Today's Details

-Adding insult to injury in the 'macaca' affair, video cameras trained on George Allen's latest apologies have captured yet another disturbing scene: Senator Allen winking at a room full of white folks before apologizing for his racism. DETAILS

-McCain is no longer offering himself as the alternative to Bush. Now he's positioned himself as Bush's heir, a turnaround that makes some people, including McCain sometimes, more than a little uncomfortable. DETAILS

-Sen. Joe Lieberman, the three-term Democrat whose independent campaign for re-election is being seen as a referendum on the Iraq war, said Friday he would consider taking a look at a fellow lawmaker's proposal for a timeline for troop withdrawals. The proposal was floated by Republican Rep. Chris Shays, another Connecticut politician facing a tough re-election battle with an anti-war candidate. Shays has long been a supporter of the war and previously opposed withdrawal timetables."It seems to me that Chris is saying, maybe we ought to set some goals for when we want to get out, and I'd like to see what he has in mind before I comment on it," Lieberman said while campaigning in New Haven. DETAILS

-Republican Sen. John McCain said Friday he supports the U.S. mission in Iraq days after faulting the Bush Administration for misleading Americans into believing it would be "some kind of day at the beach." The potential 2008 presidential canidate and staunch war supporter issued a statement explaining his position after his headline-grabbing comments criticizing the Bush administraion. "I never intended my concernt that the American people be fully informed about the conduct and consequences of the war to indicate any lessening of my support for our mission there, "McCain said in a statement. DETAILS

-Iran's hard-line president on Saturday inaugurated a heavy-water production plant, a facility the West fears will be used to develop a nuclear bomb, as Tehran remained defiant ahead of a U.N. deadline that could lead to sanctions. The U.N. has called on Tehran to stop the separate process of uranium enrichment — which also can be used to create nuclear weapons — by Thursday or face economic and political sanctions. DETAILS

-Campaign strategists seek intraparty consensus by focusing on accountability rather than Iraq troop withdrawals. A “no-confidence” vote in Pentagon chief, which Democratic lawmakers might offer on defense spending legislation, could embarrass Bush while appealing to Republicans who defend ousting Saddam but criticize war’s execution. One House Republican predicts leaders would heed White House urgings to block a vote. But a Republican consultant says some incumbents may embrace idea for distance from war setbacks. DETAILS