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WASHINGTON -- Tan and ruddy-faced, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta took his seat in a hearing room one morning this month ready for battle. The enemy, he warned lawmakers ominously, was ''a blind, mindless'' one that could ''badly damage our capabilities'' and ''truly devastate our national defense.'' Mr. Panetta meant not Al Qaeda, the Taliban or Iraqi insurgents, but a creation of Congress poised to inflict what he deemed unacceptable budget cuts on a Pentagon that, he admitted, had ''a blank check'' in the decade after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

WASHINGTON -- This time, at least, they didn't get in. Michaele and Tareq Salahi, the Virginia socialites and future reality television stars, were stopped by the Secret Service while driving near the White House during Wednesday night's state dinner. The Salahis, who earned international fame -- or notoriety -- when they managed to get into President Obama's first state dinner, in November, without an invitation, were in a stretch limousine that drove through a red light and then tried to turn into a restricted area at the Ellipse, the Secret Service said. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

On the afternoon he held the eighth meeting of his Afghanistan review, President Obama arrived in the White House Situation Room ruminating about war. He had come from Arlington National Cemetery, where he had wandered among the chalky white tombstones of those who had fallen in the rugged mountains of Central Asia. How much their sacrifice weighed on him that Veterans Day last month, he did not say. But his advisers say he was haunted by the human toll as he wrestled with what to do about the eight-year-old war. Just a month earlier, he had mentioned to them his visits to wounded soldiers at the Army hospital in Washington. ''I don't want to be going to Walter Reed for another eight years,'' he said then. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

-- As the most gifted orator of his generation, President Obama finds speechmaking perhaps his most potent political tool. It propelled him to national prominence in 2004 and to the White House in 2008. And whenever he needs to calm economic fears or revive stalled health care legislation, he takes to the lectern. But the limits of rhetoric were on display last week when the president could not rescue two foundering candidates in governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia. Has Mr. Obama lost his oratorical touch? Is the magic finally beginning to fade? Does the White House rely too heavily on his skills on the stump to advance his priorities? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reports on the chances of Senator John W. Warner's retaining his seat in Virginia. Results of independent poll; Survey by Mason-Dixon political media research; Chances of Warner's opponent James C. Miller III.

Reports on failure to override Virginian Governor George Allen's veto of the state's participation in the federal Goals 2000 education program. Democrats' use of Allen's veto to portray him as extremist; Comments from Allen spokesman Ken Stroupe; Information on discussion of Goals 2000 in Congress.

Reports that the lawsuit to bar Democrats, and independents from voting in the Republican primary on June 11, 1996 was thrown out of court. Effect of this decision on Senator John W. Warner; Virginia's law concerning voter participation in primaries.

Reports that Mark R. Warner, has won the Democratic nomination for the United States senate in Virginia, and landslide caucuses held throughout the state. Statistics on Warner's victory; Comments from Warner; Formula of Warner's victory.

Reports that executive and legislative branches in Virginia clashed over the constitutional limits on Governor George Allen's authority to use a line-item veto to strike parts of the state budget. What Allen threatened to do; Why the governor refused to sign the legislature's revision of the two-year budget.

Focuses on the ways in which lawmakers searched in an attempt to pay for a major league baseball stadium in Northern Virginia, and the complications in the task due to previous failures to bring professional football and a major theme park to the area. What a special legislative commission assigned to draw up a financing plan was told; Views of Governor George Allen (R) on the Disney episode; Comments from Delegate Vincent F. Callahan Jr. (R-Fairfax).

Reports that Virginia college students would be given a financial break as the state moves to freeze tuition until the year 2000. Vote by General Assembly to keep in-tuition at current levels; Virginia university ranked second-highest in the country by 1995; Effects of tuition to families in Virginia.

Reports that in a court ruling on March 27, 1996, a Supreme Court stated that Virginia Republicans and other state political parties must seek government approval, before charging any fees to participate in a nomination convention. Other rulings made by the court; Fee charged by the Virginia Republican Party.

Reports on the Virginia Democrats and Republicans debate over crime and budget bills. Examination of debate over budget; What crime and spending legislation represented; Description on plans for budget that relate to funding for public education; Comments from political officials; Information on other laws which were addressed. INSET: Virginia legislative action..

Reports that the Virginia General Assembly came to a complete halt on March 8, 1996. Reasons for this cessation; Role of budget; Comments from Delegate Vincent F. Callahan, House budget negotiator; Role of partisan government.

