troops had returned to their bases by the end of the day …

Transcript: Third G.O.P. Debate  —  The following is a transcript of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates debate hosted by CNN, WMUR-TV and The New Hampshire Union Leader.  The participants were Senator Sam Brownback, the former Virginia Gov. James Gilmore, the former …

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Can He Unleash the Force?  —  Like all young superheroes, Barack Obama has to learn to harness his powers.

Mitt Romney Won  —  According to a Frank Luntz focus group, he reported on Fox and Friends this morning.  His watchers said things like: "His answers, he is answering the questions right off the bat.  He is not giving any bull." and "He is answering the questions the best he can honestly."

Giuliani will skip August straw poll  —  New Yorker plans "non-traditional" caucus run  —  Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani plans to skip the Ames straw poll in August, but compete to win the leadoff Iowa caucuses, a gamble by the former New York Mayor on a "non-traditional" caucus campaign and a first for Iowa.

Democrats Hope to Expand Rights at Guantánamo  —  A day after two military judges ruled against the Bush administration's system for trying terrorism detainees, Democrats seized on the rulings on Tuesday as evidence that Congress should restore the right of those held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to challenge their detentions.

Support for Senate Immigration Bill Falls, 49% Prefer No Bill At All  —  Public support for the Senate immigration reform bill has slipped a bit over the past week.  A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Monday and Tuesday night found that just 23% of voters now support the bill while 50% are opposed.

What is Rudy Giuliani talking about???  —  This is what I am denied, or spared, by being trapped in Chinese factories or hospitals and getting only intermittent glimpses of real-time Campaign 2008 rhetoric:  —  Rudy Giuliani's answer to the first substantive question of the debate.

Murdoch, Ailes, Weymouth Pump Bloomberg At Breindel Awards  —  "I'm sworn to secrecy," Rupert Murdoch told The Observer as he was leaving the New-York Historical Society's auditorium last night.  But: "We're making progress," the News Corp. chief added.  —  Mr. Murdoch hosted …

In Saudi Arabia, a view from behind the veil  —  As a woman in the male-dominated kingdom, Times reporter Megan Stack quietly fumed beneath her abaya.  Even beyond its borders, her experience taints her perception of the sexes.  —  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — The hem of my heavy Islamic cloak trailed over floors that glistened like ice.

Scores Up Since 'No Child' Was Signed  —  Study's Authors Unsure Whether to Credit Law for Gains  —  The nation's students have performed significantly better on state reading and math tests since President Bush signed his landmark education initiative into law five years ago, according to a major independent study released yesterday.

The Democrats' Leap of Faith  —  You know it's a different kind of candidate forum when Hillary Clinton allows that she sometimes prays (no doubt, she says, to some divine eye-rolling) "Oh, Lord, why can't you help me lose weight?" and describes how "prayer warriors" sustained her through …

VIDEO: Scarborough spins "pole" controversy  —  MSNBC HOST DEFENDS COMMENTS BY LYING, REFUSING TO APOLOGIZE, TAKING CHEAP SHOTS AT BLOGGERS  —  By now, TPS readers are well aware that Joe Scarborough had an Imus moment on his MSNBC show this week when he wondered out loud whether Fred …

Is U.S. Safer Since 9/11?  Clinton and Rivals Spar  —  The Bush administration's efforts to thwart terrorism at home have created a fissure among the three leading Democratic presidential candidates, with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton coming under attack for saying that America is safer …