Hezbollah Said to Help Shiite Army in Iraq  —  A senior American intelligence official said Monday that the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah had been training members of the Mahdi Army, the Iraqi Shiite militia led by Moktada al-Sadr.  —  The official said that 1,000 to 2,000 fighters …

Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker  —  The U.S. military is no longer able to defeat a bloody insurgency in western Iraq or counter al-Qaeda's rising popularity there, according to newly disclosed details from a classified Marine Corps intelligence report that set off debate in recent months …

Bush Edges Closer to Iran Talks  —  WASHINGTON — A December 7 summit at Riyadh may be the first venue for the Bush administration to negotiate directly with Iran and Syria in an effort to reduce the bloodshed in Iraq.  —  The State Department has been reviewing ways to "get Iran to be helpful on Iraq" …

How the imams terrorized an airliner  —  Muslim religious leaders removed from a Minneapolis flight last week exhibited behavior associated with a security probe by terrorists and were not merely engaged in prayers, according to witnesses, police reports and aviation security officials.

FBI To Lead Johnston Investigation  —  Officials say the FBI will lead an investigation into the fatal shooting of an elderly Atlanta woman during a drug raid last week.  —  The announcement was made by Police Chief Richard Pennington at a news conference Monday afternoon …

STATES, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARGUE FOR PRIMACY IN GLOBAL WARMING FIGHT  —  WASHINGTON — The debate over whether humans are to blame for Earth's rising temperatures isn't decided yet, but it is quickly being eclipsed by a new argument over who should manage global warming policy in the United States.

From Beirut to Baghdad  —  THE GHASTLY PREDICTABILITY OF NIHILIST VIOLENCE.  —  The fate of those who criticize the Syrian presence in Lebanon is rather like the fate of those who oppose Vladimir Putin.  The former are shot or blown up, and the latter are victims of exotic poisons.

Likability poll bad news for Kerry  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Sen. John Kerry, mulling a second bid for the U.S. presidency, finished dead last in a poll released on Monday on the likability of 20 top American political figures.  —  Among those placing ahead of Kerry …

Justice Dept. to Examine Its Use of NSA Wiretaps  —  Review Won't Address Program's Legality  —  The Justice Department's inspector general yesterday announced an investigation into the department's connections to the government's controversial warrantless surveillance program …

Who's unhinged now?  —  You could have seen this coming a mile away.  —  With Democrats poised to take control of Congress, Iraq now officially a "civil war" (in most quarters), and George W. Bush becoming the lamest duck to waddle through the Oval Office in recent memory …

Dems won over Latino voters, study says  —  Latino voters leaned heavily Democratic in the recent midterm elections, indicating the heated debate over immigration reform may have cost Republicans support in some key races, an analysis released Monday indicates.

HOUSE INTELLIGENCE UPDATE....In the soap opera that is the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, the latest chatter is that instead of selecting compromise candidate Silvestre Reyes, perhaps Nancy Pelosi should dig even deeper and select compromise-compromise candidate Rush Holt.

American Legion to Congressman Rangel: Apologize Now  —  The National Commander of The American Legion called on Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) to apologize for suggesting that American troops would not choose to fight in Iraq if they had other employment options.

CQ Analyst Suggests 'Rumsfeld's Leaving Is Just The Beginning,' Cheney Might Be Next  —  Appearing on MSNBC this afternoon, Congressional Quarterly political analyst Craig Crawford speculated that, as "neocons are heading for the hills," Dick Cheney may be the next to leave the administration.

Women talk three times as much as men, says study  —  It is something one half of the population has long suspected - and the other half always vocally denied.  Women really do talk more than men.  —  In fact, women talk almost three times as much as men, with the average woman chalking …

CENTRISM....Yes, centrism can be a tic.  Yes, it's often favored by DC pundits who automatically assume that bipartisanship is an inherent good regardless of its outcome.  Yes, it can sometimes be a substitute for real thought.  —  That said, I hope the liberal blogosphere doesn't get into the habit …