Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine: Pew Protest Parishioners at Saint Sabina Church in Chicago are demanding that Cardinal Francis George reinstate their controversial pastor, the Reverend Michael Pfleger. The Chicago Sun-Times reports 2,000 people packed the church last night for a prayer service and to show their …

SALT LAKE CITY – The battle over illegal immigration is being waged on a surprising front — Utah, where some lawmakers are scrambling to drop perks that have lured tens of thousands of undocumented workers to the Beehive State. Since the opening of the 2008 session on Jan. 21, Utah …

Will Ferrell’s Big Bomb | Jacko’s Last-Ditch Attempt | Hollywood Heavies Walk On Pellicano? | Soap Operas Within Soap Operas Will Ferrell’s Weekend Bomb Who knew? Who could have predicted? Certainly not the box office soothsayers. They all called Will Ferrell’s new comedy “Semi-Pro” a lock for a $27 million …

LOS ANGELES – Watch out, it’s official: Paris Hilton may just want you to be her new best friend! The starlet’s “Simple Life” is about to get a whole lot more complicated as she takes on yet another “reality” project. The heiress is set to star in a new MTV …

Legitimate criticism of the war effort is the subject of thisTalking Points memo. A new CBS News/New York Times poll says confidence in America’s war against terrorism is already waning, with just 28 percent of Americans strongly believing that the United States will kill or capture Usama bin Laden and …

Mega Star Benefit| Natasha Lyonne | Michael Jackson Mega Star Benefit Concert Planned for NYC There’s already been a telethon and lots of other fundraisers in the last 10 days, but the biggest one yet is in the planning stages. I’m told that VH-1 and Miramax Films are joining together …

Did I ever tell you the story about my fighting neighbors when I was growing up? I didn’t? Well, lucky you. Let me fill you in. I was a kid at the time and our neighborhood would have these block parties. But two of the neighbors really hated each other. …

Only three of President Bush’s 44 nominations to the federal bench have been confirmed by the Senate, leading some to wonder what the majority Democrats are doing to roadblock the administration’s efforts to fill a large number of vacancies. Currently, 108 of the 853 federal judgeships are vacant, with 39of …

WASHINGTON – Longtime foreign policy hawk Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., continued to rattle the saber against Saddam Hussein Wednesday night, insisting that the United States complete its unfinished business from the Persian Gulf War and oust the Iraqi president. “I am convinced that the war on terrorism cannot and will …

I’m talking tax cuts again. But this time with a tad more alarm in my voice. Why? Because I don’t like what’s going on down in Washington, that’s why. As if you needed any proof that money in Washington’s hands is just as good as money spent, take a look …