'Free Iraq' Is Within Reach, Bush Declares  —  President Bush delivered a rousing defense of his Iraq policy on Wednesday, telling a group of veterans that "a free Iraq" is within reach and warning that if Americans succumb to "the allure of retreat," they will witness death and suffering of the sort not seen since the Vietnam War.

Transcript: Debate on the foreign intelligence surveillance act  —  The following is the transcript of a question and answer session with National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell.  —  Question: How much has President Bush or members of his administration formed your response to the FISA debate?

Did changes in Crandall Canyon mining plan boost cave-in risks?  —  Robert Murray insists that his company did not change the mining plan at Crandall Canyon after purchasing a joint interest in the mine last August.  —  But documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune clearly contradict Murray's assertion …

Romney Struggles to Define Abortion Stance  —  Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said this week that as president he would allow individual states to keep abortion legal, two weeks after telling a national television audience that he supports a constitutional amendment to ban the procedure nationwide.

Experts tie pigeon dung, bridge collapse  —  ST. PAUL, Minn. - Pounded and strained by heavy traffic and weakened by missing bolts and cracking steel, the failed interstate bridge over the Mississippi River also faced a less obvious enemy: pigeons.  —  Inspectors began documenting the buildup …

Did Clinton Lie About Targeting Bin Laden?  —  It appears that Bill Clinton may have exaggerated his record when it came to strategizing against Osama bin Laden.  Newsweek's Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball take a look at the Inspector General's report of the pre-9/11 intelligence failures at the CIA and find an interesting nugget.

Tammy Haddad Out As Chris Matthews EP  —  We hear that "Hardball" exec producer Tammy Haddad is officially out thanks to Chris Matthews becoming the lowest-rated host on MSNBC primetime.  Matthews — a front-and-center face at MSNBC and certainly a go-to pundit on all things political …

AG: Cops must ask suspects for immigration status … Attorney General Anne Milgram today ordered all local police officers in New Jersey to inquire about the immigration status of suspects charged with serious crimes, and to notify federal immigration authorities if there is reason to believe the suspect is in the country illegally.

Sarkozy 'corrects' Chirac's errors  —  One of the key promises that Nicolas Sarkozy had made during his presidential election campaign last spring was to "correct" foreign policy "mistakes" made by his predecessor Jacques Chirac.  —  Chief among these was Chirac's desperate efforts to prevent …

How Miss Slackistan and the Burka Beauties fell foul of the racism zealots  —  It probably seemed like a good idea at the time.  Stuck for inspiration about what to wear at their village carnival, one group made a last-minute decision to dress up in mock Muslim burkas.

Clinton Maintains Expanded Lead for Democratic Nomination  —  Represents improved positioning over June, but similar to earlier in 2007  —  PRINCETON, NJ — A new Gallup Poll finds New York Senator Hillary Clinton's strengthened frontrunner status in the Democratic field …

U.S. officials rethink hopes for Iraq democracy  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Nightmarish political realities in Baghdad are prompting American officials to curb their vision for democracy in Iraq.  Instead, the officials now say they are willing to settle for a government that functions and can bring security.

Foreign Aid Groups Face Terror Screens  —  The Bush administration plans to screen thousands of people who work with charities and nonprofit organizations that receive U.S. Agency for International Development funds to ensure they are not connected with individuals or groups associated with terrorism …

CBS Was Warned on 'Kid Nation,' Documents Show  —  The producers of a CBS reality show featuring 40 children living on their own in the New Mexico desert were warned by the state attorney general's office while the show was being taped last spring that they might be violating the state's child-labor laws …

Bolton: I 'Absolutely' Hope The U.S. Will Attack Iran In The Next 'Six Months'  —  Yesterday, Raw Story pointed out that former CIA operative Bob Baer told Fox News that the Bush administration will likely attack Iran in the coming months.  "Iran policy is on close hold …

Are Fundamentals "Sound"?  —  Dean Baker fears that they are not: … I guess the big difference is that I don't think that home prices are likely to plunge.  Why not?  Because Ben Bernanke is more aware than any other possible Fed Chair that large-scale housing asset price deflation threatens …