Dems end week with another Iraq failure  —  The Senate will adjourn for the weekend after a long week of tense debate over Iraq in which Democrats failed to move the ball and Republicans decided to stick with the White House in backing an unpopular war.  —  Yet another Democratic amendment …

Middle East Volcano  —  On Sept. 6, something important happened in northern Syria.  Problem is, no one knows exactly what.  Except for those few who were involved, and they're not saying.  —  We do know that Israel carried out an airstrike.  How do we know it was important?

Senate Approves Resolution Denouncing MoveOn.org Ad  —  The Senate approved a resolution on Thursday denouncing the liberal antiwar group MoveOn.org over an advertisement that questioned the credibility of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the American commander in Iraq.

Hillary Clinton: I'm not a lesbian  —  Hillary Clinton officially declared she's not a lesbian - not that there's anything wrong with that.  —  During an interview with The Advocate to be published next week, Sean Kennedy, the gay magazine's news and features editor, asked the presidential candidate …

Protesters give McCain best line at NRA gathering  —  McCain: "We beat you yesterday.... We'll beat you today . . . And we'll beat you tomorrow!"  File photo by Chuck Kennedy, McClatcthy/Tribune  —  by Christi Parsons  —  Anti-war protesters barged into a speech Sen. John McCain was giving …

That MoveOn Ad  —  I completely agree with the dread DC Establishment that calling General Petraeus "General Betrayus" was dumb.  That said, I'm staggered by the amount of emphasis that people inside this town are placing on this.  One virtue of having moved to the Beltway is that I can tell you …

How George Bush became the new Saddam  —  COVER STORY: Its strategies shattered, a desperate Washington is reaching out to the late dictator's henchmen.  —  It was embarrassing putting my flak jacket on backwards and sideways, but in the darkness of the Baghdad airport car park I couldn't see anything.

Blackwater USA Back On Limited Iraq Duty  —  Embassy Resumes "Mission-Essential" Trips Outside Green Zone With Security Contractor  —  (CBS/AP) The U.S. Embassy resumed limited convoy movements with Blackwater USA protection in Baghdad, four days after all land travel by U.S. diplomats …

Hsocking Hsu Secrets Revealed!  —  If there's one thing that can be said about Clinton financial scandals, it's that they tend to be complex.  And thus far, the Norman Hsu debacle is living up to the archetype.  —  This rabbit hole is proving to be a fair bit deeper than anyone might've guessed and we're about to plumb its depths.

George Bush the Texan is 'scared of horses'  —  President Bush may like to be seen as a swaggering tough guy with a penchant for manly outdoor pursuits, but in a new book one of his closest allies has said he is afraid of horses.  —  Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico …

The Bully Boys Of The Internet  —  The Dan Rather lawsuit has given more of the TANG story figures a new lease on life, even if animated by the former CBS anchor's strange brand of conspiracy thinking.  The woman who had the most responsibility for the airing of the 60 Minutes II segment …

Student Groups Question Bollinger on Ahmadinejad  —  Nearly 50 student leaders and a dozen administrators sat down with University President Lee Bollinger for an hour on Thursday for a passionate yet civil discussion to air concerns about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's scheduled speech on campus on Monday.

Giuliani: Balance tax cut with tax cut  —  RESTON, Va. - Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Friday that the alternative minimum tax — which is expected to generate as much as $1 trillion over the next 10 years — could be eliminated by balancing it out with even more tax cuts.

Do Not Call listings to expire in 2008  —  WASHINGTON - The cherished dinner hour void of telemarketers could vanish next year for millions of people when phone numbers begin dropping off the national Do Not Call list.  —  The Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the list, says there is a simple fix.