Vice President Exempts His Office from the Requirements for Protecting Classified Information  —  The Oversight Committee has learned that over the objections of the National Archives, Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures …

Poll: Bush hits lowest approval rating of presidency  —  President Bush registers the lowest approval rating of his presidency—making him the least popular president since Nixon—in the new NEWSWEEK Poll.  —  Iraq isn't the only issue dragging Bush's approval ratings down

New Photos Show Secret Pakistan Plutonium Plant; Fear of More Weapons Being Made  —  Elizabeth Sprague Reports:  —  A satellite photograph obtained by ABC News reveals Pakistan is nearing completion of a third, previously unknown plutonium production reactor, suggesting Pakistan may be planning to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal.

Nader ponders run, calls Clinton 'coward'  —  Ralph Nader says he is seriously considering running for president in 2008 because he foresees another Tweedledum-Tweedledee election that offers little real choice to voters.  —  "You know the two parties are still converging …

Senate votes to raise car fuel standards  —  WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Thursday to increase fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon for cars and SUVs, the first significant boost demanded of automakers in nearly 20 years.  —  The agreement was announced at a news conference …

Operation Arrowhead Ripper: Day One  —  The first day of operation Arrowhead Ripper was intense.  The Army is giving full access to the battlefield, and while on base full access to the TOC (HQ) which means I see the raw truth on the ground, and as it feeds through the TOC.  They are hiding nothing.

Turning on al-Qaeda in Baquba  —  I helicoptered today into Baquba, the centerpiece of the current U.S. offensive in Iraq, with Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno —and then drove via Stryker brigade into the center of the fight for a briefing.  It was midday, and the sun was so hot that both sides in the battle seemed to be taking a siesta.

Romney to talk terror today  —  Romney will discuss his "Comprehensive Strategy For Winning The War On Terror" in a speech today at an AEI conference in Colorado.  —  Per excerpts released by his campaign, the former governor will propose the creation of a new "Special Partnership Force" …

Most Wanted Surveillance Documents  — Memorandum prepared by former Deputy Attorney General James Comey which, according to Comey, was sent to the White House shortly after March 10, 2004.  The memorandum followed a review of the classified surveillance program (to which Comey referred in his May 15 …

Immigration Vote Count  —  Opponents of the immigration bill recognize that the vote on cloture (maybe tomorrow, but probably early next week) will be key.  Outside groups are scoring a vote for cloture as a vote for the bill.  Cloture will succeed with 60 votes.

Lincoln's Example for Iraq  —  In his only term in Congress, Abraham Lincoln was an ardent opponent of the Mexican War.  He introduced a series of resolutions that challenged President James Polk to show the "spot" of American soil on which Mexicans had spilled American blood …

List of journalists taking sides  —  And their explanations, from 'Yikes!' to 'They're all in somebody's pocket'  —  Have you captured a candidate on camera?  We want to see it.  Click here to send us your pictures and videos, and we'll post the best on MSNBC.com.

Obama Announces FY08 Federal Funding Requests  —  Discloses earmarks to improve government transparency  —  WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today announced that he had requested federal funding for the following projects, in the amounts designated by his constituents …

Bush Administration Nears Decision To Close Gitmo  —  CBS News Interactive: Guantanamo Tribunals  —  CBS News Interactive: War On Terror  —  (AP) WASHINGTON The Bush administration is nearing a decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility and move the terror suspects …

MyDD Interview with Nancy Pelosi  —  Yesterday morning, Wednesday June 20, I had the opportunity to sit down for a few minutes with the Speaker of the United States House, Nancy Pelosi.  —  During the interview, which immediately followed Speaker Pelosi's speech at the Take Back America conference …

Mass Culture 2.0  —  This month, Encyclopedia Britannica's blog is serializing a commentary on the cultural effects of Web 2.0.  The author, Michael Gorman, is dean of library services at California State University at Fresno and a former president of the American Library Association.

Rival camps take aim at Romney's religion  —  Gathering for their April meeting at the county courthouse, Republican activists from Warren County, Iowa, planned for this summer's county fair and vented about illegal immigration.  —  And then the county chairman for Senator John McCain's …

Lott: 'I've already offended everybody'  —  Fence?  Goats?  What is Lott talking about?  —  WASHINGTON —What does a fence on the United State-Mexico border have to do with goats?  —  Sen. Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., was talking to reporters Wednesday about the immigration bill …