By KELLEY SHANNON
Gubernatorial candidate and professional wiseacre Kinky Friedman was accused Wednesday of making another racially offensive remark — this time in a year-old interview in which he said sexual predators should be thrown in prison and forced to "listen to a Negro talking to himself."
By JOHN SOLOMON and SHARON THEIMER
A visit to the White House would be considered a once-in-a-lifetime treat for most Americans. For conservative tax strategist Grover Norquist it could be considered a common event.
By TOM RAUM
President Bush sees the world as a struggle between good and evil, but his push for democracy often collides with geopolitical reality.
President Bush said Wednesday he would order military action inside Pakistan if intelligence indicated that Osama bin Laden or other top terror leaders were hiding there.
By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY
Democrats are sitting out an explosive debate on how to treat the nation’s most dangerous terrorism suspects, bypassing a chance to challenge President Bush on a proposal that has infuriated international law experts and human rights groups.
By CLIFFORD D. MAY
Many commentators have noted the apparent irony: The pope suggests Islam encourages violence — and Muslims riot in protest.
By REG HENRY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It seems to me that the word “genius” is not held in the highest regard in these United States. Americans appear a little uneasy with the concept, suspecting that too many brains may encourage too much thinking, which is widely recognized as the source of many problems in the world.
By JAMES ROSEN
McClatchy Newspapers
Nearly a year before they asked Congress for another $3 billion in funding, Veterans Affairs officials knew in late 2004 that their budget was seriously out of whack, congressional investigators say in a report released Wednesday.
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
McClatchy News Service
A new Democratic powerhouse is emerging in Minnesota this campaign season: comedian Al Franken.
His political action committee, Midwest Values, has raised more than $800,000, which he’s giving to Democratic candidates in Minnesota and across the country.
By LAURIE KELLMAN
White House loyalists struggled on Wednesday to save President Bush’s wartime legislative plans from collapsing under Republican squabbles. In cliffhanger votes, a House committee rejected, then endorsed Bush’s proposal to continue tough interrogations of suspected terrorists.