Broader Privilege Claimed In Firings  —  White House Says Hill Can't Pursue Contempt Cases  —  Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never …

Clinton Demands Pentagon Plan for Withdrawal  —  Pentagon Rebukes Clinton Request; 'Outrageous,' She Says  —  Another contentious issue is emerging in the Iraq battle between the White House and Congress as senators from both parties are beginning to openly question whether the Pentagon …

Disarmed by the Dems  —  Congressional leaders fail to protect terror tipsters from insane lawsuits  —  Be Our Guest  —  He's your son, riding a commuter train to work.  Your daughter, taking the subway to go shopping downtown.  Your grandparent, boarding an airplane at JFK en route to a family reunion.

Edwards, Trailing Rivals, Holds Sway Over Party's Agenda  —  NEW ORLEANS — John Edwards may be stuck in third place in the polls and fund raising in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.  But the populist seems to be playing an outsized role in driving the terms of the party's debate …

The Enemy Within: Where Are the Islamist/Jihadist Websites Hosted, and What Can Be Done about It?  —  Today, in a briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia and Rep. Mike Pence …

Ted Kennedy And The Democrats Hate Free Speech  —  Once again, Minnesota's Senator Norm Coleman attempted to ensure that government would not control the content of political speech — and once again the Democrats ensured that they could impose it.  Ted Kennedy himself blocked Coleman's amendment …

Giuliani Sees Progress Since Sept. 11, but Criticizes Bush's Way of Pursuing Al Qaeda  —  Saying he still believes that the United States is safer than it was on Sept. 11, Rudolph W. Giuliani on Thursday nevertheless criticized the way the Bush Administration pursued Al Qaeda and suggested …

U.S. Generals Request Delay in Judging Iraq  —  The top commanders in Iraq and the American ambassador to Baghdad appealed for more time beyond their mid-September assessment to more fully judge if the new strategy was making gains.  —  Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq …

Breakdown in Relations in the Senate Hobbles Its Ability to Get Things Done  —  Arlen Specter is a senior United States senator who expects to be allowed his say on the Senate floor.  So he bristled when Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, brusquely cut him off at the end of the Iraq debate.

Obama: Don't stay in Iraq over genocide  —  SUNAPEE, N.H. - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot use its military to solve humanitarian problems and that preventing a potential genocide in Iraq isn't a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces there.

Trouble With the Neighbors  —  One of the most infuriating problems in Iraq seems to generate precious little fury.  —  In a kind of malicious chemistry experiment, hostile powers are adding accelerants to Iraq's frothing chaos.  Iran smuggles in the advanced explosive devices that kill and maim American soldiers.

Overhaul Plan for Vote System Will Be Delayed  —  Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are slowing their drive to revamp the nation's voting systems, aides said yesterday.  —  Under pressure from state and local officials, as well as from lobbyists for the disabled …

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: All the President's Enablers  —  President Bush has plenty of enablers — people who understand the folly of his actions, but refuse to do anything to stop him.

IRAN: THE CONSPIRACY THAT WASN'T  —  EVER since its creation in 1979, the Islamic Republic in Iran has been obsessed with conspiracy theories, especially "foreign plots" to topple it.  This paranoia was demonstrated again Wednesday with the televised confessions of two U.S. citizens …

Romney aide's bogus badges: Sources detail 'illegal' security tactic  —  In an apparent violation of the law, a controverisal aide to ex-Gov. Mitt Romney created phony law enforcement badges that he and other staffers used on the campaign trail to strong-arm reporters, avoid paying tolls …