Republican, Democratic Presidential Contests Strikingly Similar  —  Sen. Fred Thompson surges into tie with John McCain for second in GOP contest  —  PRINCETON, NJ — With no incumbent president or vice president running for the 2008 presidential nominations, it is perhaps not surprising …

The Use of RNC E-Mail Accounts by White House Officials  —  The Oversight Committee has been investigating whether White House officials violated the Presidential Records Act by using e-mail accounts maintained by the Republican National Committee and the Bush Cheney '04 campaign for official White House communications.

Calling Michael Moore's Socialist Bluff  —  Sicko, Michael Moore's new movie about America's health care system (the one that glorifies the socialized medicine of Cuba) hasn't even hit theaters yet, but already it's been leaked to the internet.  —  Asked what he thought of that, Moore …

The Supreme Court's Bonus Babies  —  AFTER the Supreme Court's term ends this month, the nine justices will go their separate ways for the summer.  A few weeks later, their 36 law clerks — the young legal geniuses who spend a year assisting the justices in selecting cases for review …

The Failed States Index 2007  —  By The Fund for Peace and FOREIGN POLICY magazine  —  The world's weakest states aren't just a danger to themselves.  They can threaten the progress and stability of countries half a world away.  In the third annual Failed States Index …

Pakistan condemns Rushdie honor  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan on Monday condemned Britain's award of a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie as an affront to Muslim sentiments, and a Cabinet minister said the honor provided a justification for suicide attacks.

Petraeus: Iraq 'Challenges' to Last for Years  —  Conditions in Iraq will not improve sufficiently by September to justify a drawdown of U.S. military forces, the top commander in Iraq said yesterday.  —  Asked whether he thought the job assigned to an additional 30,000 troops deployed …

Taking On Big Donors, McCain Takes a Big Risk  —  A ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee like Senator John McCain could normally bank on a bonanza of campaign contributions from the defense industry, especially if he was under pressure to raise money fast.

An Interview With National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman, John Ensign  —  On Friday, I got together for a phone interview with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman, John Ensign.  Unfortunately, we spent more time than I anticipated debating particular parts of the bill …

Gaza's Christians fear for their lives  —  Christians living in Gaza City on Monday appealed to the international community to protect them against increased attacks by Muslim extremists.  Many Christians said they were prepared to leave the Gaza Strip as soon as the border crossings are reopened.

Va. School's No-Contact Rule Is a Touchy Subject  —  Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder.  That landed him a trip to the school office.  —  Among his crimes: hugging.