Study: False statements preceded war  —  WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Is McCain Inevitable?  —  James Madison had nothing to do with the Republican nomination system.  Nevertheless, it bears his imprint.  Madisonianism is deeply ingrained in the American political consciousness.  When we invent new political institutions, as both parties did in the 1970s …

Schwarzkopf to endorse McCain  —  Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the heavily decorated Gulf War commander, will endorse Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Wednesday, a Republican source said.  —  McCain is stumping in Florida and Schwarzkopf is in Colorado.  But the general is likely to appear on the campaign trail with McCain soon.

Bush, Lawmakers Are Close to Deal on Stimulus Package  —  President Bush and congressional leaders moved closer to agreeing on a compromise economic rescue package yesterday, fending off fresh protests from both the right and the left as they rushed to respond to a cascading series …

The blog swarm Chris Matthews never saw coming  —  “I get it."  — Chris Matthews, January 17  —  When Chris Matthews' long-winded monologue at the opening of the January 17 Hardball program eventually touched down with an apology to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) …

Clinton Now Looking Beyond S.C.  —  Focus on 4 Delegate-Rich States Is Considered Risky  —  The next Democratic presidential nominating contest will take place in South Carolina on Saturday, but Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has already turned her full attention to places such as this …

The Death of Heath Ledger  —  The actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday afternoon in an apartment in Manhattan, according to the New York City police.  Signs pointed to a suicide or an accidental overdose, police sources said.  Mr. Ledger was 28.  [Now online: Comprehensive coverage prepared for Wednesday editions of The Times.]

Afghan Journalist Sentenced to Death  —  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan court on Tuesday sentenced a 23-year-old journalism student to death for distributing a paper he printed off the Internet that three judges said violated the tenets of Islam, an official said.

Might Google Buy the New York Times?  —  The choice for the family would be basically this: double your money or double down on “young Arthur,” as the NYT's Chairman and CEO is sometimes called.  In the back of their minds, the prospect of doubling down on “young Arthur” …

Wow[UPDATE: Not A Big Wow] - Tuesday, January 22, 2008 @ 11:10:28 PM  —  McCain, according to this, leads in California 41% to 17% for Romney, Rudy at 13% and Huckabee at 10%.  What?!  Yeah, I read it a few times to make sure I had it right.  (SurveyUSA by the way was very accurate on SC.)

Obama's Clinton Education  —  One of our favorite Bill Clinton anecdotes involves a confrontation he had with Bob Dole in the Oval Office after the 1996 election.  Mr. Dole protested Mr. Clinton's attack ads claiming the Republican wanted to harm Medicare, but the President merely smiled …

Has Bush lost his spine on earmarks?  —  WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Public anger over earmarks cost Republicans their majority in Congress in 2006, but Democrats have proven themselves equally incapable of getting rid of outrages like the Bridge to Nowhere.  More than 11,700 earmarks …

With Thompson Out, Who Benefits Most?  —  The decision by former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson to end his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination removes a conservative voice from the field even as the remaining Republican candidates crisscross Florida in search of votes in advance of the state's Jan. 29 primary.

Worries That the Good Times Were Mostly a Mirage  —  So, how bad could this get?  —  Until a few months ago, it was accepted wisdom that the American economy functioned far more smoothly than in the past.  Economic expansions lasted longer, and recessions were both shorter and milder.

Clinton-Obama Slugfest  —  Who lands a clean punch?  Edwards was there, too.  —  In one of the liveliest debates of the 2008 presidential campaign, the three top Democrats slugged it out in Myrtle Beach, S.C. We noted some low blows:  — Clinton falsely accused Obama of saying he …