Pardon Me?  —  Hillary Clinton Takes Cash From Recipients of Husband's Controversial Pardons  —  Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., speaks about her health care policy on Sept. 18, 2007.  An examination of Clinton's fundraising donors reveals three donors …

Karl Rove's New Gig  —  Less than three months after leaving the Bush White House, Karl Rove is becoming a member of a community not all that popular with administration officials: the media.  —  Newsweek has signed the president's former deputy chief of staff as a commentator who will turn …

Saudi punishes gang rape victim with 200 lashes  —  A court in the ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia is punishing a female victim of gang rape with 200 lashes and six months in jail, a newspaper reported on Thursday.  —  The 19-year-old woman — whose six armed attackers …

Americans Widely Disappointed With Democrats in Congress  —  Majority more displeased than content with handling of seven issues  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Amidst a swirl of public dissatisfaction about the Iraq war, the economy, government corruption, and with President Bush more generally …

Iraqis Wasting An Opportunity, U.S. Officers Say  —  With Attacks Ebbing, Government Is Urged to Reach Out to Opponents  —  CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — Senior military commanders here now portray the intransigence of Iraq's Shiite-dominated government as the key threat facing the U.S. effort in Iraq …

The Icebergs Ahead For the Democrats  —  As the Democratic presidential race finally gets down to brass tacks, two issues are becoming paramount.  But only one of them is clearly on the table.  —  That is the issue of illegal immigration.  A very smart Democrat, a veteran of the Clinton administration …

Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women  —  SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.  —  Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say …

"Chances I Had"  —  Script  —  My parents weren't rich.  My father left me when I was very young.  —  The one thing I was able to get was a great education.  —  We should give every child the same chances that I had.  —  By investing in early childhood education and recruiting a whole new generation of teachers.

Goodbye, Mr. Bush  —  The Republican will to power remains ferocious.  It will take a dauntless Democratic leader to win back the White House and restore dignity to the Constitution.  —  Editor's note: Sidney Blumenthal is joining the Hillary Clinton campaign as a senior advisor, and this is his last column for Salon.

New Attorney General opposes changes to wiretap law  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — In his second day on the job, Attorney General Michael Mukasey leaped into the political fray, telling a key Democratic senator he opposes his electronic surveillance plan and would recommend the president veto it if it is passed.