WASHINGTON, Nov 17, 2007 (AFP) - Republican hopeful Ron Paul will almost certainly not be the next president of the United States. But the spry septuagenarian has already emerged as the political phenomenon of the 2008 White House race.

Of the 16 presidential candidates from both parties, Paul, 72, has made his mark as the most radical and unorthodox.

MIAMI, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Republican presidential candidates fought Sunday for the mantle of most conservative politician in the White House race, battling in another debate for the key support of the party's right wing.

Support of social conservatives is critical to winning a Republican presidential nomination and energizing the party's political base before the November 2008 general election, political experts say.

WASHINGTON, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Sketches of Republicans battling for the right to be their party's presidential candidate ahead of the first party nominating contests, the Iowa caucuses, on January 3, 2008.

Tough-talking former New York mayor and hero of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Giuliani, 63, leads national Republican polls but faces suspicion from the key 'religious right' voting bloc which opposes his comparatively liberal past record on abortion and gay rights.

WASHINGTON, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - Several thousand Christian conservative voters rebuffed an olive branch from Republican White House hopeful Rudolph Giuliani Saturday, over his support for abortion rights.

The former New York mayor tops Republican national polls in the quickening 2008 race, but was unable to win over a cross-section of a crucial party voting bloc at a huge 'Values Voter' conference in Washington.

WASHINGTON, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - Republican White House hopeful Rudolph Giuliani Saturday told a lion's den of skeptical evangelical Christians they had nothing to fear from his views on core moral issues.

The former New York mayor tops Republican national polls in the quickening 2008 race, but his past, comparatively liberal positions on abortion and gay rights have sparked anxiety in the mighty 'religious right' bloc.

WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Republican National Committee General Chairman Mel Martinez, whose party hoped would woo Hispanic voters, stepped down Friday, citing the need to focus on his job as Florida senator.

'It was my goal as general chairman to lead the party as it established the structure and raised the resources necessary to support our presidential candidate and ensure Republican victories next November,' Martinez said in statement.

WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Conservative Senator Sam Brownback dropped out of the crowded race for the Republican presidential nomination on Friday, reducing the field to eight candidates.

'Today I'm ending my candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president,' Brownback told a news conference in Topeka, Kansas, the state he represents in the Senate.

'I do so with great love for my country and -- but the recognition that my yellow brick road just came short of the White House this time,' he said.

WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Republican National Committee general chairman Mel Martinez, whose party hoped he would reach out to US Hispanics, stepped down Friday citing the need to focus on his job as Florida Senator.

'It was my goal as general chairman to lead the party as it established the structure and raised the resources necessary to support our presidential candidate and ensure Republican victories next November,' Martinez said in statement.

WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Republican White House hopefuls Friday tried to convert skeptical Christian conservatives to their causes, wooing a crucial party power base taking a dim view of the party's 2008 line-up.

In a field lacking a clear standard bearer for the mighty 'religious right,' Republican candidates waded into pulpit politics at a 'Values Voter Summit' as they sprint to their first nominating contest in Iowa in 75 days.

IOWA CITY, Iowa, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - After a long day stumping America's heartland, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani met an enthusiastic crowd of college students here that hope he will become the next Republican president of the United States.

Giuliani is campaigning ahead of the January 3 Republican caucus in the midwestern state of Iowa, a key event that will help set the tenor for the 2008 nomination process.

WASHINGTON, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Russia should be barred from the G8 group of powerful nations for trying to 'bully' its neighbors and cutting political freedoms, Republican White House hopeful John McCain said in an essay released Monday.

Writing for an upcoming issue of Foreign Affairs journal, the Arizona senator also warned America could not afford a 'historic loss' to Islamic extremists in Iraq and added the war could not be 'wished away.'

DEARBORN, Michigan, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Ex-senator and TV star Fred Thompson held his own among US Republican presidential hopefuls in his first debate, vowing to battle 'Islamic fascism' as he and the other candidates sought to charm the party's dubious hardliners.

With most eyes on the 'Law & Order' star's performance as a potential US president, Thompson muscled through his debut debate with White House rivals Tuesday, avoiding gaffes, offering new details on his political views and declaring the race 'boring' without him.

DEARBORN, Michigan, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Newcomer Fred Thompson muscled into his debut debate with Republican White House rivals Tuesday, avoiding gaffes, vowing to battle 'Islamic fascism' and declaring the race 'boring' without him.

Despite a nervy start and mocking reviews since he entered the fray last month, the screen star and former senator grew in confidence in his first televised clash with party foes.

