The Associated Press

It has become and will continue to become grittier," says New America Foundation senior fellow Gregory Rodriguez. "Now, perhaps, we have to reassess the ...

Talking about the crisis in the same terms Bush uses would drain the goodwill of Palestinians and the Arab intermediaries Obama needs, said Daniel Levy, ...

William D. Hartung, the lead author of the report, said, "The United States cannot demand respect for human rights and arm human rights abusers at the same ...

"There is no merit to the idea that this gentlemen's idea was stolen by Osama bin Laden," Peter Bergen, who interviewed bin Laden and wrote a book about the al-Qaida leader, said in an e-mail. He said the idea of flying planes into buildings first came up for al-Qaida in a 1995 plot to attack 11 airliners flying from Asia to the U.S. LINK

THE SPIN: "I've offered spending cuts above and beyond their cost." THE FACTS: Independent analysts say both Obama and Republican John McCain would deepen the deficit. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates Obama's policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years -- and that analysis accepts the savings he claims from spending cuts. LINK

"In the long run, what you'll end up with are fairly bare-bone policies sold to the healthy," said Len Nichols, a health economist at the New America Foundation, which is pushing for universal medical coverage. LINK

The economies of many countries outside the G-7, such as South Korea, have been harmed by the credit crisis, said Douglas Rediker of the New America Foundation think tank.

They may be especially put out after following the advice of the United States and IMF and building reserves after the Asian financial crisis 10 years ago, only to now be hurt by the United States' profligate ways, he said.

But by calling for a G-20 meeting, the United States may be able to keep the recriminations behind closed… more

OBAMA: "Actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending so that it will be a net spending cut."

THE FACTS: The bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates Obama would increase spending by $425 billion over four years and reduce spending by $144 billion for a net increase in the deficit of $281 billion. Obama has said he'll cut pork-barrel programs and the costs of the war in Iraq to pay for his programs -- as well as raise taxes on the wealthy -- but the… more

In an effort to help the United States counter al-Qaida after the 9/11 attack, Iran rounded up hundreds of Arabs who had crossed the border from Afghanistan, expelled many of them and made copies of nearly 300 of their passports, a former Bush administration official said Tuesday.

The copies were sent to Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary-general, who passed them on to the… more

Michael Dannenberg, senior fellow with the New America Foundation and a former adviser to Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., says Obama's proposals take the problem of college affordability more seriously than McCain's. And he calls the tax credit a significant innovation. 

"McCain's message when it comes to increased tuition is, 'You're on your own,'" said Dannenberg, who has not worked for Obama's campaign. "Obama's message to families is, 'We'll give you more financial aid to help you with college costs, but your… more