Clintons Move to Tamp Down Criticism From Blacks About Recent Comments  —  WASHINGTON — The Clinton campaign moved Friday to try to quell a potentially damaging reaction to recent comments by Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton that have drawn criticism from African-Americans …

Iraq to reinstate Saddam party followers  —  BAGHDAD - Iraq's parliament voted Saturday to allow some former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to reclaim government jobs and said others could receive pensions but could not return to work.  President Bush said the legislation was “an important step toward reconciliation.”

‘Filipino Monkey’ may be behind radio threats, ship drivers say  —  The threatening radio transmission heard at the end of a video showing harassing maneuvers by Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz may have come from a locally famous heckler known among ship drivers as the “Filipino Monkey.”

Blumenthal On the Boil  —  Sidney Blumenthal plays hardball.  A longtime confidante and adviser to the Clintons, he has zealously defended them through any number of scandal investigations.  Along the way, Blumenthal has shown an affinity for the sharp counterattack.

Baghdad Embassy Is Called A Fire Risk  —  ‘Serious’ Problems Were Ignored, Says State Dept. Official  —  The firefighting system in the massive $736 million embassy complex in Baghdad has potential safety problems that top U.S. officials dismissed in their rush to declare construction largely completed …

Bush and Congress Seen Pushing for Stimulus Plan  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration and Congressional leaders, increasingly concerned about a possible recession, are moving closer to agreeing that an economic stimulus package is needed soon, Washington officials said Friday.

Joe Won't Be The Veep Pick For McCain  —  Unlike in the 2004 campaign, when a still-angry McCain allowed rumors of a second-slot deal with John Kerry to percolate just a little before denying them, the McCain campaign wants to scotch rumors of a similar deal with Senator Joe Lieberman.

U.S. appeals court dismisses Guantanamo torture suit  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday that four former Guantanamo prisoners, all British citizens, have no right to sue top Pentagon officials and military officers for torture, abuse and violations of their religious rights.

George in Jihadland  —  US President George W. Bush arrived in Israel at the start of an eight-day tour of the Middle East at an interesting moment.  In the lead-up to his trip, enemy forces, of both the terrorist and statxe variety, clarified their strategic outlook and the scope of their ambitions.

Up in the air  —  America wants change; it just can't work out what sort of change  —  IF A week is famously a long time in British politics, five days can be an eternity in America.  On January 3rd Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton by roughly 17,000 votes, out of around 220,000 cast …