Pentagon Review Sees Three Options in Iraq  —  More Training of Iraqi Troops a Likely Focus  —  The Pentagon's closely guarded review of how to improve the situation in Iraq has outlined three basic options: Send in more troops, shrink the force but stay longer, or pull out, according to senior defense officials.

Envisioning U.S. Talks With Iran and Syria  —  IN Washington these days, an idea the White House once treated as anathema is suddenly gaining currency: to sit down and talk directly to Iran and Syria.  —  Tony Blair is recommending it.  The Iraq Study Group headed by James Baker and Lee Hamilton may do so, too.

Schwarzenegger searches for a role in '08  —  Barred from running for president, he hopes his centrist, cooperative style could carry some influence in the GOP presidential campaign.  —  He can't run for president — the Constitution forbids it.  —  He won't camp out in Iowa or New Hampshire …

"Kramer's" Racist Tirade — Caught on Tape  —  WARNING: WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE IS PROFANE AND RACIAL  —  Michael Richards exploded in anger as he performed at a famous L.A. comedy club last Friday, hurling racial epithets that left the crowd gasping, and TMZ has obtained exclusive video of the ugly incident.

Fox News Channel preps right-leaning satire  —  Fox News Channel might air two episodes of a "Daily Show"-like program with a decidedly nonliberal bent on Saturday nights in late January, with the possibility that it could become a weekly show for the channel.

Preferences Forever?  —  The University of Michigan's president does her best George Wallace impersonation.  —  Michigan voters struck a blow for equality this month, when 58% of them approved an amendment to the state constitution banning racial discrimination in public universities and contracting.

The 'Confession'  —  An illiterate double-murder's killer book.  —  Just thinking aloud here, but what do you suppose the reaction of Fox News and the Murdoch press would be if Black Entertainment Television had commissioned a lucrative tie-in for O.J. Simpson, and had sat …

Why Does the Non-Southern Strategy Drive People Batty?  —  It is increasingly clear to me that either my non-southern strategy argument causes people to take leave of their senses (particularly their mathematical abilities), or they simply refuse to accept compelling and mounting evidence as fact.

Republicans plot to bring down Pelosi ... and Clinton with her  —  New Speaker's embarrassing week has made it easier for her opponents to attack  —  Republican strategists plotting their party's comeback after it lost control of Congress have identified the "first lady" …

Anti-War Activists Plan 'Global Orgasm For Peace'  —  (CBS/AP) SAN FRANCISCO Two peace activists have planned a massive anti-war demonstration for the first day of winter.  —  But they don't want you marching in the streets.  They'd much rather you just stay home.

CRITICS TO KICK RUDY PATOOTIE  —  NY FOES TARGET 'AMERICA'S MAYOR' IMAGE  —  Some of Rudy Giuliani's fiercest city critics are set to launch "swift boat"-type strikes to inform voters around the nation about the former mayor's behavior before 9/11, The Post has learned.

Going to Bat for Bolton  —  Just for fun, I thought I'd turn the tables on a blog dedicated to stopping Bolton's nomination.  I'm not going to link to it - the knaves - but I will tell you it's a group affiliated with The World Federalist Movement, those lovely folk dedicated to the takeover of the US by the UN.

YES, THINGS CAN GET WORSE....After running through all the options available to us in Iraq and acknowledging that they have little chance of succeeding, Suzanne Nossel briefly raises a point that gets nowhere near enough attention: … Conventional wisdom tacitly assumes that the worst …