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 …

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 …

Pakistan scholars honour Bin Laden  —  A LEADING group of Pakistani Islamic scholars today awarded its highest honour to al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, saying it was in reaction to Britain's knighthood for Salman Rushdie.  —  Meanwhile, a Pakistani minister who caused outrage by remarking …

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

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.

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.

A new carbon standard  —  Taxes on CO2 emissions alone won't get us where we need to go.  —  PROMINENT VOICES are calling for national carbon taxes as a way to fight global warming.  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, the Los Angeles Times' editorial board and economists …

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 …

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 …

Face of a psychopath  —  Neoconservative icon Norman Podhoretz followed up his Commentary article titled "The case for bombing Iran" — excerpts of which were re-published in The Wall St. Journal — with an interview elaborating on why he "hopes and prays" that we bomb Iran and how he envisions the bombings.

Good News about CAIR  —  I've talked before about the Council on American-Islamic Relations — most recently because it filed that lawsuit against Americans who reported suspicious behavior by Muslims on a U.S. Airways flight.  Better known just as CAIR, the lobbying group has come under …

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 …

Groups balk at disclosure  —  A central plank of congressional ethics reform appeared in danger of collapse yesterday when government watchdog groups balked at disclosing their donors.  —  A provision of the proposed reform would force watchdogs to reveal their donors if they file ethics complaints.

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.

Rep. Pelosi responds to boos on war  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) yesterday reaffirmed her commitment to end the war in Iraq, but her words were greeted with skepticism and some boos by anti-war liberal activists.  —  Addressing the liberal pressure group Campaign for America's Future …

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 …

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.

Americans' Confidence in Congress at All-Time Low  —  Confidence in most institutions drops  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The percentage of Americans with a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in Congress is at 14%, the lowest in Gallup's history of this measure — and the lowest …

The CIA's torture teachers  —  Psychologists helped the CIA exploit a secret military program to develop brutal interrogation tactics — likely with the approval of the Bush White House.  —  A detainee is escorted by military police at Camp 4 of the maximum security prison Camp Delta …