Immigrant Measure Survives Challenges  —  The plan to overhaul the nation's immigration system survived its most serious challenges yesterday, when the Senate defeated amendments to disqualify hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from legalization and to extend visas to hundreds …

Obama's quests for 'eye-popping' cash  —  Only a few months ago, political operatives were speculating whether Sen. Barack Obama could come close to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's daunting fundraising machine.  Now Team Obama is the legend, and the question is whether the junior senator from New York can keep up.

They Know How to Caucus  —  Teresa Vilmain and Other Experts in an Arcane Presidential Art  —  DES MOINES — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton had a decision to make.  After someone in her campaign leaked a memo late last month suggesting that she skip the Iowa caucuses, the New York Democrat needed …

Bush Defends Climate and Missile Plans  —  As leaders of the world's wealthiest democracies began their annual summit meeting today, President Bush defended his plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and tried yet again to dismiss Russian concerns over a missile defense plan, saying it is …

Report: 39 secretly imprisoned by U.S.  —  LONDON - A coalition of human rights groups has drawn up a list of 39 terror suspects it believes are being secretly imprisoned by U.S. authorities and published their names in a report released Thursday.  —  Information about the so-called …

Sen. Stevens Told to Keep Records for Graft Probe  —  Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, disclosed in an interview that the FBI asked him to preserve records as part of a widening investigation into Alaskan political corruption that has touched his son and ensnared …

Official: Cheney Urged Wiretaps  —  Stand-In for Ashcroft Alleges Interference  —  Vice President Cheney told Justice Department officials that he disagreed with their objections to a secret surveillance program during a high-level White House meeting in March 2004, a former senior Justice official told senators yesterday.

I'm a McCain Man, Through and Through—Unless the Democrats Nominate Obama.  Then, Forget the McCain Thing  —  Barack Obama cultivates an image as a politician whose appeal reaches across party lines.  But even he might be surprised to learn that one of his biggest admirers works for GOP Sen. John McCain …

Neither Prison Nor Pardon  —  Justice in the Libby Case Lies With Bush's Third Option  —  Scooter Libby should not be pardoned.  But his punishment — 30 months in prison, two years' probation and a $250,000 fine — is excessive.  President Bush should commute the sentence by eliminating the jail term while preserving the fine.

The Other Intelligence Assessments on Iraq  —  Editor's note: The following is a preview of a longer article that will appear in a forthcoming issue of The National Interest.  —  What comes to mind when someone mentions intelligence and the Iraq War?  Why, of course, the intelligence estimate …

Document: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban  —  Brian Ross and Christopher Isham Report:  —  NATO officials say they have caught Iran red-handed, shipping heavy arms, C4 explosives and advanced roadside bombs to the Taliban for use against NATO forces, in what the officials …

Campaign Funds for Alaskan; Road Aid to Florida  —  It is no secret that campaign contributions sometimes lead to lucrative official favors.  Rarely, though, are the tradeoffs quite as obvious as in the twisted case of Coconut Road.  —  The road, a stretch of pavement near Fort Myers …

A Contender's Worn-Out Welcome  —  The dynamic performance by John Edwards in Sunday's Democratic presidential debate, assailing his competitors for the nomination, got high marks from political reporters, Republican politicians and left-wing activists.  But not from the Democratic establishment.

When Pardons Turn Political  —  President Bush has pardoned 113 people during his presidency, including a Tennessee bootlegger and a Mississippi odometer cheat.  —  But none has drawn the public scrutiny, nor posed the same political challenge, as the candidate that many conservatives hope …

To Be an American  —  For many, illegal workers are a rebuke to dutiful citizenship.  —  People tend to regard the idea of "democratic" politics with high reverence, when in practice it consists most of the time of the right of any citizen to describe one's opponent as an idiot, or worse.