A Blow to Bush's Tehran Policy  —  » ANALYSIS |  President Bush got the world's attention this fall when he warned that a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III.  But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran …

As Iowa Race Tightens, Clinton Decides the Best Defense Is a Good Offense  —  Just two months ago, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York appeared to have turned a corner in Iowa.  Now, as the race here enters its final month, she is once again fighting to fend off concerns that have dogged …

Vulnerable Democrats See Fates Tied to Clinton  —  MANHATTAN, Kan. — Nancy Boyda, a Democrat who ran for Congress in this district last year, owed her upset victory partly to the popularity of the Democratic woman at the top of the ticket: Kathleen Sebelius, who won the governor's seat.

Senate Aide In Kiddie Sex Bust  —  FBI: Staffer for Sen. Maria Cantwell sought tryst with boy  —  A U.S. Senate aide was arrested Friday after allegedly arranging a lunchtime sexual encounter with a teenage boy, according to federal court records.  James McHaney, 28, was nabbed by FBI agents …

Mike Huckabee rise in Iowa great news for...Rudy Giuliani?  —  DES MOINES - Rudy Giuliani could use some good news, and Mike Huckabee's amazing surge in Iowa from long shot to first place this week could be an early Christmas gift.  —  Anything that hurts his main rival for the GOP nod, Mitt Romney, is good for Giuliani.

Standing in the Way of Stem Cell Research  —  A new way to trick skin cells into acting like embryos changes both everything and nothing at all.  Being able to reprogram skin cells into multipurpose stem cells without harming embryos launches an exciting new line of research.

Hyping Hate Crime Vs. Muslims  —  Discrimination: New FBI data on hate crimes reveal Muslim groups are crying wolf about exploding anti-Muslim abuses.  They're actually shrinking, belying claims of mass Islamophobia.  —  Not only are anti-Islamic hate crimes way down, but they're a fraction of overall religious hate crimes.

Sen. John McCain & Sen. Joe Lieberman: It's inexcusable for Congress not to fund troops in Iraq  —  HAVING SPENT much of the past year mired in legislative trench warfare over Iraq, advocates in Congress seeking a mandatory withdrawal of troops are now refusing to pass funding for our forces deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Democratic-leaning PAC attacks Hillary  —  Here's a first look at the first independent Democratic television attack ad of the cycle.  —  It's a shot at Hillary Clinton from Democratic Courage, an independent, left-leaning group I wrote about earlier this fall.

Giuliani's Firm Lobbied for Bill Considered Threat  —  Although Rudolph W. Giuliani is campaigning as President Bush's staunch ally in the war on terror, his law office has lobbied Congress on behalf of legislation that the Bush administration calls a threat to antiterrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa.

Challenging the cult of Mumia Abu-Jamal  —  Over the years, I've tracked Mumia Chic-the Left's deranged worship of convicted Death Row murderer Mumia Abu Jamal that has spread from Philly to St. Denis, France and points in between.  This December 9th marks the 25th anniversary of the brutal murder …

A lovely fascist fable, just in time for Christmas Tom Smith  —  A lovely fascist fable, just in time for Christmas  —  I read The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife as well.  I would have read The Amber Spyglass, but some kid filched my copy.  The Golden Compass has now been made into a move coming …

The latest turnabout  —  The decision to reduce the charges against Bell was the latest turnabout for Walters, who had vowed to aggressively prosecute the six black youths for their alleged roles in assaulting Justin Barker at Jena High School on Dec. 4, 2006, and kicking him while he lay unconscious.