Publisher: McClellan doesn't believe Bush lied  —  Spokesman 'did not intend to suggest' the president purposely misled him  —  President George W. Bush listens as his Press Secretary, Scott McClellan, announces his resignation at the White House April 19, 2006 in Washington, DC.  —  Video

Candidates slam Saudi rape verdict  —  (CNN) — U.S. presidential candidates Wednesday condemned Saudi justice after a rape victim was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail.  —  Calling the decision "an outrage," Sen. Hillary Clinton urged President Bush to protest the decision to the Saudi authorities.

The Two-Man Republican Race  —  Rudy Giuliani has either stalled or fallen some in the polls over the last month, and questions are being raised about his campaign's "theory of the race" — which is, basically, that he can successfully wait to win a state until Florida's primary on January 29 …

She's No Morgenthau  —  Most of the time, Barack Obama seems like he's boxing in the wrong weight class.  But Monday in Fort Dodge, Iowa, he delivered an unscripted jab that was a beaut.  —  At a news conference, the Illinois senator was asked about Hillary Clinton's attack on his qualifications.

Ex-Iraq commander says bring troops home  —  WASHINGTON - Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top commander in Iraq shortly after the fall of Baghdad, said this week he supports Democratic legislation that calls for most troops to come home within a year.

The New Willie Horton?  Not Quite  —  Mitt Romney has had a tough week.  Just days after someone push-polled Iowans in an ugly display of bigotry, a new attack has floated into the blogosphere regarding Romney's judicial nominations as Governor in Massachusetts.

Latest Column  —  Let the games begin.  —  As for FISA:  —  1. The bipartisan bill that was being negotiated by House Intelligence Committee members probably would have won a veto-proof majority, and would have included the most crucial civil liberties protections—the "minimization" …

Immigrant Paperwork Backs Up At DHS  —  Delays May Deny Vote to Hundreds Of Thousands  —  The Department of Homeland Security failed to prepare for a massive influx of applications for U.S. citizenship and other immigration benefits this summer, prompting complaints from Hispanic leaders …

Ron Paul Courts 9-11 Troofers on Alex Jones Show...Again  —  Apparently, America's greatest patriot was on Loonwaffle/Trooferville's favorite radio show today with the King Nutbar himself, although I'm not sure if anyone grabbed audio.  —  If you want to listen to the rebroadcast stream, go here.

Resurgent Taliban closing in on Kabul: report  —  LONDON (Reuters) - The conflict in Afghanistan has reached "crisis proportions," with the resurgent Taliban present in more than half the country and closing in on Kabul, a report said on Wednesday.  —  If NATO, the lead force operating in Afghanistan …

US reports 'phenomenal' drop in Iraq violence  —  By Stephen Fidler in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington  —  Violence in Iraq has fallen at a rate that has surprised military commanders and even one of the architects of the "surge" that boosted US troop numbers in the country this year …

John Bolton On Hardball: "I'm Not A Neoconservative"  —  On Wednesday's Hardball Chris Matthews talked with right wing warmonger and former U.N. Ambassador, John Bolton, and Middle East expert, Jo-Anne Hart, about a possible U.S. invasion of Iran.  Matthews is normally all over the place …

Former AG Alberto Gonzales heckled at speaking appearance  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - As he steps out on a speech-giving tour at college campuses, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may soon wish he was still talking to hostile congressional committees.  —  Gonzales, who resigned under fire …

Russian opposition election candidate shot  —  MOSCOW (Reuters) - An opposition politician running in Russian parliamentary elections was shot and seriously wounded on Wednesday as he entered his house in the southern Russian region of Dagestan, Russian media reported.

The United Nations is Always Right  —  Last week, the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, issued a new warning on global warming that began with this sentence: "We all agree.  Climate change is real, and we humans are its chief cause ... we are on the verge of a catastrophe if we do not act."