Democrats zero for 40 on Iraq  —  As the congressional session lurches toward a close, Democrats are confronting some demoralizing arithmetic on Iraq.  —  The numbers tell a story of political and substantive paralysis more starkly than most members are willing to acknowledge publicly, or perhaps even to themselves.

Voters dismiss 'piling on' charge  —  Most Americans reject the charge that other presidential candidates are "piling on" Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a new Fox 5/The Washington Times/Rasmussen Reports poll.  —  Only 25 percent of voters said recent criticism …

La. Pol's 'Buckwheat' Remark Sparks Ire  —  HOUMA, La. (AP) — A white state lawmaker in a runoff election called a black civil-rights veteran who had helped her campaign "Buckwheat," prompting the NAACP to urge voters to kick her out of office.  —  Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat …

Student given question to ask Clinton: I just want honesty  —  GRINNELL, Iowa (CNN) — The college student who says she was told what question to ask at one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign events-and whose story in her campus newspaper has now made its way around the world-said Monday that …

'Hidden Costs' Double Price Of Two Wars, Democrats Say  —  The economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, according to a new study by congressional Democrats that estimates the conflicts' "hidden costs"— including higher oil prices …

Righting Reagan's Wrongs?  —  Let's set the record straight on Ronald Reagan's campaign kickoff in 1980.  —  Early one morning in the late spring of 1964, Dr. Carolyn Goodman, her husband, Robert, and their 17-year-old son, David, said goodbye to David's brother, Andrew, who was 20.

Gays should be hanged, says Iranian minister  —  Homosexuals deserve to be executed or tortured and possibly both, an Iranian leader told British MPs during a private meeting at a peace conference, The Times has learnt.  —  Mohsen Yahyavi is the highest-ranked politician to admit …

Methodical style sets Romney apart from GOP rivals  —  HUDSON, N.H. - Mitt Romney made millions in business with meticulous planning, serious salesmanship, and shrewd execution.  As a candidate for president, he is applying the same techniques, courting voters with a tightly mapped strategy …

What Makes a Terrorist  —  It's not poverty and lack of education, according to economic research by Princeton's ALAN KRUEGER.  Look elsewhere.  —  In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, policymakers, scholars, and ordinary citizens asked a key question …

Panel May Cut Sentences For Crack  —  An independent panel is considering reducing the sentences of inmates incarcerated in federal prisons for crack cocaine offenses, which would make thousands of people immediately eligible to be freed.  —  The U.S. Sentencing Commission …

A 'FORGOTTEN' WAR  —  AS IRAQ IMPROVES, COVERAGE DRIES UP  —  LAST weekend's news coverage of our veterans was welcome, but deceptive.  The "mainstream media" honored aging heroes and noted the debt we owe to today's wounded warriors - but deftly avoided in-depth coverage from Iraq.  Why?

McCain asks donors not to contribute to shadow group  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday asked his donors not to contribute any money to a group in South Carolina said to be running ads on his behalf.  —  In a letter to donors, McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis said the Foundation …

Dems profit as 113 campaign donors near $108K cap  —  WASHINGTON — Dozens of donors are nearing the $108,200 cap on federal campaign contributions for the 2008 elections in a sign of the record-breaking cost of the White House race, an analysis conducted for USA TODAY shows.

Self-Reliance for the Good of Others  —  At a time of great difficulty for Republicans, one might think that self-reliance, long a hallmark of the Grand Old Party, would fall out of favor with the American people.  It would be fair to suspect that Americans might look around and …

Military Reporter Recalls Bush's Objections To Iraq Invasion On A Previous Veteran's Day  —  NEW YORK Sig Christenson, a founding member of Military Reporters and Editors who has worked five assignments in Iraq since the war began, reached back some 10 years for a Veteran's Day piece …

Fatah members rounded up in Gaza  —  Hamas says it has rounded up dozens of Fatah activists in Gaza, a day after a huge rally commemorating Yasser Arafat ended in gunfire killing seven people.  —  Witnesses say security forces opened fire on unarmed crowds after the rally turned into a protest …