An Assessment Jars a Foreign Policy Debate About Iran  —  Rarely, if ever, has a single intelligence report so completely, so suddenly, and so surprisingly altered a foreign policy debate here.  —  An administration that had cited Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons as the rationale …

As Iowa Race Tightens, Clinton Decides the Best Defense Is a Good Offense  —  Just two months ago, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York appeared to have turned a corner in Iowa.  Now, as the race here enters its final month, she is once again fighting to fend off concerns that have dogged …

Senate Aide In Kiddie Sex Bust  —  FBI: Staffer for Sen. Maria Cantwell sought tryst with boy  —  A U.S. Senate aide was arrested Friday after allegedly arranging a lunchtime sexual encounter with a teenage boy, according to federal court records.  James McHaney, 28, was nabbed by FBI agents …

Vulnerable Democrats See Fates Tied to Clinton  —  MANHATTAN, Kan. — Nancy Boyda, a Democrat who ran for Congress in this district last year, owed her upset victory partly to the popularity of the Democratic woman at the top of the ticket: Kathleen Sebelius, who won the governor's seat.

Mike Huckabee rise in Iowa great news for...Rudy Giuliani?  —  DES MOINES - Rudy Giuliani could use some good news, and Mike Huckabee's amazing surge in Iowa from long shot to first place this week could be an early Christmas gift.  —  Anything that hurts his main rival for the GOP nod, Mitt Romney, is good for Giuliani.

Hyping Hate Crime Vs. Muslims  —  Discrimination: New FBI data on hate crimes reveal Muslim groups are crying wolf about exploding anti-Muslim abuses.  They're actually shrinking, belying claims of mass Islamophobia.  —  Not only are anti-Islamic hate crimes way down, but they're a fraction of overall religious hate crimes.

Sen. John McCain & Sen. Joe Lieberman: It's inexcusable for Congress not to fund troops in Iraq  —  HAVING SPENT much of the past year mired in legislative trench warfare over Iraq, advocates in Congress seeking a mandatory withdrawal of troops are now refusing to pass funding for our forces deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Standing in the Way of Stem Cell Research  —  A new way to trick skin cells into acting like embryos changes both everything and nothing at all.  Being able to reprogram skin cells into multipurpose stem cells without harming embryos launches an exciting new line of research.

Challenging the cult of Mumia Abu-Jamal  —  Over the years, I've tracked Mumia Chic-the Left's deranged worship of convicted Death Row murderer Mumia Abu Jamal that has spread from Philly to St. Denis, France and points in between.  This December 9th marks the 25th anniversary of the brutal murder …

A lovely fascist fable, just in time for Christmas Tom Smith  —  A lovely fascist fable, just in time for Christmas  —  I read The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife as well.  I would have read The Amber Spyglass, but some kid filched my copy.  The Golden Compass has now been made into a move coming …

The latest turnabout  —  The decision to reduce the charges against Bell was the latest turnabout for Walters, who had vowed to aggressively prosecute the six black youths for their alleged roles in assaulting Justin Barker at Jena High School on Dec. 4, 2006, and kicking him while he lay unconscious.

Divorce Found to Harm The Environment With Higher Energy, Water Use  —  Divorce is not just a family matter.  It exacts a serious toll on the environment by boosting the energy and water consumption of those who used to live together, according to a study by two Michigan State University researchers.

Serving Life for Providing Car to Killers  —  CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. — Early in the morning of March 10, 2003, after a raucous party that lasted into the small hours, a groggy and hungover 20-year-old named Ryan Holle lent his Chevrolet Metro to a friend.  That decision, prosecutors later said, was tantamount to murder.

Congress takes-on credit card firms  —  Critics say some companies boost rates even when customers pay on time  —  WASHINGTON - Some members of Congress are denouncing credit card industry practices that include raising interest rates for customers whose credit ratings decline, even if they make their card payments on time.