Rumsfeld Memo Proposed 'Major Adjustment' in Iraq  —  Two days before he resigned as defense secretary, Donald H. Rumsfeld submitted a classified memo to the White House that acknowledged that the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq was not working and called for a major course correction.

He's The Worst Ever  —  Ever since 1948, when Harvard professor Arthur Schlesinger Sr. asked 55 historians to rank U.S. presidents on a scale from "great" to "failure," such polls have been a favorite pastime for those of us who study the American past.  —  Changes in presidential rankings reflect shifts in how we view history.

ABOUT THOSE IMAMS  —  WHY U.S. AIRWAYS KICKED 'EM OFF FLIGHT  —  THE notorious case of U.S. Airways Flight 300 gets stranger by the minute, as more facts emerge about why six traveling Muslim clerics were asked to deplane.  —  A passenger on that flight - I'll call her "Pauline" …

Kerry to postpone decision on '08 run  —  Associates say 'joke' fallout stunned him  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John F. Kerry's election-eve "botched joke" about the war in Iraq — and the fierce denunciations his comments drew from fellow Democrats — has led him to reevaluate whether to mount …

WITLESS 'WISDOM'  —  BAKER'S WORTHLESS IRAQ ADVICE  —  YES, it's been quite a week for the 10 members of the Iraq Study Group, the committee formed last spring to offer recommendations on a path forward in Iraq.  —  They had a wonderfully invigorating leak session the other day with The New York Times …

Next Chairman for Intelligence Opposed War  —  Representative Nancy Pelosi, the incoming House speaker, sent a strong new signal on Friday that Democrats intend to confront the White House by naming a Texas congressman who opposed the war in Iraq as the next chairman of the House intelligence committee.

Bush to Meet With Head of Iraq Shiite Party  —  The White House said Friday that President Bush would meet next week with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head of one of the most powerful Shiite parties in Iraq, the latest step in a burst of new administration attempts to try different approaches to bolstering the fragile Iraqi government.

Congressman faulted for Quran at oath  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Keith Ellison, who will become the first Muslim member of Congress next month, has offended some conservatives with his plan to use the Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in.  The decision by Ellison, D-Minn. …

Castro Absent From Cuban Military Parade  —  Fidel Castro Remains Absent From Military Parade Marking 50th Anniversary of Cuban Revolution  —  HAVANA Dec 2, 2006 (AP)— A military parade marking the 50th anniversary of the date Fidel Castro and fellow rebels landed in Cuba to launch …

Commercial insurer to pull out of area  —  Businesses fear Travelers' move will put the brakes on recovery  —  St. Paul Travelers Cos.  Inc., Louisiana's largest commercial insurance provider, plans to cancel all its commercial property policies in the New Orleans area next year …

Afghanistan Opium Crop Sets Record  —  U.S.-Backed Efforts At Eradication Fail  —  Opium production in Afghanistan, which provides more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, broke all records in 2006, reaching a historic high despite ongoing U.S.-sponsored eradication efforts, the Bush administration reported yesterday.

In U.S., fear and distrust of Muslims runs deep  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters)- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.