Burris confirms request for Blagojevich donation  —  SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Raising fresh questions about his appointment to Congress, Sen. Roland Burris admitted in a document released Saturday that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother asked him for campaign fundraising help before the governor named Burris as Illinois' junior senator.

China Is at the Heart of Clinton's First Trip  —  Bush Solidified Relations; Now the Obama White House Will Push for Broader Cooperation  —  When Hillary Rodham Clinton was running for president last year, she raised eyebrows in foreign policy circles — especially in Japan …

Obama warned over ‘welfare spendathon’  —  The new administration's economic stimulus plan may undo reforms that cut the dole queues, critics say  —  RONALD REAGAN started it, Bill Clinton finished it and last week Barack Obama was accused of engineering its destruction.

A Torture Report Could Spell Big Trouble For Bush Lawyers  —  From the magazine issue dated Feb 23, 2009  —  An internal Justice Department report on the conduct of senior lawyers who approved waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics is causing anxiety among former Bush administration officials.

'Lieberman weakens Israel's cause in US'  —  Former administration officials and American Jewish leaders are warning that the rise of Avigdor Lieberman could hurt Israel's image in the US, particularly if he is given a top portfolio or his positions on Israeli Arabs become government policy.

U.S. Military Will Offer Path to Citizenship  —  Stretched thin in Afghanistan and Iraq, the American military will begin recruiting skilled immigrants who are living in this country with temporary visas, offering them the chance to become United States citizens in as little as six months.

Federal obligations exceed world GDP  —  Does $65.5 trillion terrify anyone yet?  —  As the Obama administration pushes through Congress its $800 billion deficit-spending economic stimulus plan, the American public is largely unaware that the true deficit of the federal government already …

In Gingrich Mold, a New Voice for Solid Resistance in G.O.P.  —  WASHINGTON — The last time Congressional Republicans were this out of power, they turned to a college professor from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, to lead the opposition, first against President Bill Clinton in a budget battle in 1993 …

Inquiry on Graft in Iraq Focuses on U.S. Officers  —  Federal authorities examining the early, chaotic days of the $125 billion American-led effort to rebuild Iraq have significantly broadened their inquiry to include senior American military officers who oversaw the program …

Obama planning ambitious road ahead  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — Fresh off victory on President Obama's signature $787 billion economic recovery plan, several top White House aides say they're planning an ambitious agenda for the rest of February.  —  The Senate had waited for the return …

Case May Alter Judge Elections Across Country  —  MATEWAN, W.Va. — Don L. Blankenship, the chief executive of the nation's fourth-biggest coal mining company, is not shy about putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to West Virginia politics.  —  In 2004, he spent $3 million …

An Eternal Optimist — But Not A Sap  —  THE COMMON THEME OF OBAMA'S EARLY EFFORTS HAS BEEN THE SOLIDITY OF HIS GOALS, AND THE PLIABILITY OF HIS MEANS FOR ACHIEVING THEM.  —  After the trials and triumphs of his tumultuous first weeks, President Obama appears increasingly focused on ends, not means.