Controversial Assignment Leads To Teacher's Resignation  —  SMITHFIELD, N.C. — A Spanish teacher at Smithfield-Selma Senior High School resigned this week after handing out an assignment that some students and parents said teaches hate.  —  Khalid Chahhou, who was in his first year of teaching …

Blair accepts 'disaster' in Iraq  —  Tony Blair has publicly agreed with the opinion that the violence in Iraq since the 2003 invasion has been a disaster.  —  The UK prime minister was responding to a question by Sir David Frost in an interview on the new al-Jazeera English-language Arabic TV channel.

Leahy Seeks Documents on Detention  —  Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who will chair the Senate Judiciary Committee next year, asked the Justice Department to release two newly acknowledged documents, which set U.S. policy on how terrorism suspects are detained and interrogated.

Freedom Man  —  Milton Friedman had both genius and common sense.  —  PALO ALTO, Calif.—Milton Friedman was one of the very few intellectuals with both genius and common sense.  He could express himself at the highest analytical levels to his fellow economists in academic publications …

Turning A Corner On Iraq  —  Avoiding defeat in Iraq is an unavoidably critical national interest — for the United States as for Britain.  If potentially lethal enemies are strengthened and re-motivated, the consequences will haunt us long after the headlines about withdrawal have faded.

Kondracke Dubs Nancy Pelosi The 'Wicked Witch Of The West' »  —  Fox News host Mort Kondracke, the "left-leaning" counterpart to Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes on Fox News' The Beltway Boys, said last night that incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) should be nicknamed the "Wicked Witch of the West."

"Media Matters"; by Jamison Foser  —  GOP gets a thumpin', and media revive their substance-free, sophomoric taunting ... of Democrats  —  Elections rarely present perfect tests of progressivism versus conservatism.  But they are the best way we have of keeping score …

The Big Money  —  Consider helping out your favorite bloggers.  Not me, advertising money has been good lately (thanks Chevron! thanks Glenn Beck!) but some of the rest of bloggers out there.  The largely unsung heroes are the "local bloggers" who focus mostly on local issues and candidates …

Psychic CSI - Lefties Catch Coulter Bending Space-Time!  —  Here is a shocking story from the Times: … Pretty ghastly.  But let's see how some prominent lefty sites react - here is Steven D at the Booman Tribune: … And following a Times excerpt, we get this conclusion:

Steele Speaking Out, Chafee's Last Defection  —  WASHINGTON — President Bush's political advisers are urging Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele neither to seek nor accept a Cabinet post but instead find a national platform on television or radio.  —  While losing for the U.S. Senate …

Syrian Officials and Iraq Study Group Met, Envoy Says  —  Vice President Dick Cheney and James A. Baker III, co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group, after a White House meeting.  The Syrian ambassador says Mr. Baker discussed how Syria might help in Iraq.  —  James A. Baker III …

Wilson declared unofficial winner by 879 votes  —  Madrid refuses to concede with official vote certification still pending  —  Republican Heather Wilson looks safe for a fifth term in Congress.  Yet her Democratic challenger refused to concede.  —  Wilson retained her seat …

Republicans Lost Ground With Latinos In Midterms  —  After Gains in 2004, GOP Stumbled on Immigration  —  Two years ago, Latino voters gravitated in larger-than-ever numbers toward President Bush, the former governor of Texas, a Mexican border state, and his brother Jeb, the loquacious Florida governor who speaks fluent Spanish.

The Friday Line: A Way Early Look at the '08 Senate Races  —  The Fix is nothing if not forward-looking.  With the 2006 election now 10 days past, it's time to begin handicapping the races to come in 2008.  —  We'll begin today by looking at the 10 most competitive Senate races, with a post next week on the 10 biggest House targets.

Pelosi's bruising  —  Wins top job but loses in nasty fight over No. 2  —  WASHINGTON - Democrats unanimously chose Nancy Pelosi as House speaker, but she still came away a loser after her handpicked choice for majority leader, Rep. John Murtha, was hammered by Rep. Steny Hoyer.

Party Shift May Make Warming a Hill Priority  —  Dramatic changes in congressional oversight of environmental issues may pump new life into efforts to fight global warming, activist groups and lawmakers said yesterday.  —  Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) announced his intention to become …

Crude oil his a 17-month low  —  Crude oil has hit a 17-month low.  National security conservatives and anti-carbon greens should get together now — before Americans readjust to inexpensive gasoline — and push through a reasonable tax on carbon-based fuels in return for an extension …