DEARBORN, Michigan, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Screen star Fred Thompson muscled into his debut 2008 presidential debate clash with Republican rivals Tuesday, vowing to repel a tide of 'Islamic fascism' aimed at bringing down the West.

The tough-talking ex-senator and top rivals in party nominating contests, due in three months, pledged to halt Iran's nuclear program, bickered over taxes and sparred over China's alleged trade transgressions.

DEARBORN, Michigan, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Screen star Fred Thompson steps into the spotlight Tuesday for his debut debate with 2008 Republican rivals, aiming to quell mocking reviews of his first month on the campaign trail.

Thompson, a former senator, who dived into the White House race late, in September, is under pressure to deliver a strong performance, just 12 weeks before first state voters weigh in on the Republican field.

WASHINGTON, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - He was billed as the charisma-fueled Ronald Reagan-style conservative savior -- but screen star Fred Thompson is drawing mocking reviews for his latest role, as a Republican White House candidate.

'Lazy,' 'subdued' and 'rambling,' blared recent media critiques of the ex-senator's first month in a fluid 2008 Republican field.

WASHINGTON, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - He was billed as the charisma-fuelled Ronald Reagan-style conservative savior ... but screen star Fred Thompson is drawing mocking reviews for his latest role, as a Republican White House candidate.

'Lazy,' 'subdued' and 'rambling,' blared recent media critiques of the ex-senator's first month in a fluid 2008 Republican field.

CHICAGO, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - US Republican Senator Larry Craig, who has been embroiled in a gay sex scandal, backed down on an earlier promise to step down if he was unable to withdraw his guilty plea relating to a sting in an airport bathroom.

Craig said Thursday he was 'extremely disappointed' with a judge's decision to deny his request to withdraw the plea but would continue to serve in the Senate until his term was up.

He will not, however, seek reelection when his term expires, Craig said in a statement.

CHICAGO, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - A US judge on Thursday denied Republican Senator Larry Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea relating to a gay sex sting in an airport bathroom.

Craig's spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but he had said he will step down unless he could get his guilty plea in the case in Minnesota overturned.

Since a replacement would be named by Idaho's Republican governor, Craig's departure would be unlikely to alter the makeup of the US Senate.

WASHINGTON, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani led Republican rivals with 11 million dollars in the latest three-month dash for campaign cash, but lagged far behind money spinning top Democrats.

Giuliani's campaign reported Thursday it had 16 million dollars of cash currently on hand, giving him a healthy operating budget for the frantic three-month run up to party nominating contests in early January.

WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2007 (AFP) - Superficially, the 2008 election should be a nightmare for Republicans, with political trends, poll numbers, an unpopular war and voter angst auguring a Democrat in the White House.

President George W. Bush's sagging opinion poll ratings and the drubbing handed to Republicans in last November's congressional polls present leading party presidential hopes like former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani with a thorny political problem.

WASHINGTON, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - Democratic hopes of getting US troops home from Iraq before 2009 are reeling from a string of demoralizing blows, inflicted after the White House cajoled wavering Republicans to close ranks.

Democrats had long seen September as the month when political pressure would force Republicans in Congress to desert President George W. Bush on the war.

WASHINGTON, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - President George W. Bush insisted on Thursday he will be a 'strong asset' for Republicans battling for election in 2008, despite shaky opinion poll ratings born of a tumultuous presidency.

Bush, who has 16 months left in his second term, laid out a battle-plan for 2008 Republican candidates, based on a robust 'war on terror' policy, support for Iraq and low taxes.

WASHINGTON, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - Republican Senator Larry Craig returned to work Tuesday for the first time since announcing his pending resignation after his arrest by police investigating gay sex incidents.

Craig mingled with fellow Senators, cast several votes and had lunch with the same Republican caucus members who withheld support for him as the scandal erupted last month after a police sting operation in an airport bathroom.

WASHINGTON, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) - Actor and former Republican senator Fred Thompson formally launched his bid for the White House on Wednesday, the latest candidate to enter the race ahead of the November 2008 presidential election.

With a Southern drawl and a folksy manner, Thompson, 65, is best known for playing a tough-talking prosecutor on the television show 'Law & Order.' He has served as a senator for Tennessee and worked for years as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington.

WASHINGTON, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) - Top Republican presidential hopefuls staked out hawkish ground in a debate Wednesday as they defended US strategy in Iraq and clashed with the lone anti-war candidate who denounced the invasion of Iraq as 'illegal.'

