Pat Robertson Endorses Rudy: Deems Him 'More Than Acceptable to People of Faith'  —  Pat Robertson, one of the most influential figures in the social conservative movement, announced his support for Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid this morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. [Watch the video below]

Election 2008: New Hampshire Democratic Primary  —  New Hampshire: Clinton Lead Shrinks to 10 Points  —  Senator Hillary Clinton's lead in the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire Primary has fallen to its lowest level of the season.  —  The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone poll …

Thanks and Praise  —  Thanks and Praise: I photographed men and women, both Christians and Muslims, placing a cross atop the St. John's Church in Baghdad.  They had taken the cross from storage and a man washed it before carrying it up to the dome.  —  A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from …

Good as Gold  —  Kevin Drum calls Ron Paul a "fruitcake" and demands that you—yes, you!—stop taking him so damn seriously. … Dean Barnett trods some of the same territory, arguing that Paul is a crazy candidate for crazy people who won't run on sensible ideas like doubling Gitmo and moving …

Girl gets detention for hugging  —  Illinois middle school bans public displays of affection; parents urge change  —  MASCOUTAH, Ill. - Two hugs equals two days of detention for 13-year-old Megan Coulter.  —  The eighth-grader was punished for violating a school policy banning public displays …

'All modern discoveries are by Muslim scientists'  —  LAHORE: Muslim scientists have made all discoveries of the current age, said University of Columbia's Arabic and Islamic Studies prof George Saliba at a seminar at the Government College University (GCU) on Monday.

In Pakistan, Echoes of Iran  —  JERUSALEM — As we struggle to make sense of the current political crisis in Pakistan, it's useful to think back nearly 30 years to the wave of protests that toppled the shah of Iran and culminated in the Islamic Republic — a revolutionary earthquake whose tremors are still shaking the Middle East.

ENDA passes the House.  —  The House passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed this evening with a 235-184 vote.  Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), on the verge of tears, one of two openly gay members of the House, delivered an emotional speech denouncing the efforts of conservatives …

Ex-Navy Instructor Promises to Hit Back If Attacked on Torture  —  Malcolm Nance, good-spirited though he is, is a pugnacious guy.  Nearly 20 years' service in the Navy, including time instructing would-be Navy SEALs how to resist and survive torture if captured.  Intelligence and counterterrorism expert.

Court strikes down Jan. 15 primary  —  Voter participation lists called unconstitutional  —  Michigan's star-crossed bid to leap to the head of the presidential primary nominating process appeared to go up in smoke Wednesday as an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled that a provision …

U.S. Prosecutors to Seek Charges Against Kerik  —  Federal prosecutors are scheduled to seek a grand jury indictment on Thursday of Bernard B. Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, on a list of charges that include tax fraud, corruption and conspiracy counts, according to people who have been briefed on the case.

Countdown: Impeachment Impediment  —  Keith Olbermann brings my favorite talking head, Air America's Rachel Maddow, to discuss the fumbling and cowardly manner in which Dennis Kucinich's motion to impeach Dick Cheney was handled yesterday. … I know from the contents of my email inbox …

Democrats and Waterboarding  —  The party will lose the presidential race if it defines itself as soft on terror.  —  I recently had occasion to discuss the Bush administration's war on terrorism with one of the highest ranking former officials responsible for planning that war.

Gunmen open fire on Venezuelan protesters  —  CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Gunmen opened fire on students, killing at least one, as they were returning from a march Wednesday at which 80,000 people denounced President Hugo Chavez's attempts to expand his power.  —  At least one person was killed and six were wounded, officials said.

Minuteman's high-tech border barrier called 'a cow fence'  —  COCHISE COUNTY, Arizona (CNN) — It was supposed to be 14 feet high and topped with razor wire.  It was also supposed to send a message to Washington that if the government wouldn't seal off the southern border, volunteers could.