Political

Election Results

Paris Hilton mocks McCain in spoof ad--The American hotel heiress has thrown her bikini into the presidential campaign with a video in which she declares she's "like, totally ready to lead." Click here for video and article.

Mainstream media finally jump on Edwards' affair--NEW YORK -- The mainstream media's near-silence about a tabloid report that former presidential candidate John Edwards had an extramarital affair with a campaign worker ended abruptly Friday when the cable news networks immediately pounced on the story, broken by the supermarket tabloid National Enquirer last year but largely unaddressed by major news organizations until Edwards' admission. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC all ran extensive coverage of the scandal throughout the afternoon, while the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and the Washington Post immediately posted stories about the controversy on their websites. Click here for article.

NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama keeps lead over McCainWith slightly more than 100 days until the election, the survey provides a glimpse of the challenges facing both presidential candidates. Click here for story.

McCain backs ban on affirmative action in Arizona Presidential candidate John McCain on Sunday endorsed a proposal to ban affirmative action programs in his home state, a policy that Democratic rival Barack Obama called a disappointing embrace of divisive tactics. Click here for article.

President Clinton warns of growing polarization--"Underneath this apparent accommodation to our diversity, we are in fact hunkering down in communities of like-mindedness, and it affects our ability to manage difference," Clinton said. Click here for article.

Poll Finds Obama Isn’t Closing Divide on Race--Americans are sharply divided by race heading into the first election in which an African-American will be a major-party presidential nominee, with blacks and whites holding vastly different views of Senator Barack Obama, the state of race relations and how black Americans are treated by society, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. Click hre for article.

Obama, Clinton appeal for Democratic unity in N.H.--UNITY, N.H. - Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton sought Friday to turn the page on their bitter, history-making fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, declaring the next chapter is about beating Republican John McCain. Click here for article.

Obama, McCain try to pin economic woes on each other--It's the summer of the headache-inducing gas prices, the scary home mortgage crisis and rising food costs - a world of hurt which has brought both the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns this week to the same prime location on the campaign trail: "economy, economy, economy." Click here for article.

Poll: Key Hillary Constituencies Moving Towards Obama--The latest national numbers from Gallup show some startling movement towards Obama among Dems who have been among Hillary's most reliable supporters. Click here for article.

Gore endorses Obama and promises to help him Al Gore announced his endorsement of Barack Obama Monday and promised to help the Democrat achieve what eluded him — the presidency. Click here for article.

Obama: ‘I will be the Democratic nominee for president’-- NBC News: Clinton wins South Dakota, but wave of late-breaking superdelegates, allocation of pledged delegates make Illinois Democrat the first African American to secure a major party's presidential nomination. Click here for article.

CBS News: Obama Clinches Dem Nomination--(CBS/AP) The polls have closed in South Dakota and CBS News estimates Barack Obama has secured the support of enough delegates to the Democratic National Convention to lay claim to the mantle of presumptive nominee. Click here for article.

Clinton wins South Dakota as Obama clinches nomination

Despite Clinton's win in South Dakota, she falls short of the Democratic nomination for president. Her rival, Sen. Barack Obama, secured the nomination earlier in the evening. Click here for article.

Poll: Clinton's Run Opens Doors For Women Click here for article.

Officials say Fla., Mich. delegates will get half-votes -- Democratic Party leaders agreed Saturday seat Michigan and Florida delegates with half votes into this summer's convention with a compromise that left Barack Obama on the verge of the nomination but riled Hillary Rodham Clinton backers who threatened to fight to the August convention. Click here for article.

Obama quits Chicago church after long controversy --Barack Obama said Saturday he has resigned his 20-year membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago "with some sadness" in the aftermath of inflammatory remarks by his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and more recent fiery remarks at the church by a visiting priest. Click here for article.

Sen. Edward Kennedy has cancerous brain tumor-- BOSTON - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor Tuesday in what could be the grim final chapter in a life marked by exhilarating triumph and shattering tragedy. Some experts gave the liberal lion less than a year to live. Click here for article.

Obama near nomination, though Clinton wins Ky.--Barack Obama stepped to the brink of victory in a historic race for the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, moving within 100 delegates of the total needed to claim the top prize at the party convention this summer. Click here for article.

