Rumsfeld on eve of Iraq war: 'If you think we're going to spend' $1 billion in Iraq, 'you're sadly mistaken.'  —  Rumsfeld on eve of Iraq war: 'If you think we're going to spend' $1 billion in Iraq, 'you're sadly mistaken.'»  —  A scathing new report by the Special Inspector General …

Fund Fraud Hits Big Names  —  Madoff's Clients Included Mets Owner, GMAC Chairman, Country-Club Recruits  —  New potential victims emerged of Wall Street veteran Bernard Madoff's alleged giant Ponzi scheme, with international banks, hedge funds and wealthy private investors among those sorting …

Obama logo ideas that weren't chosen  —  Sol Sender, who led a design team for the Obama 08 logo, was recently interviewed about the project.  —  Here's a walk through the various logo options, with some of Sol's thoughts.  The full interview videos can be watched on the website of VSA Partners (where Sol is now a strategist).

Our Sen. Kennedy?  Tipsville . . .  Is Chris Kennedy, the son of the late, great U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, a possible entrant on the list to fill Presidentelect Barack Obama's Senate seat?  —  •  • To wit: Sneed hears Kennedy's name has been wafted into the inner circle of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn …

They Can't Be That Desperate  —  Dear God: … I honestly don't know quite how to deal with this.  Over the past year I have strained and even broken treasured friendships over the idea that allowing a Republican to win over a Democrat, no matter how bad he or she is …

Lawyer Seen as Bold Enough to Cheat the Best of Investors  —  Marc S. Dreier knew the 45th-floor conference room of Solow Realty well.  He had been in it many times as a trusted lawyer for the company's founder.  —  So nothing seemed amiss when he showed up one afternoon in October and told …

Obama's Friends Form Strategy to Stay Close  —  Last Sunday night, President-elect Barack Obama's three closest friends — Valerie Jarrett, Martin Nesbitt and Dr. Eric Whitaker — sat down in the study of Mr. Nesbitt's house in Chicago for one of their increasingly frequent heart-to-hearts.

Meet the GOP's wrecking crew  —  Why did a small group of Southern Republicans turn the auto bailout into a demolition derby?  Introducing the senators who hate unions and love foreign cars.  —  WASHINGTON — On July 15, Bob Corker was a happy man.  —  “I cannot think of a more exciting day …

The Saturday Cartoons  —  Before we get to the 'toons, I'm pleased to share the news that our friend Jeff Danziger of the New York Times and the Rutland Herald (Vermont) has received the 2008 Thomas Nast Award, for editorial cartoons.  Jeff calls Nast “the grandfather of all American cartoonists” …

Sorry, Obamas, Early Check-In Isn't Available  —  CHICAGO — To the list of people having trouble finding somewhere in Washington to stay in early January, there can now be added one more entry: the Obama family.  —  President Bush's aides have turned down a request from President-elect Barack Obama …

HUD pick foresaw subprime crisis in '04  —  Barack Obama's pick for HUD — former New York City Housing Commissioner Shaun Donovan — was one of the earliest public officials to foresee the magnitude and destructive capacity of the subprime crisis.  —  In the middle of 2004, I sat down with Donovan …