Largest Iraq Air Assault Since '03 Begins  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — U.S. forces, joined by Iraqi troops, on Thursday launched the largest airborne assault since the U.S.-led invasion, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.  —  The military said the operation …

House rejects spending for birth control  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - An attempt to resume state spending on birth control got shot down Wednesday by House members who argued it would have amounted to an endorsement of promiscuous lifestyles.  —  Missouri stopped providing money for family planning …

Bush: Iran poses biggest challenge  —  President restates first-strike war doctrine  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush reaffirmed his strike-first policy against terrorists and enemy nations on Thursday and said Iran may pose the biggest challenge for the United States.

Cornered rats  —  There is a palpable increase in the level of extremism and desperation among Bush followers as the Commander in Chief's approval ratings fall lower and lower and as the views which Americans have of both him and his party become more hostile.

Hey, Big Spender  —  Should we have known that President Bush would bust the budget?  —  This week's column is a question, a brief one addressed with honest curiosity to Republicans.  It is: When George W. Bush first came on the scene in 2000, did you understand him to be a liberal in terms of spending?

The lesson, my friends...  ...is that no matter what you do, Rush Limbaugh is going to crow about it, Ken Mehlman is going to do a mass-mailing about it, and the American Family Association will launch a boycott over it.  —  And even if you choose to do nothing, all of them will still attack you …

Researcher Will Face Charges in Steele Case  —  Federal prosecutors have decided to bring charges against a Democratic researcher accused of fraudulently obtaining a credit report on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

First Declassified Iraq Documents Released  —  WASHINGTON — The Bush administration Wednesday night released the first declassified documents collected by U.S. intelligence during the Iraq war, showing among other things that Saddam Hussein's regime was monitoring reports that Iraqis and Saudis …

Al Qaeda Threatens U.S. on Video  —  Yesterday we broke the story that a new al Qaeda video was making the jihadi rounds.  Today there is confirmatian.  Yes, we actually break news around here sometimes.  —  The video features 'martyr' Fahd Farraj al-Juwair, the former Emir of Al-Qaeda …

I'm Blue  —  I have uncovered a sinister plot.  —  As I've mentioned, I was in Austin this week.  Cool city— one of those great, Southern college towns where be-baseball-capped frat guys and be-dreaded hippies mostly-happily coexist, though usually at different bars.

Senate Bill Would Override State Health Coverage Rules  —  GOP backers see the legislation as a way for insurers to offer more affordable plans.  Critics say it would undermine treatment protections.  —  WASHINGTON — The battle over healthcare moved to a new front Wednesday …

GOP Seeks Curbs On '527' Groups  —  House Republican leaders proposed changes in lobbying laws yesterday that would include a crackdown on independent, big-money committees that heavily aided Democrats in the 2004 elections.  —  The proposed ethics package would increase the amount …