Edwards endorses Obama in move to unify support--Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a move designed to help solidify support for the party's likely presidential nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy. Click here for article.

Hillary Clinton win in West Virginia won't delay inevitable. Click here for article.

West Virginia still Clinton land--A new American Research Group poll shows that Hillary Clinton still holds a commanding lead in West Virginia, even though she's about about to quit the race. Click here for article.

Clinton defeats Obama in Pennsylvania primary -- Hillary Rodham Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary Tuesday night, defeating Barack Obama and staving off elimination in their riveting race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Click here for article.

Party switchers lean toward Obama, exit polls show--Highlights of preliminary exit poll data in the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary Tuesday: Click here for article.

Obama's plan to help disabled Americans--Barack Obama has many plans that correlate to minorities and people with disabilities. His four-part plan for the disabled has really good policies and extremely well formulated proposals. Click here for article.

Bush approval rating hits new low--According to the survey released on Thursday, only 28 percent approve of the overall job Bush is doing. Click here for article.

Florida Democrats Won't Hold Re-Do Primary--(CBS/AP) Facing strong opposition, Florida Democrats on Monday abandoned plans to hold a do-over presidential primary with a mail-in vote and threw the delegate dispute into the lap of the national party. Click here for article.

Michigan "do over" primary plan facing challenge-- Just a day after Florida lawmakers decided not to go ahead with a "do over" primary in the sunshine state, some Democratic leaders in Lansing are balking at a compromise plan for a "do over" primary election in Michigan, too. Click here for article.--

Bush Budget Would Bring Record Deficits--The Pentagon would receive a $36 billion, 8 percent boost for the 2009 budget year beginning Oct. 1, even as programs aimed at the poor would be cut back or eliminated. Half of domestic Cabinet departments would see their budgets cut outright. Click here for more.

McCain is the GOP nominee--John McCain clinched the Republican presidential nomination tonight after strong showings in today's primaries. Click here for article.

McCain beats Romney in Florida GOP race Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida Republican primary Tuesday night, edging past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and seizing precious campaign momentum for next week's string of contests across 21 states. Click here for article.

Rudy and Edwards Dropout

Why Edwards Never Caught On Click here for article.

Rudy ends run; backs McCain Click here for article.

Why the Kennedys Went for Obama-- The campaign had initally booked the arena for a rally, but the news that he would be getting the endorsements of three members of the Kennedy clan there had given it the aura of a historic event. Click here for article.

Why Florida has become a sideshow for the Democrats--But the Florida Democratic primary has been relegated to a "beauty contest" because the Democratic party stripped the state of its delegates. Thus, Florida Democrats may have little impact on who eventually becomes the Democratic nominee. Click here for article.

Obama's Rout Rejiggers the Race--There was only way to describe Barack Obama's victory over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards in South Carolina: It was a rout. Click here for article.

Bush Calls on Congress to Pass Economic Stimulus Legislation; Says Iraq Surge Succeeding. Click here for article.

Fred Thompson quits presidential race Republican Fred Thompson, the actor-politician who attracted more attention as a potential presidential candidate than as a real one, quit the race for the White House on Tuesday after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states. Click here for article.

Kucinich drops out of U.S. presidential race U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich announced on Thursday that he would terminate his second failed bid for the White House. Click here for article.

Today Democratic Senatorial candidate Steve Novick, who has a disability, promised Oregonians that in Congress he would only take a salary equivalent to what members earned in 2000 – refunding the balance back to the Treasury. In taking the pledge, Novick emphasized the symbolic importance of the pay raise issue to reestablishing Congressional credibility on fiscal issues. Click here to see video ad.

Romney, Clinton projected winners in NevadaFormer Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney picked up a win in Nevada's Republican caucus, and Sen. Hillary Clinton edged out rival Sen. Barack Obama in the Silver State's Democratic contest Saturday, according to projections across the news media. Click here for article.

Hillary wins New Hampshire - what just happened? Everyone got it wrong in New Hampshire on Tuesday night - the pollsters, the pundits, the journalists and even the Clinton campaign itself it seems. Click here for article.

N.H. Democrats defied media with Clinton win Click here for article.

