MEMORIAL DAY: A CONTRAST  —  Barack Obama must be the most gaffe-prone politician in memory.  Today, he delivered a Memorial Day speech in New Mexico.  After greeting the local Democratic Party dignitaries, he began: … Memorial Day honors those who have died in our nation's military service.

Nuclear Agency Accuses Iran of Willful Lack of Cooperation  —  PARIS — The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an unusually blunt and detailed report, said Monday that Iran's suspected research into the development of nuclear weapons remained “a matter of serious concern” …

Burden on Dean to bring harmony  —  Set to mediate Fla., Mich. issue  —  Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in Manchester, N.H., last week.  (Cheryl Senter/Associated Press)  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. - Howard Dean arrived at this month's New Hampshire Democratic Party convention …

Sydney Pollack, Film Director, Is Dead at 73  —  LOS ANGELES — Sydney Pollack, a Hollywood mainstay as director, producer and sometime actor whose star-laden movies like “The Way We Were,” “Tootsie” and “Out of Africa” were among the most successful of the 1970s and '80s, died Monday at home here.

McCain to Make a Rare Appearance With Bush  —  TV Time Together Limited as Senator Keeps His Distance  —  President Bush and John McCain will appear together at a fund-raiser in Phoenix Tuesday, the first time in nearly three months that the Republican presidential candidate will be seen beside the man he hopes to succeed.

Obama Wins ‘Rock The Vote’ TouchTone Survey  —  Among other constituencies, Barack Obama appears to have won over the nation's bar crowd—the majority of which said they'd rather toast a win with Obama as opposed to Hillary Clinton or John McCain, according to the latest Rock the Vote survey.

The era of big Clintons is soon over  —  WASHINGTON - There's been a Clinton running for the White House or living in it for approximately forever.  Bill, it could be said, was born to run.  Running became Hillary's destiny, too.  —  One quarter of Americans have never known life without …

Auto Industry Feels the Pain of Tight Credit  —  The auto industry is getting sideswiped by the housing crisis.  —  Auto lenders and banks, closing their wallets, have prevented hundreds of thousands of consumers from obtaining the financing for a car.  Home equity loans …

Post Buyouts Come With an Emotional Cost  —  Let's not bury the lead: This is a rough time for the newspaper business, a rough time for The Washington Post and a rough time for me.  —  No one need shed any tears for the people leaving this building.  The more than 100 journalists …

Bush Straddles His Hard Line in Engaging Sudan  —  Sometime in the next few weeks, a special envoy of President Bush plans to meet with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, whose government sheltered Osama bin Laden and pursued a scorched-earth policy in southern Sudan that resulted in more than 2 million deaths.

Texas needs two senators who will back our veterans  —  John Cornyn failed to stand up for our troops — I will  —  Last Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed Sen. Jim Webb's, D-Va., expanded version of the GI Bill, ensuring educational benefits for all service members, including activated National Guard …

No Clear Map For Clinton's Political Future  —  In August 1980, with no hope left of winning the nomination, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy conceded defeat to incumbent Jimmy Carter in the Democratic presidential race.  —  “For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end,” Kennedy said at the Democratic National Convention in New York.

On the Trail, One Aide Looms Over Obama  —  In the last year, Barack Obama has learned a thing or two about running for president, and Reggie Love has learned a thing or two about Barack Obama.  —  Mr. Love now knows that when it comes to food, Senator Obama “eats pretty much anything …

Iraqis losing patience with militiamen  —  Muqtada Sadr's Mahdi Army militia has provided services and protection to residents, but fighting in recent weeks has endangered their lives.  —  BAGHDAD — Four summers ago, when militiamen loyal to hard-line Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr …