Headmaster Disputes Claim That Obama Attended Islamic School  —  Fresh doubt was cast yesterday on a magazine's allegation that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) attended a madrassah, or religious school that teaches a fundamentalist version of Islam.  —  Hardi Priyono, deputy headmaster …

Prosecutor: Libby 'wiped out' Cheney memo  —  Defense in CIA leak trial counters that White House tried to set up Libby  —  WASHINGTON - Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald used his opening statement in the CIA leak trial Tuesday to allege that Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff lied …

Bush, at Low Point in Polls, Will Push Domestic Agenda  —  Carrying some of the worst public approval ratings of any president in a generation, President Bush is heading into his State of the Union address on Tuesday night seeking to revitalize his domestic agenda but facing stiff resistance …

McCain Bashes Cheney Over Iraq Policy  —  With his presidential hopes tied to an administration whose Iraq policy he supports but cannot control, John McCain for the first time blamed Vice President Cheney for what McCain calls the "witch's brew" of a "terribly mishandled" war in which U.S. forces are on the verge of defeat.

Scant evidence found of Iran-Iraq arms link  —  U.S. warnings of advanced weaponry crossing the border are overstated, critics say.  —  BAQUBAH, IRAQ — If there is anywhere Iran could easily stir up trouble in Iraq, it would be in Diyala, a rugged province along the border between the two nations.

Black Caucus: Whites Not Allowed  —  Freshman Rep. Stephen I. Cohen, D-Tenn., is not joining the Congressional Black Caucus after several current and former members made it clear that a white lawmaker was not welcome.  —  "I think they're real happy I'm not going to join," said Cohen …

The State of the Union is a Disaster:  —  The Speech George Bush Should Make Tuesday Night  —  Don't bother standing up or clapping, any of you.  I already know who won the election, and I know how you feel.  —  I come before you tonight not to make amends, not to make it good, curry any favor or find any middle ground.

Retreat Isn't an Option  —  Sen. Hillary Clinton declared this weekend, " I'm in to win."  Anyone who has watched her remarkable trajectory can have no doubt that she'll do whatever it takes to win the presidency.  I wish she felt the same way about the war.

Bush Insurance Plan Gets Cold Reception  —  President Bush's proposed tax deduction for health insurance appears to be shaping up as a tough sell in the Democratic Congress.  —  Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., said Monday that the tax changes, which Bush will promote in Tuesday night's State …

CRACKDOWN: Iraqi PM Locks Down Official Media Access to Key Government Ministries  —  An anonymous source from within Baghdad's Green Zone has provided me with a copy of a document issued from the office of Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri Al-Malki, ordering the shutdown of contacts with the world press on …

WEB SITE KICKS SAND IN FACES OF GIS IN IRAQ ASKING FOR MATS TO EASE HARDSHIP OF SLEEPING ON GROUND  —  An American GI assigned to one of the harshest posts in Iraq had a simple request last week for a Wisconsin mattress company: send some floor mats to help ease the hardship of sleeping on the cold, bug-infested ground.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT: If you take Second Amendment issues into account when deciding whom to support, or if you simply are interested how the candidates will likely fare with an important bloc of voters, here's a preliminary assessment of some of the people who have been listed as likely or definite candidates.

Abortion Foes to Renew Efforts  —  Activists Rally on Mall, Vow to Keep Pressure on Congress  —  Tens of thousands of abortion opponents marched through melting snow on the Mall yesterday and vowed to work harder — since Democrats have taken control of the Capitol — to overturn …

Hastert To Endorse Romney  —  Sources inside former Gov. Mitt Romney's camp tell The Politico that they've picked up yet another major Washington endorsement: former House Speaker Dennis Hastert.  The Illinoisan is set to publicly endorse Romney today.  —  Romney has cultivated …

Bush Poll Ratings Before Speech Fall to Nixon's Level (Update2)  —  Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) — President George W. Bush's approval ratings are now the lowest for any president the day before a State of the Union speech since Richard Nixon in 1974, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Casino Executive Contributes $1 Million to Gingrich Group  —  Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker and a possible presidential contender, jump-started his new political group with a check for $1 million from a source many in his conservative base would shun — the gambling industry.

In the Vortex of Baghdad, Staying Put This Time  —  Two blocks from the new American outpost in Ghazaliya, one of Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhoods, a fight was raging.  Shiites were battling Sunnis, the latest skirmish in a sectarian war that has left this area a wasteland.