Mitt Romney Wins Michigan GOP Primary (CBS/AP) Mitt Romney will won the Michigan Republican primary on Tuesday, with John McCain coming in second and Mike Huckabee in third place. With a win, the former Massachusetts governor is poised to revive his weakened presidential candidacy with a hard-fought victory in his native state. Click here for article.

Republicans Set Sights on Obama Republican presidential contenders duked it out over immigration and taxes on the final day of campaigning before today's New Hampshire primary, but one candidate in particular shifted the focus of the entire group: Democrat Barack Obama. Click here for article.

Richardson dropping out. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power. Click here for article.

Iowa's Caucuses, are finished (Thank God): Huckabee, Obama projected winners in Iowa racesFormer Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won upset victories in Iowa's Republican and Democratic caucuses on Thursday night, U.S. television networks projected, sealing important wins in the first bout in the 2008 presidential election. Click here for article.

More on useless Caucuses: Caucus Activity Results From New Year's Day 2008. Click here for article.

Barack Obama's Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities "We must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination .... policies must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full citizens in their communities." Click here for more.

Democrats Fold on Iraq Funding Again! Again the Democrats in Congress failed to stop the funding for Iraq or to get a timetable in the measure, failing in a vote of 70-25 to fund the war without restrictions. Click here for article.

Poll: Hispanic shift toward Democrats By 57 percent to 23 percent, more Hispanic registered voters say they favor Democrats than Republicans, according to a survey by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. Click here for article.

Bush Administration Credibility Suffers After Iran NIE Report.The new National Intelligence Estimate — which says Iran had a nuclear weapons development program, but halted it in 2003 — made President Bush's week play out like a sad country song. Click here for story.

US Congress Begins Break Amid Funding Battles.The U.S., Congress has begun a two week holiday break with major government funding legislation left unfinished, and amid continuing battles between Democrats and Republicans, and between Democrats and President Bush, over spending on everything from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to important domestic programs. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill. Click here for article.

Calif. Measure Would Split Electoral Votes He wants to stop an initiative that could shake up California politics and send shockwaves through the presidential campaign, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes. Click here for story.

Congress Turns Back Bush’s Veto in a Test of Power. The Senate dealt President Bush the first veto override of his presidency on Thursday, with a resounding bipartisan vote to adopt a $23.2 billion water resources bill that authorizes popular projects across the country. Click here for article.

House passes war bill tied to withdrawal.Bush has promised to veto largely symbolic $50 billion package. Click here for article.

GOP Seeks To Rally On Immigration Issue.On Tuesday, Ogonowski still fell short, but Tsongas's 51 to 45 percent victory was a shocker in a district where both John F. Kerry and Al Gore took 57 percent of the vote, and where liberal Democratic Rep. Martin T. Meehan served comfortably for eight terms. The underwhelming victory of the wife of deceased former senator Paul Tsongas has rekindled Democratic concerns about an immigration issue they had hoped had been put to rest. Click here for article.

Niki Tsongas Wins U.S. House Race.(AP) The widow of 1992 presidential candidate Paul Tsongas claimed victory in a special election for the U.S. House, becoming the first woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress in nearly 25 years. Click here for article.

POLL: In a Clinton vs. Giuliani Race, a Battle of Competing Legacies. Hillary Clinton currently has the edge in a head-to-head test, with 51 percent support to Giuliani's 43 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll (compared with 49-47 percent early this year). Click here for article.

Nobel Spurs Gore Supporters to Urge Presidential Bid Gore told a California news conference he is honored to share the Nobel award with the United Nations panel on climate change. Click here for article.

Oprah and Obama a big combo. She's taking him to the Promised Land, her 17-hectare California estate...for a gala fundraiser. Click here for article.

Republican Watts Calls GOP Front Runners’ No Show Decision On Minority Debate “Stupid” . “N.S.” stands for no shows, the GOP’s top, leading candidates who insisted they just could not squeeze in the time to participate in a debate focusing on minority issues. Of course, it’s merely a coincidence that it just happened that none of the four big front-runners showed up. Click here for article.

Some GOP candidates to address minority concerns at forum . Click here for article.

