Gonzales Resigns as Attorney General  —  ­ Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, whose tenure has been marred by controversy and accusations of perjury before Congress, has resigned.  A senior administration official said he would announce the decision later this morning in Washington.

[TS] Op-Ed Columnist: A Socialist Plot  —  We offer free education because giving every child a fair chance is the American way.  And we should guarantee health care to every child, for the same reason.

Palestinians back caliphate over politics  —  By day, they are the middle class, putting in days as mild-mannered teachers, factory supervisors and office clerks.  —  But by night, the growing number of supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the Islamic fundamentalists who reject modern democracy …

Change In Thompson Press Team Signals Power Of New Campaign Manager  —  The departure of Linda Rozett suggests that Bill Lacy, who managed Thompson's campaign for the Senate in 1994, is firmly in charge of his testing-the-waters committee-cum-presidential campaign.

Iraqi Leaders Reach Accord On Prisoners, Ex-Baathists  —  After Meeting, Maliki Berates Clinton and Other Democrats  —  Iraq's top five political leaders announced an agreement Sunday night to release thousands of prisoners being held without charge and to reform the law that has kept thousands …

Iraqi insurgents taking cut of U.S. rebuilding money  —  BAGHDAD — Iraq's deadly insurgent groups have financed their war against U.S. troops in part with hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. rebuilding funds that they've extorted from Iraqi contractors in Anbar province.

U.S. sponsors Islamic convention  —  The Justice Department is co-sponsoring a convention held by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) — an unindicted co-conspirator in an ongoing federal terrorist funding case — a move that is raising concerns among the Justice's rank and file.

"Let's Twist Again": Right-wing Bloggers Smear HuffPost  —  A much wiser person than I once asked rhetorically "How do you explain bad taste to people who haven't got ANY taste?"  —  I have been reminded of that question as I watch with bemusement the right-wing blogosphere getting its knickers …

The Outsider's Insider  —  Sen. Barack Obama had hired Pete Rouse for just such a moment.  —  It was the fall of 2005, and the celebrated young senator — still new to Capitol Hill but aware of his prospects for higher office — was thinking about voting to confirm John G. Roberts Jr. as chief justice.

Poll: Young voters disenchanted with Republican party  —  Two larger-than-life politicians, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan, charged into the California governor's office with the help of young voters, many of whom were drawn to the Republican Party by a message of sunny optimism.