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This four-part series from The Washington Post delves into the "largely hidden and little-understood role" that Dick Cheney plays in the Bush White House. ("Angler" is the Secret Service code name for Bush's second-in-command.) Offering photos, video, an annotated cast of characters, and quotes from a range of D.C. power brokers, this multimedia package returns from its biographical deep-dive with a cache of scintillating details: What did the newly elected vice president say to Dan Quayle at a meeting intended to give the Wyoming politician the lay of the land? How did Cheney react as the second tower fell on September 11? And why did the nation's V.P. once call the 19th-ranking official in the Interior Department? No other vice president has wielded the power of his office so fully. Regardless of your opinion of the man, you will surely find something fascinating—and entirely new—in this series.

It's been awhile since the presidential pardon enjoyed such heated attention. Just the thought of President Bush issuing a pardon for Lewis "Scooter" Libby has bloggers and pundits from both sides of the political spectrum pounding their keyboards and roaring. But as TIME magazine reminds us, this is far from the first time that an act of forgiveness by the big guy in the Oval Office has created a brouhaha. Should Libby get word that he's off the hook, he will join such charged characters in the annals of U.S. history as the citizens of Confederate states, draft dodgers from the Vietnam War, two FBI agents, one legendary chief of the Teamsters union, and the current owner of the New York Yankees. Of course, President Clinton's unforgettable "eleventh-hour" move for Marc Rich makes the list of infamous acts. And the party couldn't even get started without the one guy to both pardon and be pardoned, Richard Nixon.

In the category of Associate Supreme Court Justice, the nominee is Judge John Roberts. But the winner is...who? Conservatives? Moderates? It's anyone's guess. If Roberts is confirmed, liberals will hold out hope for a left-of-center, Souter-esque surprise. Conservatives are itching for an ironclad right-winger. Sorting it out in seemingly nonpartisan fashion are the lawyer-bloggers of Goldstein & Howe. Posts include analyses of Roberts' judicial opinions and temperament; a rundown of which Court precedents could be in jeopardy (everything from campaign finance to late-term abortion to religious displays); Roberts' separate concurrences and dissents on the D.C. Circuit Court; and speculation that the new judge could -- along with Kennedy and Breyer -- form a new moderate "gang of 3." Also of note are transcripts from Roberts' past Senate hearings and a collection of other commentaries. Let the voting begin.