The Bush administration Going, going, Gonzales. Click here for article.

FBI director contradicts Gonzales --The head of the FBI contradicted Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' sworn testimony and Senate Democrats requested a perjury investigation Thursday in a fresh barrage against President Bush's embattled longtime friend and aide. Click here for article.

Exit Strategies; As key members of Bush’s inner circle file out, a former White House official suggests Democratic pressure may have helped hasten the departure of Karl Rove Click here for article.

White House Support for Wolfowitz Wavers Click here for article.

Panel: Wolfowitz broke bank rules An internal panel concludes World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz violated staff rules in arranging a promotion and pay raise for his girlfriend and questions whether he can still lead the bank, according to its report. Click here for article.

Wolfowitz resigns after scandal over girlfriend's pay rise Paul Wolfowitz resigned as president of the World Bank last night, ending weeks of turmoil over the lavish pay rise he arranged for his girlfriend that triggered the worst crisis in the institution’s history. Click here for article.

Deal Is Offered for Chief’s Exit at World Bank Leading governments of Europe, mounting a new campaign to push Paul D. Wolfowitz from his job as World Bank president, signaled Monday that they were willing to let the United States choose the bank’s next chief, but only if Mr. Wolfowitz stepped down soon, European officials said. Click here for article.

Wolfowitz Loses Ground in Fight for World Bank Post.Without directly calling for his resignation or removal, the team said that Mr. Wolfowitz and the bank’s board needed to take “clear and decisive actions to resolve this crisis,” which it said was undermining the bank’s “credibility and authority to engage” on the corruption issue. Click here for article.

Bush approval rating hits all-time low in survey. In what could be seen as a highly worrying development for republicans, especially hopefuls for next year's presidential elections, the public approval rating of President George W Bush has hit an all-time low at 28 per cent, a just-released poll shows. Click here for article.

Rove's global warming debate with celebs gets heated --Karl Rove's debate with singer Sheryl Crow and producer Laurie David about global warming heated the atmosphere at a black-tie Washington dinner. Click here for article.

House OKs Iraq troop withdrawal bill. A sharply divided House brushed aside a veto threat Wednesday and passed legislation that would order President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by Oct. 1. The 218-208 vote came as the top U.S. commander in Iraq told lawmakers the country remained gripped by violence but was showing some signs of improvement. Click here for article.

Reid Offers Bleak Assessment of Iraq War-- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday the war in Iraq is "lost," triggering an angry backlash by Republicans, who said the top Democrat had turned his back on the troops. Click here for article.

Blogtalk: The Grilling of Gonzales-- if Alberto Gonzales were a stock, we’d be at that point when those automatic trading halts kicked in because so many people are trying to sell. Click here for article.

Wolfowitz skips appearance as board meets. Click here for article.

Wolfowitz Fight Has Subplot.When President Bush appointed Paul D. Wolfowitz as the president of the World Bank two years ago, the White House had to put down an insurrection among European nations that viewed the administration’s best-known neoconservative as a symbol of American unilateralism and arrogance. For more click here.

European nations pile pressure on Wolfowitz. European countries on Saturday piled pressure on World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz over a scandal involving a promotion for his girlfriend, with Britain saying it had damaged the bank and Germany questioning whether he still had the credibility to lead the institution. Click here for article.

Elizabeth Edwards's Prognosis Worrisome With Cancer's Return--Elizabeth Edwards's chance of surviving five years is well below 50 percent if her experience is similar to that of other women whose breast cancer has returned within five years of its original discovery and treatment. Click here for article.

Documents show Gonzales approved firings--Attorney General Alberto Gonzales approved plans to fire several U.S. attorneys in a November meeting, according to documents released Friday that contradict earlier claims that he was not closely involved in the dismissals. Click here for article.

Democrats Split on Iraq Bill--Even Vote Counters Aren't Lined Up Behind Spending Measure. Click here for article.

Analysis: Crises chip at Bush's allies--With every unfolding crisis, President Bush is finding fewer allies in his corner. Republicans are ever more nervous about the Iraq war, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' problems, FBI abuses of the Patriot Act and the botched treatment of war wounded at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Click here for article.

