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

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.

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 Dems fight for energy bill amid intra-party, GOP concerns  —  Senate Democrats yesterday were scrambling to prevent the sweeping energy overhaul bill, a top domestic priority, from crumbling amid growing regional divisions within their party and Republican concerns.

Backlash grows against British award of knighthood to Salman Rushdie  —  Pakistani hard-line clerics respond with an award of their own to Osama bin Laden.  —  The award of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses," has prompted deep criticism from Egypt's parliament …

White House near decision to close Gitmo  —  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is nearing a decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility and move its terror suspects to military prisons elsewhere, The Associated Press has learned.  —  Senior administration officials said Thursday …

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

The Film Take Back America Took Back  —  As a result of the attention surrounding my film about the 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference-it was a YouTube hit-the liberal Campaign for America's Future asked me to produce a similar video about their annual conference, Take Back America (TBA), held in Washington.

Let the market set gas prices  —  When it comes to gas prices, it may be hard to believe that virtually all policymakers actually share the same goal: to protect consumers and help ensure they pay an affordable price at the pump.  We agree that high gas prices impose a big burden on families and businesses.

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.

Missing Soldier's Wife Faces Deportation  —  As Military Searches For Kidnapped Soldier In Iraq, U.S. Threatens To Send Wife Back To Dominican Republic  —  (CBS/AP) While the U.S. military searches for a soldier missing in Iraq, kidnapped by insurgents possibly allied with al Qaeda …

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.