Building a Coalition, Forgetting to Rule  —  AS a political strategist, Karl Rove offered a brilliant answer to the wrong question.  —  The question he answered so successfully was a political one: How could Republicans win elections after Bill Clinton steered the Democrats to the center?

Gonzales could get say in states' executions  —  Proposed rules would let the attorney general sign off on 'fast tracking' death penalty appeals.  —  WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is putting the final touches on regulations that could give Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales important …

Imus Settles With CBS, May Make Comeback  —  NEW YORK — Don Imus has reached a settlement with CBS over his multimillion-dollar contract and is negotiating to resume his broadcasting career.  —  Imus and CBS Radio "have mutually agreed to settle claims that each had against the other regarding …

Obama leaves some wanting a little more  —  NASHUA - U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's surging presidential campaign is reaching a critical mass in that voters want to hear more.  —  As a self-described, "hope monger,'' the Illinois Democrat's optimistic call for systemic change on health care …

Clinton's first-lady records locked up  —  Archivists say the documents at her husband's presidential library won't be released until after the '08 vote.  —  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cites her experience as a compelling reason voters should make her president …

Our Lives, Controlled From Some Guy's Couch  —  Until I talked to Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford University, it never occurred to me that our universe might be somebody else's hobby.  I hadn't imagined that the omniscient, omnipotent creator of the heavens and earth could be an advanced version …

See Who's Editing Wikipedia - Diebold, the CIA, a Campaign  —  On November 17th, 2005, an anonymous Wikipedia user deleted 15 paragraphs from an article on e-voting machine-vendor Diebold, excising an entire section critical of the company's machines.  While anonymous, such changes typically …

For Top General in Iraq, Role Is a Mixed Blessing  —  BAGHDAD — Gen. David H. Petraeus looked out from a Black Hawk helicopter at the vistas of Baghdad rushing by 150 feet below on a recent summer evening, pointing at bustling markets, amusement parks and soccer fields scattered through neighborhoods …

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Gotham)  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - He's a veteran statesman and hard-hitting chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  But Sen. Patrick Leahy is set to leave the marble halls of Washington for the bright lights of Hollywood — at least briefly.

Toward a Realistic Peace  —  Summary: The next U.S. president will face three key foreign policy challenges: setting a course for victory in the terrorists' war on global order, strengthening the international system the terrorists seek to destroy, and extending the system's benefits.

Poll: Americans More Optimistic On Surge  —  29% Now Believe Troop Surge Is Helping In Iraq, But Most Still Say War Going Badly  —  (CBS) According to a new CBS News poll, Americans have become somewhat more optimistic about the impact of the troop surge in Iraq.

Enforcing the Community's foreign policy orthodoxy  —  A rather spirited exchange occurred yesterday on the question of Iraq between Atrios, on the one hand, and, on the other, Michael Cohen and Shadi Hamid at Democracy Arsenal, a foreign policy blog for various Democratic members of the Foreign Policy Community.

Richardson can't say no on veep  —  Tells News 'not interested,' but No.2 job may be hard to resist  —  Democratic presidential long shot Bill Richardson insists he's "not interested" in the vice presidency but he refused yesterday to rule out the possibility of accepting the No. 2 slot.

Border Patrol to build fencing  —  The U.S. Border Patrol is asking for volunteers among its agents to help build fences on the U.S.-Mexico border, even as President Bush is withdrawing half the National Guard troops he sent there last year to build fences.  —  A memo circulated last week …

The Air Force "Thinks Creatively" About Counterinsurgency  —  In DefenseNews (subscription required), Maj Gen Charles Dunlap (AF Deputy Judge Advocate General) has this flash of inspiration on how the Air Force can contribute to the Global War on Terror using its overwhelming air power.