Senate GOP turns back Iraq pullout plan--Democrats aggressively challenged President Bush's Iraq policy at both ends of the Capitol on Thursday, gaining House committee approval for a troop withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008, but suffering defeat in the Senate on a less sweeping plan to end U.S. participation in the war. Click here for article.

House committee to subpoena top White House officials Wednesday.-- Flexing its political muscle against a defiant White House, Congress is clearing the way for President George W. Bush's top aides to describe their roles in the firings of eight federal prosecutors on the record and under oath. Click here for article.

Republican says Gonzales should be fired.--Sen. John Sununu (news, bio, voting record) of New Hampshire on Wednesday became the first Republican in Congress to call for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' dismissal, hours after President Bush expressed confidence in his embattled Cabinet officer. Click here for article.

Open government bills stir veto threats. --Open-government bills sped to House passage Wednesday as Democrats pushed to make President Bush and his executive branch more forthcoming about their actions. The White House struck back with veto threats. Click here for article.

Juror says Libby was guilty but was set up to take the fall in Plame probe.--The jurors who convicted I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby believed Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff was set up as a fall guy, a juror said Tuesday, but they had no alternative to finding him guilty in the leak of the identity of a classified CIA operative. Click here for article.

Bush Administration Faces Intensified Probes on Iraq, Domestic Matters. --Democrats controlling the U.S. Congress are confronting President Bush on a broad range of issues regarding his handling of the war in Iraq, and the larger war on terrorism, as well as domestic issues...Click here for article.

John McCain Announces Presidential Bid On Letterman Show US Republican Senator John McCain announced he will stand as candidate for President of the United States in 2008 during an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman last night. Click here for article.

Jubilant crowd recreates Selma march

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL.) (L) poses with former U.S. President Bill Clinton after a re-enactment of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march in Selma, Alabama, March 4, 2007.

Obama Seeks To End "Tit-For-Tat" Politics (CBS/AP) Fresh off a spat with rival Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says he'd like to see an end to the "tit-for-tat" that dominates politics. Click here for article.

Gore's `An Inconvenient Truth' Wins Best Documentary Oscar.``An Inconvenient Truth,'' the film about former Vice President Al Gore's slide show on climate change, won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. The movie also won an Oscar for best song for Melissa Etheridge's ``I Need to Wake Up.'' Click here for article.

Lawmakers bring aches, pains to debate --Most members of Congress are distant from the experience of earning minimum wage or having kids in a rundown school. But when it comes to health care, they bring their own aches and pains to the table. Click here for article.

Democrats vow to seek limits on Iraq war -A day after Republicans foiled a Democratic bid to repudiate Bush's deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops to Iraq, Senate Democrats declined to embrace measures — being advanced in the House — that would attach conditions to additional funding for troops. Click here for article.

House OKs measure opposing troop surge--The Democratic-controlled House issued a symbolic rejection of President Bush's decision to deploy more troops to Iraq on Friday, opening an epic confrontation between Congress and commander in chief over an unpopular war that has taken the lives of more than 3,100 U.S. troops. Click here for article.

Showdown on Iraq Resolution Shifts to US Senate-The U.S. Senate is to hold a procedural vote on a nonbinding resolution expressing disapproval with President Bush's decision to send more troops to Iraq in a rare Saturday session. Click here for article.

Obama to announce 2008 plans in Illinois. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama plans to stand outside Illinois' Old State Capitol on Saturday, a building indelibly linked to Abraham Lincoln, and tell the world about his 2008 presidential plans. Click here for article.

House Iraq Resolution Gains Republican Backers--For the second day, the House debated a Democratic-sponsored resolution disapproving of President Bush's plan to send additional soldiers to Iraq. Eleven Republicans gave speeches supporting the measure, joining Democrats in their opposition. Click here for article.

Republicans block Senate debate on Iraq "We must heed the results of the November elections and the wishes of the American people," said Majority Leader Harry Reid. Click here for article.

Pentagon says pre-war intel not illegal WASHINGTON - Some of the Pentagon's prewar intelligence work, including a contention that the CIA underplayed the likelihood of al-Qaida connections to Saddam Hussein, was inappropriate but not illegal, a Defense Department investigation has concluded. Click here for article.

