Wave of retaliation sweeps Iraq  —  Shiite bloc's threatened walkout could lead to the government's collapse.  —  BAGHDAD — Iraq's civil war worsened Friday as Shiite and Sunni Arabs engaged in retaliatory attacks after coordinated car bombings that killed more than 200 people in a Shiite neighborhood the day before.

Leaving Iraq, Honorably  —  There will be no victory or defeat for the United States in Iraq.  These terms do not reflect the reality of what is going to happen there.  The future of Iraq was always going to be determined by the Iraqis — not the Americans.  —  Iraq is not a prize to be won or lost.

Democrats Won.  We Won.  Get It?  —  I know some friends of mine really respect Tom Edsall's work, and maybe he was good once.  I don't see it.  I read some of his book 'Building Red America', and it was an analytically useless description of why the Republicans will always maintain a narrow majority.

How many more were poisoned?  —  As the deadliest poison known to man was revealed to have killed Russian exile Alexander Litvinenko, the question last night was: How many more lives could it claim?  —  The 43-year-old former KGB officer was the victim of polonium 210, a radioactive element used as a trigger in nuclear weapons.

Energy Firms Come to Terms With Climate Change  —  While the political debate over global warming continues, top executives at many of the nation's largest energy companies have accepted the scientific consensus about climate change and see federal regulation to cut greenhouse gas emissions as inevitable.

Iran and Syria Helping Hizballah Rearm  —  As Lebanon's government tries to maintain its shaky grip on power, sources tell TIME that Tehran and Damascus are shipping weapons to the militant Shi'ite group  —  Iran is smuggling weapons through Syria to re-arm Lebanese allies Hizballah …

Take Your Time, Speaker Pelosi  —  I'm getting quite irritated at the immediate reaction among white male liberal DC kewl kidz (and Maureen Dowd) to discern catty motives on the part of Nancy Pelosi.  Digby's noted it before, but it's not stopping.  Look at the first two paragraphs in an email …

Ellison seeks meeting on removal of clerics  —  Congressman-elect wants to meet with US Airways and airport heads to talk about why six imams were taken from a plane going from Minneapolis to Phoenix.  —  Congressman-elect Keith Ellison wants to meet with executives of US Airways …

Stores revert to 'Merry Christmas'  —  Wal-Mart leads way, backing off from 'happy holidays'  —  Christmas is back at Wal-Mart - not that it really ever left.  —  After testing out a generic, yet all-inclusive, "happy holidays" theme last year, the nation's largest retailer announced …

Despite a Year of Ire and Angst, Little Has Changed on Wiretaps  —  When President Bush went on national television one Saturday morning last December to acknowledge the existence of a secret wiretapping program outside the courts, the fallout was fierce and immediate.