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.

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 …

McCain picks up $1 million in New York cash  —  Fort Walton Beach, Fla. - Armed with a contingent of high profile veterans and former prisoners of war, Sen. John McCain hammered home his core message of keeping the nation safe from terrorism as he wooed voters in this heavily military region …

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.]

Will the Democratic presidential candidates adhere to their rhetoric?  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  Time's Massimo Calabresi predicts the likely outcome of the imminent FISA and telecom immunity fight, to begin this week or next: … Here we have a perfect expression …

‘Stormin’ Norman' Schwarzkopf goes for McCain  —  Orlando, Fla. - One of Florida's most famous military men, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, has put his weight behind Sen. John McCain's bid for the presidency today.  —  “Stormin' Norman” Schwarzkopf, a retired four-star general who was commander …

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) …

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” …

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.

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 …

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.

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.)

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 …

Found in Translation  —  FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds spills her secrets.  —  Most Americans have never heard of Sibel Edmonds, and if the U.S. government has its way, they never will.  The former FBI translator turned whistleblower tells a chilling story of corruption at Washington's highest levels …

How to Stop the Downturn  —  AMERICA'S economy is headed for a major slowdown.  Whether there is a recession (two quarters of negative growth) is less important than the fact that the economy will operate well below its potential, and unemployment will grow.