Senate passes minimum wage increase -- with tax breaks.WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate passed legislation Thursday to increase the federal minimum wage, but coupled the measure with tax breaks for business. Click here for article.

Bush woos Democrats, pokes fun at self. Bush had not seen fit to attend a Democratic congressional retreat since 2001, his first year in office. But the new political reality that has Democrats in charge of Capitol Hill for the first time in a dozen years changed his mind. Click here for article.

Al Gore: nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for his work to raise consciousness about global warming . Click here for article.

Warming 'likely' man-made, unstoppable. PARIS - The world's leading climate scientists said global warming has begun, is "very likely" caused by man, and will be unstoppable for centuries, according to a report obtained Friday by The Associated Press. Click here for article.

Senators warn against war with Iran Click here for article.

GOP sets benchmark for Iraq progress. Several leading Senate Republicans who support President Bush's troop-boosting plan for Iraq say they will give the administration and the Iraqis about six months to show significant improvement. Click here for article.

Crowds march to demand pullout from Iraq. Convinced this is their moment, tens of thousands marched Saturday in an anti-war demonstration linking military families, ordinary people and an icon of the Vietnam protest movement in a spirited call to get out of Iraq. Click here for article.

Republican opposition to Iraq plan grows Click here for article.

Senate committee repudiates Bush on Iraq. In a calculated snub of President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee dismissed plans for a troop buildup in Iraq on Wednesday as "not in the national interest" of the United States. Click here for article.

'100-Hour' Agenda Is Completed The last of the "Six for '06" bills that Democrats promised voters in the fall passed about 87 hours after the 110th Congress opened Jan. 4. Click here for article.

Measure in Senate Urges No Troop Rise in Iraq. The Senate set the stage on Wednesday for a direct clash with President Bush over the war, with two senior Democrats and a prominent Republican introducing a symbolic measure to declare that the administration’s plan to send additional troops to Iraq runs counter to the national interest. Click here for article.

Stem cell bill sails through House. The House voted to expand government-financed embryonic stem cell research Thursday, but for the second time in two years lawmakers were unable to muster enough votes to overcome a promised presidential veto. Click here for article.

Bush war plan draws fire on Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in response that the administration might abandon the increase if the Iraqi government doesn't do its part, but he provided no timetable. Click here for article.

Popular vote movement makes headway A movement to essentially junk the Electoral College and award the presidency to the winner of the nationwide popular vote is making some headway in states large and small — including, somewhat improbably, North Dakota. Click here for article.

Bush takes blame in Iraq, adds troops. The buildup puts Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress and pushes the American troop presence in Iraq toward its highest level. Click here for article.

War-weary Americans weigh new Bush plan. Wearied by war, Americans paused Wednesday to listen to President Bush's plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, responding with frustration, puzzlement and, in some cases, cautious hope. Click here for article.

Critics slam possible Iraq troop boost Days from announcing an overhaul of Iraq strategy, President Bush on Friday encountered a wall of criticism of the U.S. troop escalation that is expected to be the centerpiece of his new war plan.
Click here for article.

Democrats promise action on ethics, Iraq. Congressional Democrats stepped hungrily to the brink of power on Wednesday, promising immediate action to limit the influence of lobbyists and pledging to constantly prod the Bush administration to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq. Click here for article.

Sparring Begins On Capitol Hill: 110th Congress begins tomorrow.

Bush Looks Ahead to Working with 110th Congress Click here for article.

Saddam Hussein: A life of brutality, ended by war Click here for article.

Editorial: 109th Congress The recently departed 109th Congress couldn't get its regular work done but in its closing hours it proved it could do business as usual. Click here for article.

Edwards Begins Presidential Bid Amid Katrina's Scars John Edwards, whose presidential campaign two years ago emphasized the growing divide between America's rich and poor, came to a hurricane-ravaged neighborhood of New Orleans to announce he is running again. Click here for article.

Many who are waiting to view Ford casket are too young to remember him Click here for article.

Former US President Gerald Ford dies: Pardoned Nixon for Watergate crimes. Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States, died December 26 at the age of 93 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. Ford, the only occupant of the White House who was never elected to national office, assumed the presidency at a time of intense political crisis, in August 1974 following the resignation of Richard Nixon. Click here for article.

