Bill Clinton, on 'Charlie Rose' Show, Suggests Obama Not Ready — And Would Be a 'Miracle' If Hillary Won Iowa  —  NEW YORK In a surprisingly frank interview with Charlie Rose on his PBS show late Friday night, former President Bill Clinton declared that his wife was not only far better prepared …

Huckabee Sees WH 'Bunker Mentality'  —  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Mike Huckabee, who has joked about his lack of foreign policy experience, is criticizing the Bush administration's efforts, denouncing a go-it-alone "arrogant bunker mentality" and questioning decisions on Iraq.

Congresswoman Julia Carson dies  —  U.S. Rep. Julia Carson died at home this morning following a battle with lung cancer.  She was 69.  —  Carson's death comes just weeks after she announced the cancer, which she had beaten before, was back with "terminal vengeance."

Videotape shows Sharpton cutting a deal  —  With a hidden FBI camera rolling inside a New York hotel suite in 2003, an unsuspecting Rev. Al Sharpton, Democratic candidate for president, spoke candidly.  —  Sharpton offered to help Philadelphia fund-raiser Ronald A. White win …

IS ROMNEY BECOMING THE CHOICE OF MAINSTREAM CONSERVATIVES?  —  Judge Robert Bork has endorsed Mitt Romney for president.  He explains: … As much as conservatives respect Judge Bork, his endorsement is less significant as guidance for undecided conservatives than as evidence of how undecided …

The Perils of Huckaplomacy  —  Don't know much about foreign policy.  —  Just moments into the third Republican presidential debate, last June 5, CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee about Iraq.  "Governor Huckabee, do you have confidence in the government of Iraq …

Huckabee Rips Bush Foreign Policy, Calls It "Arrogant"  —  It's been interesting to see Huckabee rise in the polls despite the utter contempt in which the corporatist Republican Party establishment holds him.  Now he aims to alienate the very serious neocon wing of the party as well.

Catching Up With the Complaints  —  Does the ombudsman sometimes procrastinate on complaints?  Sure.  Here are a couple of examples:  —  Several Rush Limbaugh fans complained about an Oct. 20 Style story by Neely Tucker about a dust-up between conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh …

Justice Dept.: Back off on CIA tapes  —  WASHINGTON - The controversy over destroyed CIA interrogation tapes is shaping up as a turf battle involving the courts, Congress and the White House, with the Bush administration telling its constitutional coequals to stay out of the investigation.

Control sought on military lawyers  —  Bush wants power over promotions  —  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is pushing to take control of the promotions of military lawyers, escalating a conflict over the independence of uniformed attorneys who have repeatedly raised objections …

Wider Spying Fuels Aid Plan for Telecom Industry  —  WASHINGTON — For months, the Bush administration has waged a high-profile campaign, including personal lobbying by President Bush and closed-door briefings by top officials, to persuade Congress to pass legislation protecting companies …

Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster  —  The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows.