AP Poll: GOP pick is 'none of the above'  —  WASHINGTON - And the leading Republican presidential candidate is ... none of the above.  —  The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back top-tier hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson …

Iran Is Found To Be a Lair of Al Qaeda  —  Intelligence Estimate Cites Two Councils  —  WASHINGTON — One of two known Al Qaeda leadership councils meets regularly in eastern Iran, where the American intelligence community believes dozens of senior Al Qaeda leaders have reconstituted …

The Politico sewer  —  The Politico today is prominently touting on its front page another vapid, petty, and inane "news story" — the type of story which has, in just a few short months, become its hallmark: … Impressively, they followed up their Romney scoop with a hard-hitting …

Gen. Pace Declares Iraq 'Sea Change'  —  (RAMADI, Iraq) — In his most optimistic remarks since the U.S. troop buildup began, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that Iraq has undergone a "sea change" in security in recent months, and that this will influence …

Democrats Maneuver To Force Iraq Votes  —  Senate Democratic leaders are planning a rare all-night session tonight, employing theatrics and scheduling votes that they hope will chip away at Republican resolve to back President Bush's Iraq war strategy.  —  Majority Leader Harry M. Reid …

No Magic Bullets For Iraq  —  Leave Washington in the winter, return in midsummer.  First you'll be surprised by the heat, then by the humidity.  Then you'll be surprised by the certainty.  —  Out in the world, there are shades of gray.  Here inside the Beltway, there are black-and-white solutions.

Exit Strategies  —  Would Iran Take Over Iraq?  Would Al-Qaeda?  The Debate About How and When to Leave Centers on What Might Happen After the U.S. Goes.  —  If U.S. combat forces withdraw from Iraq in the near future, three developments would be likely to unfold.

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: Heroes and History  —  President Bush's self-confidence is the most remarkable feature of his presidency.

Islamic Creationist and a Book Sent Round the World  —  In the United States, opposition to the teaching of evolution in public schools has largely been fueled by the religious right, particularly Protestant fundamentalism.  —  Now another voice is entering the debate, in dramatic fashion.

Belabor the Point  —  Democrats find one government office they want to cut back.  It's the one that exposes union corruption.  —  The new Democratic Congress has finally found a government agency whose budget It wants to cut: an obscure Labor Department office that monitors the compliance of unions with federal law.

Habeas Restoration: Down To The Razor Thin Wire  —  I am told by a source who knows the head count that we are within a slim margin on the habeas restoration amendment — and that the vote could still go either way.  It is a razor thin margin right now, which means there is no Senator whose vote can be taken for granted.

Dow Jones, News Corp. Set Deal  —  Tentative $5 Billion Pact  —  Gets Board Vote Tonight;  —  Family to Meet Thursday  —  News Corp. reached a tentative agreement for the purchase of Dow Jones & Co. at its original $5 billion offer price.  The deal will be put to the full Dow Jones board …

The Hand That Controls the Sock Puppet Could Get Slapped  —  Correction Appended  —  On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog — or the chief executive of a Fortune 500 company.  —  Or so thought John Mackey, the chief executive of Whole Foods Market, who used a fictional identity …

A Survival Imperative for Space Colonization  —  In 1993, J. Richard Gott III computed with scientific certainty that humanity would survive at least 5,100 more years.  At the time, I took that as reason to relax, but Dr. Gott has now convinced me I was wrong.

Pervez Musharraf: How Good Of An Ally Is He Really?  —  Pervez Musharraf is often touted as an important ally in the war on terrorism.  With his strong control over the military, he has cracked down on Islamic militants operating in Waziristan and other parts of Pakistan.  —  Or so we've heard.