Carter nixes debate with outspoken prof. Former President Carter turned down a request to debate Alan Dershowitz about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the outspoken Harvard law professor "knows nothing about the situation." Click here for article.

Johnson Passes 72-Hour Mark After Surgery A spokeswoman for Senator Tim Johnson says the South Dakota Democrat has been conscious at times since his emergency brain surgery last week. Click here for the article.

Doctor: Senator's progress 'encouraging' Click here for article.

Democratic Sen. Johnson critical but stable. Click here for article.

Control of Senate at Issue As Sen. Johnson Undergoes Brain Surgery. Click here for article.

South Dakota democratic senator hospitalized. Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was hospitalized after becoming disoriented Wednesday, weeks before his party is to take control of the Senate by a one-vote margin. Click here for article.

Senate is loath to remove disabled members. Carter Glass was the dean of the U.S. Senate and chairman of the Appropriations Committee when he became incapacitated with heart trouble in the 1940s. The enfeebled octogenarian was absent from the Capitol for four full years, unable to answer a roll call on the Senate floor, cut off from all visitors by his wife. Click here for article.

Goodbye To The Do-Nothing Congress. This marks the end of what may have been the least productive Congress of modern times. Click here for article.

Just how bad a President is George W Bush? A record 71 per cent said they disapproved of his handling of Iraq, with just nine per cent now expecting the US to win the "victory" that President Bush has long been promising. Click here for article.

US not winning in Iraq: Robert Gates Click here for article.

Panel: Bush's Iraq policies have failed. Click here for article.

Critical memo clouds canceled Bush, al-Maliki meeting Click here for article.

US Senator Frist Says He Will Not Run for President. Click here for article.

Boehner, Blunt Picked To Lead GOP in House Click here for article.

News From Speaker-Designate Nancy PelosiDemocrats' first 100 legislative hours. Click here for more.

Pelosi makes history as female speaker. "Let the healing begin," Pelosi, D-Calif., said after Hoyer had eased past her preferred candidate, Rep. John Murtha. Click here for article.

Bill Clinton on Republicans' rout: 'American people thinking again' Click here for article.

Newsweek Poll Gives Bush New Low 31 Percent Rating Click here for article.

President Bill Clinton applaudes, right, to speak during the ground breaking ceremony for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, Nov. 13, 2006. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)

Reid, Pelosi Expected to Keep Tight Rein in Both ChambersClick here for article.

Bush Promises He Will Work With Senate Democrats Click here for article.

Senate Committee Chairs Click here for more.

A More Independent Disabled Vote. Click here for more.

Bush, Pelosi to bury the hatchet. Click here for article.

Donald Rumsfeld is Out.Click here for article.

Bush pledges to work with Democrats. Click here for article.

Webb Wins in Virginia; Democrats Take Control of Senate. Click here for article.

Pelosi: first woman Speaker of the House. Click here for article.

NANCY PELOSI spearheaded the Democratic takeover of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, positioning herself to become the first woman to lead the chamber — and President George W Bush’s worst political nightmare. Click here for article.

Impact of New Congress on Persons with Disabilities from the National Disability Rights Network. Click here for more.

Get Out And Vote Today. Ten percent of the likely voters polled self-identified as people with disabilities. Click here for more.

Robert Ehrlich, Kristen Cox, Concede Maryland Governor Race. Click here for article.

Langevin easily elected to fourth US House term.Fellow Democrat Jim Langevin crushed independent candidate Rod Driver with more than 70 percent of the vote in Rhode Island's other congressional race. Click here for article.

Democrats take statewide races. Attorney general leads charge as election provides some surprises The 47-year-old Manhattan Democrat headed a ticket that also included his running mate, Senate Minority Leader David Paterson, 52, (who is blind) who will become the first African-American lieutenant governor in New York and only the second to hold statewide office. Click here for article.

Brooke Ellison loses bid for state Senate seat Click here for article.

Duckworth loses.

GOP's Roskam defeats Duckworth in 6th. The national trend was to send Democrats to the House, but DuPage County held firm Tuesday, voting in Republican Peter Roskam over wounded Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs in combat.Click here for article.