Out-of-Afghanistan rumblings on the Hill  —  When they won control of Congress in November, Democrats pressed their case to withdraw troops from Iraq and refocus on Afghanistan, but some are growing impatient with U.S. operations in Afghanistan as well.  —  A few congressional Democrats …

Rough road ahead for immigration bill  —  Barbara L. Salisbury/The Washington Times From left, Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Jim DeMint of South Carolina voiced their opposition to the immigration-reform bill yesterday on Capitol Hill.

A GOP Plan To Oust Cheney  —  The big question right now among Republicans is how to remove Vice President Cheney from office.  Even before this week's blockbuster series in The Post, discontent in Republican ranks was rising.  —  As the reputed architect of the war in Iraq …

Iranian forces crossed Iraqi border: report  —  Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have been spotted by British troops crossing the border into southern Iraq, The Sun tabloid reported on Tuesday.  —  Britain's defence ministry would not confirm or deny the report, with a spokesman declining to comment on "intelligence matters".

Lugar: U.S. Must Reduce Military Presence In Iraq  —  Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), the senior Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, tonight announced his support for an immediate shift in Iraq policy, calling on President Bush "to downsize the U.S. military's role in Iraq and place …

A Strong Push From Back Stage  —  Air Force Two touched down at the Greenbrier Valley Airport in West Virginia on Feb. 6, 2003, carrying Vice President Cheney to the annual retreat of Republican House and Senate leaders.  He had come to sell them on the economic centerpiece of President Bush's first term: a $674 billion tax cut.

Justices Loosen Ad Restrictions in Campaign Law  —  The Supreme Court on Monday took a sharp turn away from campaign finance regulation, opening a wide exception to the advertising restrictions that it upheld when the McCain-Feingold law first came before it four years ago.

Iraqi Youth Face Lasting Scars of War  —  Conflict's Psychological Impact on Children Is Immense, Experts Say  —  BAGHDAD — Marwa Hussein watched as gunmen stormed into her home and executed her parents.  Afterward, her uncle brought her to the Alwiya Orphanage, a high-walled compound nestled …

28-Mile Virtual Fence Is Rising Along the Border  —  If the effort to catch people illegally crossing the border here in the southern Arizona desert is a cat-and-mouse struggle, the Homeland Security Department says it has a smarter cat.  —  It comes in the form of nine nearly 100-foot-tall towers …

How the GOP Could Win  —  There are two ways to predict the winner of the 2008 presidential race: Check the polls or read some history.  The polls tell you that with George Bush's approval ratings abysmally low; with the war in Iraq becoming increasingly unpopular; with the GOP lacking a dominant candidate …

Romney to Tap Own Money for Campaign  —  Mitt Romney said yesterday he had once more turned to his personal fortune to help finance his presidential campaign and might do so again, suggesting that his fund-raising has fallen off since the first three months of the year.