Free Republic

Vice President Amy Klobuchar is not in the cards. The Minnesota senator withdrew her name from the list of possible running mates Thursday night, reasoning Democratic nominee Joe Biden should use the “moment to put a woman of color” on his ticket.

WASHINGTON - House and Senate negotiators struck a tentative deal on the expiring Patriot Act that would curb FBI subpoena power and require the Justice Department to more fully report its secret requests for information about ordinary people, according to officials involved in the talks. The agreement, which would make most provisions of the existing law permanent, was reached just before dawn Wednesday. But by midmorning GOP leaders had already made plans for a House vote on Thursday and a Senate vote by the end of the week. That would put the centerpiece of President Bush's war on terror on...

BAGHDAD, (AFP) - The US-led multi-national force has officially agreed to hand jailed dictator Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and 11 members of his old regime over to Iraqi custody in the next few days, the country's special tribunal says. Salam Chalabi, executive director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal, and the coalition forces agreeed to the hand over of Saddam, the tribunal charged with Iraqi war crimes announced in a statement. "As a consequence over the next few days, the Iraqi authorities will be taking custody of 12 senior members of the previous regime, including Saddam Hussein, this being...

Repubs will have a one seat majority on committees.....and a 60/40 split on staffinf.