Clinton Widens Lead in Poll  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has consolidated her place as the front-runner in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, outpacing her main rivals in fundraising in the most recent quarter and widening her lead in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Limbaugh Latest Victim in War of Condemnation  —  Having abandoned for now their effort to force President Bush to withdraw troops from Iraq, Democrats are not giving ground against a lesser nemesis: Rush Limbaugh.  —  With the help of liberal advocacy groups, the Democrats in Congress …

SCHIP slips as Dems trip over message  —  Democratic leaders on Tuesday moved quickly to shift public attention to President Bush's expected veto of a children's health insurance program from a surtax to pay for the war in Iraq.  —  Democrats had been reveling in their good fortune …

Pakistan Seen Losing Fight Against Taliban And Al-Qaeda  —  PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan's government is losing its war against emboldened insurgent forces, giving al-Qaeda and the Taliban more territory in which to operate and allowing the groups to plot increasingly ambitious attacks …

Iranian University Invites Bush to Speak  —  An Iranian university has invited U.S. President George W. Bush to speak about such issues as the Holocaust, terrorism and human rights.  —  Iran's Fars news agency reports Ferdowsi University in the northeastern city of Mashhad asked Mr. Bush …

Soldiers hunt dissidents in Myanmar  —  YANGON, Myanmar - Soldiers announced that they were hunting pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar's largest city Wednesday and the top U.S. diplomat in the country said military police were pulling people out of their homes during the night.

The War Against Rush  —  It's interesting that the Dems' attack against Rush is taking place at the same time Clarence Thomas's riveting autobiography hits the bookshelves, because both illustrate one of the central features of contemporary politics: the Left's loss of intellectual coherence and confidence …

Battle lines are drawn over conservative radio  —  House Republicans are threatening to launch a discharge petition on legislation that would ensure the future prosperity of conservative radio talk-show hosts but is expected to face opposition from Democratic leaders.

From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths  —  It started out as a family errand: Ahmed Haithem Ahmed was driving his mother, Mohassin, to pick up his father from the hospital where he worked as a pathologist.  As they approached Nisour Square at midday on Sept. 16 …