Reports on the prevention of the passage of antiabortion legislation by the House Democrats, in the Virginia General Assembly. Impact on Governor George Allen; Comments from Democratic senator Janet D. Howell; Other antiabortion legislature prohibited by House include establishment of feticide as a crime.

Focuses on a proposal from Virginia's Governor George Allen which would remove state aid from those most in need of it. Example of Ross Stump, an ex-grocery bagger that lives in a homeless shelter; Where the Allen administration believes the money for those in need should come from; Comments from Robert W. Lauterberg, the administration's budget director.

Reports that James C. Miller is calling for a flat tax system in an effort to oust Senator John W. Warner. Reference to Malcolm S. `Steve' Forbes Jr.'s flat-tax proposal; Why Miller wants reform in the United States tax codes.

Focuses on governor George Allen's budgetary proposal which attempted to improve education in Virginia. Comments from Allen's education secretary Beverly H. Sgro; Oppositions to his proposal.

Reports on the opening of Colonial Down Satellite Wagering Facility, Virginia's first off track betting parlor. Description of the betting facility; Rejection of other such parlors.

Reports that fewer Afro Americans have been employed under Virginia's Governor George Allen. Comparison of Allen's Cabinet, agency directors, and advisers to former Governor Douglas Wilder's; Inevitable slide in appointments. INSET: Diversity in Virginia government..

Reports that abortion dominated the Virginia General Assembly schedule as lawmakers moved to restrict teenagers from undergoing the procedure, and to make it a crime to kill fetuses during attacks on pregnant women. Details of debates; Parents required to be notified before a minor's abortion. INSET: Where Virginia bills stand..

Reports that the 70 miles per hour speed limit bill was not legalized in the Virginia House, despite the federal law allowing states to set their own speed limits. Northern Virginia lawmakers support of Jerrauld C. Jones' bill; Speed limit on highways.

Focuses on the decision of Virginia Republican leaders to challenge the state's open primary law in court. How challenge could effect Senator John W. Warner's changes of winning the Republican nomination; Why leaders would challenge primary law.

Reports that legislators in Virginia are considering passing legislation to grant financial aid to the operators of Dulles Greenway, to complete the construction the toll road in Loudoun County. Obstacles to legislation; Indirect government measures to aid Dulles Greenway; Problems associated with the Dulles Greenway financial plan.

Reports on the work of Virginia governor, George Allen. Moderations in Allen's style of governorship; Issues Allen's administration deals with; Allen's support of parental rights amendment; Changes in state's Department of Transportation goals under Allen; Allen's state budget. INSET: Conservative joins school board..

Reports that there are no limitations imposed on Virginia's legislators as to the amount of campaign contributions they can accept. Comments from University of Virginia law professor A.E. Dick Howard; Philosophy of the Virginia conflict-of-interest law.

Reports that the increase in juvenile crime rates in Virginia, has force government officials to concluded that persons doing adult crimes will do adult times. Reference to 14 year-old Teaon Dennis's case; Concerns of authorities over juvenile crimes; Comments by James S. Gilmore III, Virginia Attorney General; Statistics for the juvenile crime in Virginia; Information on what happens to minors charged with violent crimes. INSET: Juvenile crime in Virginia..

Reports that through instant lottery games, Virginia residents could pay a large percentage of the cost of a major league baseball stadium. Option to levying taxes; Introduction of bill to earmark lottery funds; Premise of lottery games.

Reports that on account of a partisan power struggle, the Virginia Senate was shut down as battle ensues between Democrats and Republicans on the organization of a chamber. Lack of bipartisan cooperation; Compromise between two parties; Comments from Governor George Allen.

Reports that Walter Milton Correll Jr., who killed a motorist with a hunting knife, was executed by injection on January 5, 1996, in Virginia. Correll's last contact with his family before his death; Views of Reverent James C. Griffin, the Catholic chaplain for death row inmates; Names of Correll's victim.

Reports that Richmond has decided to erect a statue of its hero, Arthur Ashe on Monument Avenue, Virginia. Opposition from Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, widow of Arthur, on the selection of the site for the statue; Where Ashe agreed that the statue should be erected before his death in 1993. INSET: The Ashe statue..

Reports on the implementation of prison rules in Virginia prohibiting personal items. Control of the flow of contraband; Fire hazards.

