Political interference alleged in sacking of a U.S. attorney  —  WASHINGTON - The U.S. attorney from New Mexico who was recently fired by the Bush administration said Wednesday that he believes he was forced out because he refused to rush an indictment in an ongoing probe of local Democrats …

Walter Reed patients told to keep quiet  —  Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.

For Want of a Dentist  —  George's Boy Dies After Bacteria From Tooth Spread to Brain  —  Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday.  —  A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him.  —  If his mother had been insured.  —  If his family had not lost its Medicaid.

Contain and Engage: A New Strategy for Resolving the Nuclear Crisis with Iran  —  Watch Joseph Cirincione and Andrew Grotto discuss the report (YouTube.com)  —  For six years, the United States has ineffectively confronted Iran over its nuclear program.  Bush administration officials …

Republicans Set to Block Jefferson's Appointment to Homeland Security Panel  —  Republicans plan to force a floor vote on Rep. William Jefferson's move to the Homeland Security Committee in an unprecedented maneuver to force Democrats to go on the record supporting their embattled colleague …

Defending His Country, but Not Its 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy  —  Once a Marine, always a Marine.  That pretty much sums up the life of retired Sgt. Eric Alva, who was sworn into the Marine Corps at 19, stationed in Somalia and Japan and lost his right leg when he stepped on a land mine on March 21 …

Bill would mandate nicer term for illegals  —  TALLAHASSEE — A state legislator whose district is home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants wants to ban the term "illegal alien" from the state's official documents.  —  "I personally find the word 'alien' offensive when applied to individuals …

Going it alone because we have to  —  Unless allies spend more on defense, the U.S. will continue to act unilaterally out of necessity.  —  TONY BLAIR'S decision to withdraw 1,600 troops from Iraq is understandable.  The prime minister had to make a difficult decision about where to allocate …

CHARLES: BAN THE BIG MAC  —  Prince Charles today said banning McDonald's fast food was the key to a healthy lifestyle.  —  His comments came as he attended the launch of a public health awareness campaign.  —  Charles, a strong advocate of organic food, was touring the Imperial College London

Why the Gore Story Matters  —  As the controversy over global warming doomsayer Al Gore's voracious energy-eater mansion rolls on, there's an angle I think merits deeper investigation than it is currently getting.  While much of the focus has been on whether or not Gore is an environmental hypocrite …

An Editor's Confession: I'm the Source of 'Slow Bleed'  —  With a mixture of pride and remorse, I have a confession: I am the author of the Democratic Party's "slow-bleed strategy" for ending the war in Iraq.  —  I had nothing to do with the details of the plan that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) floated two weeks ago.

Some push for Huckabee to run for Senate, not president  —  Though his long-shot presidential campaign is still in its early stages, some wish former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee would drop his national aspirations and return home to wage what they see as a vital campaign against Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) in 2008 instead.

Academic Freedom?  —  Writing at Townhall, Mike Adams, a professor of criminology at UNC-Wilmington, reports on an associate professor at Kent State who is admittedly—and actively — supporting the jihadi movement: … Well.  I don't think that last bit will go over well with many people …

Olbermann on Gore's Energy Use: Setting the Record Straight  —  You knew after his big night at the Oscars Sunday, the far right would come out in full force against former Vice President Gore.  Since these single-minded sensationalists never let those pesky "facts" get in the way, Keith breaks down the utility bill.

Iran to Take Part in Iraq Security Conference  —  The top Iranian national security official, Ali Larijani, indicated Wednesday that Iranian officials would probably take part in a regional security conference on Iraq next month, which would include the first high-level diplomatic contacts between American …

Dominion of Canada: Marty Peretz Sells Last New Republic Share  —  It feels like a burden has been lifted from me," Martin Peretz said on Feb. 27.  —  It feels like a burden has been lifted from me," Martin Peretz said on Feb. 27.  —  For the first time in three decades, Mr. Peretz, 68, no longer owns a stake in The New Republic.

Dan Gerstein has responded to my post below.  He says there's no problem at all with the fact that The Politico published a piece by him attacking some of Joe Lieberman's high-profile foes at the same time that he was collecting money from Lieberman: … What would have been the point?