Cat Fight Hisses in Republican Presidential Primary Debate  —  WASHINGTON — The claws were out Sunday night as the GOP presidential candidates went for each other's jugulars trying to prove to Republican base voters that each is the most conservative candidate in the race for the White House.

Clinton Finds Way to Play Along With Drudge  —  As Senator Barack Obama prepared to give a major speech on Iraq one morning a few weeks ago, a flashing red-siren alert went up on the Drudge Report Web site.  It read, "Queen of the Quarter: Hillary Crushes Obama in Surprise Fund-Raising Surge …

'Meet the Press' transcript for Oct. 21, 2007  —  Stephen Colbert, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Kate O'Beirne, Sally Bedell Smith, Judy Woodruff  —  MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: Barack Obama challenges Hillary Clinton on the Iraq war.  —  SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) …

Winds drive Southland wildfires  —  At least 39 homes lost, 1 killed as region remains at risk from Santa Anas  —  Thousands of Southern California homes could be at risk in coming days as powerful Santa Ana winds continue to stoke wildfires, fire officials said.

Half Of Likely Voters Would "Never" Vote For Hillary  —  Yikes...  It gets worse.  This latest poll indicates an increase in the number of people who say they won't vote for her, and among older age demographics (who vote in much higher numbers than younger demographics) she's even more disliked.

Key Clinton Backer Rips Giuliani's Personal Life  —  Rep. Charles Rangel Apparently Refers to Giuliani as a 'Cheating Goddamn Husband'  —  Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., the dean of the New York congressional delegation, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, longtime political booster …

Say What You Like, Just Don't Say It Here  —  The American commitment to free speech is the most robust in the world.  But these days that tolerance stops at the border.  —  Two cases pending in federal court in Manhattan will soon test how far the government can go in keeping Americans safe …

Polish Premier Is Routed, Polls Show  —  Voters appeared to have ousted the prime minister, one half of Poland's wonder-twin team, in parliamentary elections on Sunday.  The challenger, Donald Tusk, declared victory for his pro-business party, Civic Platform.

Vice President's Remarks to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy  —  VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Thank you very much, Roger.  Thanks for the kind words, and thank all of you for the welcome this morning.  I've been looking forward to have the opportunity to join the conference.

Warning over oil production decline  —  World oil production has already peaked and will fall by half as soon as 2030, according to a report which also warns that extreme shortages of fossil fuels will lead to wars and social breakdown.  —  The German-based Energy Watch Group will release …

U.S. Planners See Shiite Militias as Rising Threat  —  Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker have concluded that Shiite extremists pose a rising threat to the U.S. effort in Iraq, as the relative influence of Sunni insurgent groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq has diminished drastically because of ongoing U.S. operations.

Soldier's children die in accident on way to Army hospital  —  hyan@dallasnews.com  —  Army Spc. John Austin Johnson seemed to have a gift for evading tragedy.  —  During two years in Iraq, the soldier from Fort Bliss, in West Texas, survived five improvised explosive device blasts and several grenade attacks.

At the Poles, Melting Occurring at Alarming Rate  —  For scientists, global warming is a disaster movie, its opening scenes set at the poles of Earth.  The epic already has started.  And it's not fiction.  —  The scenes are playing, at the start, in slow motion: The relentless grip …

Valerie Plame On 60 Minutes: "The President Is Not A Man Of His Word"  —  Outed CIA covert operative Valerie Plame Wilson and her husband, Joe Wilson, gave an interview to Katie Couric on 60 Minutes.  In the first segment, Plame Wilson spoke frankly about being betrayed by this administration …

Kurds From Iraq Kill 17 Soldiers in Turkey  —  U.S. Reports 49 Fighters Dead in Sadr City Raid; Residents, Officials Say Victims Are All Civilians  —  An audacious cross-border ambush by Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq killed at least 17 Turkish soldiers Sunday, ratcheting up pressure …

Gonzales could be prosecuted, McKay says  —  The U.S. Inspector General may recommend criminal prosecution of departed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales at the conclusion of an investigation, possibly as early as next month, the fired former U.S. attorney for Western Washington told a Spokane audience Friday.

AMSTERDAM IS A RIOT: VIOLENCE ROCKS IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOODS  —  PJM Groningen: Unrest in the Moroccan neighborhoods of Amsterdam have many fearing that the chronic violence that rocked the Paris suburbs will spread to the Netherlands.  If the Dutch police don't get much tougher much faster …