Reports that a state police investigation cleared Virginia's former parole chief John B. Metzger III of criminal wrongdoing in backdating arrest warrants but found that administrative policies were skirted because the pace of business created an atmosphere conducive to errors. Features of the charges against Metzger; Features of his resignation in November 1995.

Reports on Virginia lawmakers' introduction of a modified version of Governor George Allen's plan to permit parents and teachers to start semi-independent charter schools using tax money. Rejection of the same concept by the General Assembly in 1994; Details of the new proposal; Charter schools as a hot trend in education all over the United States.

Reports on former US Representative Leslie L. Byrne's announcement of her candidacy for a Virginia seat on the US Senate. Byrne's pledge to topple Republican Senator John W. Warner from his spot as front-runner for the party nomination; Challenges faced by Byrne in her campaign; Lack of political support for Byrne's candidacy.

Focuses on Virginia Governor George Allen's proposed budget plan. Criticisms against the plan; Source of new revenue expected by Allen; Losses in federal funding for Virginia according to some studies; Assumptions made by Allen.

Reports on Republican Governor George Allen's proposed general fund spending for Virginia covering two fiscals years starting July 1, 1996. Reversal of Allen's conservative, tax-cutting agenda; Key provisions of the plan; Increase in base aid to local schools for kindergarten; Amount allocated for child care. INSET: Virginia budget..

Reports Lieutenant Governor Donald S. Beyer Jr. announced that Virginia Democrats, plans to put $450 million into public education and juvenile crime prevention. Beyer's announcement before Governor George Allen's release of his two-year budget; Democrats' plans; Speculation that Virginia's investment in programs for children will increase.

Reports that Virginia Republican Senator Jane H. Woods announced on December 11, 1995 that she will remain a Republican, and that she will preserve the party's opportunity to demand more power in the Senate. Impact of her decision on legislatures; Comments by Woods.

Reports that United States' Senator John W. Wagner has gotten a June primary, in the Virginia Republican presidential election campaign. Law permitting primaries to voters; Comments from Warner; Why decision was made. Comments from Wagner's opponent, James C. Miller III.

Reports that Virginia's Governor George Allen was urged by advisers to try again at his conservative education agenda, despite its previous failure. How this new approach affects the Governor; Details of the agenda; Comments from William C. Bosher Jr., Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Kenton Pattie, president of Fairfax County's council of parent teachers associations. INSET: Virgina schools..

Reports that former federal budget director James C. Miller III, will be competing against United States Senator John W. Warner for the Republican Party nomination in Virginia. Description of Miller's campaigns which will be launched; Controversy surrounding Miller and his involvement in politics; Reference to his victory when he defeated Oliver L. North for the Republican nomination in 1994.

Reports that in Virginia, the Fairfax County Democratic Committee breached disclosure laws, by failing to file campaign finance reports with the state in 1994 and 1995. What is the penalty for violating disclosure laws; Who headed the party at that time; Comments from treasurer Robert J. Schottler Jr.

Reports that United States Senator John W. Warner of Richmond, Virginia won an opinion from Virginia's attorney general, saying that in 1996 Republican nominations should be settled by an open primary. How the opinion will strengthen Warner's chances of reelection; Basis for Attorney General James S. Gilmore III's ruling; What issues are crucial to Warner's political campaign.

Presents information on the plan issued by Governor George Allen and Democratic lawmakers, to deal with the rising juvenile crime in Virginia, while focusing on social programs and rehabilitation. Information on the draft legislation; Proposal of Allen; Comments from Delegate Jerrauld C. Jones (D-Norfolk).

Reports on the criminal investigation launched by the Virginia State Police, into whether Governor George Allen's patrol board backdated documents which caused imprisonment of ex-convicts on parole violations after the expiration of his legal authority. Information on persons involved; Details on the resignation of the Parole Board Chairman John B. Metzger III.

Presents information on the resignation of the head of Governor George Allen's parole board, Board Chairman John B. Metzger III. Reason for Metzger's resignation; Details on investigations done by the Allen administration; Comments from Public Safety Secretary Jerry W. Kilgore.

Reports on the divisions among Virginia Republicans. Challenge to house Minority Leader S. Vance Wilkins by Raymond Guest Jr.; Failure of Grand Old Party to obtain a House majority vote; Influence of change of affiliations by Senator Jane H. Woods.