First a Tense Talk With Clinton, Then Richardson Backs Obama  —  PORTLAND, Ore. — “I talked to Senator Clinton last night,” Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico said on Friday, describing the tense telephone call in which he informed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton that, despite two months …

White House: Computer hard drives tossed  —  WASHINGTON - Older White House computer hard drives have been destroyed, the White House disclosed to a federal court Friday in a controversy over millions of possibly missing e-mails from 2003 to 2005.  —  The White House revealed new information …

Obama Speech Grades: 51% Good or Excellent, 26% Fair, 21% Poor  —  Eighty-four percent (84%) of America's Likely Voters say they have seen or heard at least some portion of Barack Obama's Tuesday morning speech on race and national unity (see Speech).  The speech has become …

Mayhem At Fox News: Anchor Walks Off Set, Wallace Rails Network For “Obama-Bashing”  —  Fox News' very own anchors are speaking out — and walking off — over what they perceive to be “Obama-bashing” on their network.  —  This morning on “Fox and Friends,” Brian Kilmeade walked off the set …

American Public Says Government Leaders Should Pay Attention to Polls  —  Eight in Ten Say Public Should Have Greater Influence on Government  —  In sharp contrast to views recently expressed by Vice President Cheney, a new poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe government leaders …

Bush Vows to Prevent Iran From Acquiring Nuclear Arms  —  President Says Tehran Wants to ‘Destroy People;’ Cannot Be Trusted to Enrich Uranium  —  President Bush said the Iranian government has “declared they want to have a nuclear weapon to destroy people” and vowed that the United States would be …

A Catered Affair  —  Back in 1881, when U.S. Senator Thomas Platt of New York was visiting Albany, word went around the State Capitol that he had rented a hotel room for a tryst.  According to The Albany Argus, Platt's political enemies quickly got hold of the adjoining room, brought in …

Henley Everywhere 2008alt.  —  The following appeared this week in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate and The New Yorker in a parallel universe . . .  How I Got It Right: Looking Back at a Time of Justified Opposition to a Mad, Violent Enterprise

“Bachelor” On Hunt For Human Remains  —  Former “Bachelor” bachelor Andy Baldwin just got back from the island of Palau in the South Pacific — not on vacation, on a mission with the Navy.  Now let's talk about why we the taxpayers are footing the bill on such BS.

FDR's “indiscretions,” McCain's “gaffe,” etc.  —  The silver linings in any scandal, or so THE SCRAPBOOK has learned, are the more-in-sorrow-than-anger essays by friends and admirers of the person who's been caught with his hand in the till or sneaking out of the bedroom.

Why Is Barack Obama Afraid of Decriminalization?  —  fYesterday I noted that the New Hampshire House of Representatives has voted to decriminalize possession of up to a quarter ounce of marijuana.  (You can read more about that bill at the website of the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy.)

On Visit, Pelosi Offers Support to Dalai Lama  —  DHARAMSALA, India — As far as visits by American politicians go, it would be hard to stage a warmer reception.  —  Buddhist nuns waved American flags and the Dalai Lama ordered his followers to offer a standing ovation Friday morning as Nancy Pelosi …