U.S. Sen. Roland Burris now acknowledges attempting to raise money for ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich — an explosive twist in his evolving story on how he landed a coveted Senate appointment from the man accused of trying to sell the seat.
Burris made the admission to reporters late Monday, after releasing an affidavit over the weekend [...]

A week shy of taking office, President-elect Barack Obama already is putting his persuasion skills to a high-stakes test with Congress as he seeks access to the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout fund.
Obama planned to be in the Capitol on Tuesday to meet with Senate Democrats. And his transition team prepared to [...]