Special Speeches

And now the most telling two minutes in television, the latest from the political grapevine:

Special Speeches

John Kerry -- who now casts himself as a lifelong fighter against special interests -- received more than $120,000 from interests including big oil, tobacco and the liquor lobby for speeches to industry groups between 1985 and 1990. Such payments are now illegal.

In addition, Kerry -- who also describes himself as a fighter against international drug dealers and money laundering -- received $1,000 from a Miami company later indicted on charges it helped a Colombian drug cartel launder money in the United States. But, Kerry says, after learning about the indictment years later he donated several thousand dollars to charities to make amends.

Funneling Fines

A fundraising committee run by House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi has been hit with a $21,000 fine for letting Pelosi funnel more than $100,000 in illegal contributions to Democratic candidates in late 2002 -- when she was trying to become the Democratic leader.

According to Roll Call newspaper, Pelosi started a political action committee to get around annual donation limits, and then gave much of the money it raised to at least 30 Democratic candidates. But, once the Federal Election Commission began investigating the committee, Pelosi's committee asked the Democratic candidates to return the money.

Al Qaeda Has Capability?

Al Qaeda possesses nuclear weapons, and plans to use them for a terrorist attack inside the United States or overseas when its existence is being threatened ... that according to the leading Arab newspaper Al Hayat.

The paper, quoting an unnamed Al Qaeda source, says the weapons are hidden in a -- "safe place," but did not give any other details about their location. Al Qaeda, the paper says, bought the weapons in suitcases from Ukrainian scientists visiting Afghanistan in 1998.

Prisoners Mistreated?

Human Rights Watch has accused the U.S. of mistreating prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, specifically mentioning three teenagers there. But one of those teenagers -- released last week and now in Afghanistan -- says he -- "[had] a good time in Cuba."

Fifteen-year-old Mohammed Ismail Agha says American soldiers were -- "very nice to me." He says they taught him English, served him good food, and gave him new clothes. Still, Ismail Agha tells London's Telegraph, he was innocent.

— FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report