Bidding Over $2M for Dems Anti-Rush Letter  —  ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Who says the political fingerpointing in Washington is all for naught?  —  Back in September, when Democrats and Republicans were sniping at each other over the Iraq war, Republicans passed a nonbinding resolution …

Thompson's fall from grace  —  There was a time over the summer when Fred Thompson looked like he'd enjoy enormous support from the GOP's religious right base.  The Dobson crowd had already ruled out McCain and Giuliani, and skepticism over Romney lingered.

Pelosi backs away from Rep. Stark's criticism of Bush  —  (10-20) 04:00 PDT Washington —  Rep. Pete Stark may be Congress' foremost expert on health care, but on Capitol Hill the Fremont Democrat is better known for his explosive remarks that drive his critics - and sometimes his allies - crazy.

Ex-Prosecutor Alleges Pentagon Plays Politics  —  Pressure for 'Sexy' Guantanamo Hearings  —  Politically motivated officials at the Pentagon have pushed for convictions of high-profile detainees ahead of the 2008 elections, the former lead prosecutor for terrorism trials at Guantanamo Bay said last night …

Glass Monument to Che in Venezuela Shot  —  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - A glass monument to revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara was shot up and destroyed less than two weeks after it was unveiled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government.  —  Images of the 8-foot-tall glass plate …

EXCLUSIVE: The Case for Israel's Strike on Syria  —  Official: Air Attack Targeted Nascent Nuclear Facility Built With North Korean 'Expertise'  —  Israeli officials believed that a target their forces bombed inside Syria last month was a nuclear facility, because they had detailed photographs taken …

An Improbable Favorite Emerges in Cajun Country  —  An Oxford-educated son of immigrants from India is virtually certain to become the leading candidate for Louisiana's next governor in Saturday's primary election.  It would be an unlikely choice for a state that usually picks its leaders …

Sheriff's deputies arrest 'New Times' owners  —  Paper at odds with county authorities  —  Michael Kiefer, Robert Anglen and JJ Hensley  —  Phoenix New Times owners Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin were arrested Thursday night by Maricopa County sheriff's deputies on charges of revealing grand jury information, a misdemeanor.

With Democrats Like These ...  Every now and then, we are tempted to double-check that the Democrats actually won control of Congress last year.  It was particularly hard to tell this week.  Democratic leaders were cowed, once again, by propaganda from the White House and failed, once again …

Tomorrow's Neocon Today  —  Why Clinton II wouldn't offer much change from Bush II  —  Polls show Hillary Clinton has now opened up a striking 33-point lead over Barack Obama in the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.  The latest poll shows that likely Democratic primary voters favor her in every major policy area.

Rudy's New Minnesota Campaign Official Has An "N-Word" Problem  —  The man named yesterday by the Giuliani campaign to a law enforcement outreach campaign post in Minnesota was forced to resign a government job in 2004 when proof surfaced that he'd admitted to repeatedly using the word "nigger" in the past, Election Central has learned.

F.D.A. Panel Urges Ban on Medicine for Child Colds  —  A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Friday to ban popular over-the-counter cold products intended for children under the age of 6.  —  The panel found there was no proof that the medicines eased cold symptoms in children …

Democrats: GOP holds no monopoly on values  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — Three of the major Democratic presidential candidates Friday sought to counter Republican rivals attending a conservative conference by contending the GOP doesn't control the market on the values of America's electorate.

Plainly, a Justice Department Pick of Like Mind  —  The senators questioning Michael B. Mukasey, President Bush's nominee for attorney general, seemed so pleased at first to be receiving direct and unadorned answers that they appeared to be barely taking in what he was saying.

In Jena and Beyond, Nooses Return as a Symbol of Hate  —  When he reached his third-story workstation at a construction site near Pittsburgh two weeks ago, Errol Madyun saw the noose — thick, neatly knotted and strong enough to hang a man.  —  "It was intimidating," said Madyun, a black ironworker.

Five Card Dud  —  It is nearly incomprehensible to me, but after months and months of haranguing the Democratic leadership to force the Republicans to stage a real filibuster and stand on the floor of the Senate reading the phone book and re-enacting Miss Mellie's death scene from …