Sparks flew after Republican lawmaker Ron Paul angrily condemned the US-led war as an act of aggression and urged a prompt US pullout from Iraq.

'What do we have to pay to save face? That's all we're doing, is saving face. It's time we came home,' said Paul at the debate in Durham, New Hampshire.

WASHINGTON, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) - A US Republican senator who resigned after being snared in a sting operation by police probing gay sex incidents in an airport bathroom wants to make a comeback, his party leader said Wednesday.

Mitch McConnell, the top Senate Republican, said Idaho Senator Larry Craig told him by telephone he would rescind his resignation, effective September 30, if he could get the case against him thrown out.

'He said he is going to try to get the case in Minnesota dismissed,' McConnell told reporters.

WASHINGTON, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - US Senator Larry Craig, who resigned after being arrested for allegedly soliciting gay sex in an airport bathroom, may reconsider that decision if cleared of the charge, media reported Tuesday.

Craig plans to resign on September 30 but 'he is fighting these charges and should he be cleared before then, he may -- I emphasize may -- not resign,' CNN news quoted the Idaho senator's spokesman Dan Whiting as saying.

WASHINGTON, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - Whatever decisions are made on US troop levels in Iraq, the United States must keep forces in the Middle East to hunt Al-Al Qaeda and deter Iran, the top Senate Republican said Tuesday.

Senator Mitch McConnell said decisions among Republican senators on whether to demand strategy changes in Iraq would await a crucial White House report next week.

But framing a brewing congressional showdown over Iraq in the context of the 'war on terror,' he said recent history showed America needed to stay on 'offense' to protect its homeland.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2, 2007 (AFP) - President George W. Bush's Republicans have suffered from sleaze revelations but will bounce back in elections next year, a top White House aide said Sunday after a senator's sex-scandal resignation.

'I think we have suffered,' Bush's senior counselor Ed Gillespie said on Fox News.

'In the last election (for Congress) in 2006 we saw damage to the GOP brand when it came to ethics,' he said, referring to the Republican party's Grand Old Party nickname.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2, 2007 (AFP) - Republican US Senator Larry Craig, who represented the western state of Idaho for 27 years on Capitol Hill, announced that he was resigning following his arrest for allegedly soliciting sex with an undercover policeman in an airport bathroom.

The announcement Saturday was encouraged by national Republican leaders, worried that the scandal would taint all candidates belonging to the socially conservative party in the 2008 election cycle.

WASHINGTON, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) - The White House said Saturday that the embattled Republican Senator Larry Craig made the right decision by resigning amid a scandal over his arrest in an airport bathroom.

'Senator Craig made the right decision for himself, his family, his constituents and the US Senate,' Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman, told AFP.

President George W. Bush called the Idaho lawmaker after hearing news of his resignation, Stanzel said.

WASHINGTON, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) - US Republican Senator Larry Craig announced his resignation Saturday after being caught in an undercover sting allegedly soliciting sex with a man in an airport bathroom.

'It is with sadness and deep regret that I announce that it is my intent to resign from the Senate effective September 30,' Craig said at a news conference in Boise, Idaho, the state he represents.

WASHINGTON, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) - US Republican Senator Larry Craig, caught in an undercover sting allegedly soliciting sex with a man in an airport bathroom, was expected to resign Saturday as his party sought to get past yet another sex scandal quickly.

The senator from Idaho was expected to announce in the northwestern state's capital Boise that he will step down on September 30, US media reported, citing Republican Party sources.

WASHINGTON, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) - Tough-talking screen star and former senator Fred Thompson is to announce next week his long-awaited bid for the White House in a move set to shake up the faltering Republican camp.

Thompson, the craggy-faced star of TV drama 'Law & Order' has finally ended months of suspense for his fans saying he would officially throw his hat into the ring for the 2008 presidential elections on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, Sept 1, 2007 (AFP) - US Republican Senator Larry Craig, caught in an undercover sting soliciting sex in an airport bathroom, will resign on Saturday, Republican Party officials told the Idaho Statesman newspaper.

Craig is scheduled to make an announcement about his future in the Idaho state capital Boise on Saturday, staff at the senator's office said, giving no further details.

WASHINGTON, Aug 30, 2007 (AFP) - Tough talking screen star and former senator Fred Thompson said Thursday he would launch his long-awaited 2008 Republican White House bid next week, vowing to shield America from terrorism.

The star of internationally syndicated drama 'Law & Order' will make his first official pitch to voters in a web video on September 6, then launch a tour of key strategic states Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.