Shift on Syria, Iran discussed  —  Ascension of Gates highlights potential impact of Baker commission ideas.  —  WASHINGTON |  A top U.S. intelligence official has been meeting with Middle East counterparts to discuss proposals expected from the Baker commission on Iraq, Middle East sources have told Newsday.

Panel May Have Few Good Options to Offer  —  Bipartisan Group's Plan Expected in Dec.  —  After meeting with President Bush tomorrow, a panel of prestigious Americans will begin deliberations to chart a new course on Iraq, with the goal of stabilizing the country with a different U.S. strategy and possibly the withdrawal of troops.

SAY IT AIN'T SO, W!  —  Tomorrow President Bush will meet with Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton to discuss the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group.  The group's report will be issued next month, but presumably its conclusions have more or less taken shape.  Based on the leaking that is currently going on, the news could hardly be worse:

U.S. must prove it's a staying power  —  On the radio a couple of weeks ago, Hugh Hewitt suggested to me the terrorists might try to pull a Spain on the U.S. elections.  You'll recall (though evidently many Americans don't) that in 2004 hundreds of commuters were slaughtered in multiple train bombings in Madrid.

by Senator Russ Feingold  —  I know there may well already be diaries here and elsewhere discussing my decision to continue my important work in the Senate and not run for President in 2008, but I wanted everyone in the online community to hear from me directly.

Feingold rules out 2008 run for president  —  cgilbert@journalsentinel.com  —  Washington - Sen. Russ Feingold will not seek his party's presidential nomination in 2008, the Wisconsin Democrat told the Journal Sentinel on Saturday.  —  "I never got to that point where I'd rather …