It's Official: McCain's Press Staff Resigns  —  Sen. John McCain's top three press aides resigned this morning, Republicans close to the campaign said and one of those aides confirmed.  —  The campaign's research director and two other press staffers also stepped down.

Campaigns Raise, Burn More Cash, More Quickly  —  Rapid Spending Puts Some in Jeopardy Early  —  Candidates for the White House are not only raising far more than ever before, many are also spending that money as fast as they get it, leaving some close to being forced from the race almost six months before the first votes are cast.

Cheney pushes Bush to act on Iran  —  Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Julian Borger  —  The balance in the internal White House debate over Iran has shifted back in favour of military action before President George Bush leaves office in 18 months, the Guardian has learned.

Thompson Reaches to the Right  —  Laying the groundwork for evangelical support  —  For months, conservative evangelical activists have been fretting over a Republican presidential field whose front-runners are the pro-abortion rights Rudy Giuliani, the formerly pro-gay rights Mitt Romney …

Hamas Support Melting Away  —  The degree of the self-inflicted catastrophe that Hamas created with its rebellion has come into clearer focus after polling Gaza voters.  The territory used to serve as Hamas' political power base, but now a plurality of voters support their rival, Fatah.

Memo to Senate Democrats: Force Republicans To Actually Filibuster  —  In an interview with the Young Turks on Friday, Senator Kent Conrad indicated that there was "growing consensus" in the Democratic Senate caucus to actually make Republicans stand in the well of the Senate and filibuster popular Democratic legislation.

A GOP comeback strategy  —  Way behind in the polls, the party should exploit the anti-politician mood and offer a hopeful message.  —  ALL THE BIG questions for 2008 are on the Democratic side: Can Hillary Clinton show her humanity?  Does Obama have enough experience?  Will Edwards find a cheaper barber?

Pentagon balked at pleas from officers in field for safer vehicles  —  Pfc. Aaron Kincaid, 25, had been joking with buddies just before their Humvee rolled over the bomb.  His wife, Rachel, later learned that the blast blew Kincaid, a father of two from outside Atlanta, through the Humvee's metal roof.

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: The Waiting Game  —  The opponents of universal health care appear to have run out of honest arguments.

Execution Of Ga. Man Near Despite Recantations  —  SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Georgia man is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Tuesday for killing a police officer in 1989, even though the case against him has withered in recent years as most of the key witnesses at his trial have recanted …

Giuliani to Reveal Five-Star Conservative Judicial Advisory Panel  —  WASHINGTON — GOP frontrunner Rudy Giuliani will unveil his "Justice Advisory Committee" this week on a two-day swing through heavily Republican western districts of Washington, D.C., home of the first presidential caucuses in 2008.

John Edwards Vows To End All Bad Things By 2011  —  AMES, IA—In an effort to jump-start a presidential campaign that still has not broken into the top Democratic tier, former Sen. John Edwards made his most ambitious policy announcement yet at a campaign event in Iowa Monday …

Mistrust as Iraqi Troops Encounter New U.S. Allies  —  Abu Azzam says the 2,300 men in his movement include members of fierce Sunni groups like the 1920s Revolutionary Brigade and the Mujahedeen Army that have fought the American occupation.  Now his men patrol alongside the Americans …