Michelle Obama Looks for a New Introduction  —  Michelle Obama's eyes flicker tentatively even as she offers a trained smile.  As her campaign plane arcs over the Flathead Range in Montana, she is asked to consider her complicated public image.  —  Conservative columnists accuse …

Bush Will Seek to End Offshore Oil Drilling Ban  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush, reversing a longstanding position, will call on Congress on Wednesday to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, according to White House officials who say Mr. Bush now wants to work with states to determine where drilling should occur.

Hey, Associated Press: You owe me at least $132,125!  —  The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press's heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious.  Now, it's time to turn the tables.  If your blog or blog commenters …

Documents confirm U.S. hid detainees from Red Cross  —  WASHINGTON — The U.S. military hid the locations of suspected terrorist detainees and concealed harsh treatment to avoid the scrutiny of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to documents that a Senate committee released Tuesday.

Reuters/Zogby Poll: Obama Leads McCain, But Wins No Big Bounce  —  Defeating Hillary Clinton and locking up the Democratic Party nomination fails to propel Obama forward  —  UTICA, New York - Democrat Barack Obama holds an edge over Republican John McCain in the race for U.S. President …

Obama advisers say bin Laden can appeal to U.S. courts  —  WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Barack Obama's foreign policy advisers said Tuesday that Osama bin Laden, if captured, should be allowed to appeal his case to U.S. civilian courts, a privilege opposed by John McCain.

Mr. Bush v. the Bill of Rights  —  In the waning months of his tenure, President Bush and his allies are once again trying to scare Congress into expanding the president's powers to spy on Americans without a court order.  —  This week, the White House and Democratic and Republican leaders …

Vulgarian at the Gate  —  In the razor-close and nationally important Senate race in Minnesota, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is presented with a unique political problem.  Should he raise in his ads the issue of comedian Al Franken's offensive vulgarity?

Easing of laws that led to detainee abuse hatched in secret  —  WASHINGTON — The framework under which detainees were imprisoned for years without charges at Guantanamo and in many cases abused in Afghanistan wasn't the product of American military policy or the fault of a few rogue soldiers.

Mr. Zebari's Message  —  SEN. BARACK OBAMA told Iraq's foreign minister this week that he plans to visit the country between now and the presidential election.  We think that's a good thing, not because Sen. John McCain has been prodding the candidate to do it but because it will give …

Obama's Shifting Positions on Iraq: A Rezko Connection?  —  The time line of Obama's flip-flops on Iraq just happens to correlate to his friend's business dealings in that country.  —  Barack Obama's position on Iraq has shifted significantly over the last six years.

Clinton takes month off  —  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is taking a month off from Congress to recuperate after her marathon run for the presidency.  —  She is not expected to return to the Senate until July 7 or July 8 after the Independence Day recess, according to two Democratic sources.

A Disconnect  —  What Obama promises.  How Washington really works.  —  I went to a party last Sunday night given by a friend, a well-known journalist, who is well connected in Washington and friends with various movers and shakers, particularly in the legal world.