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.

Re: This could kill New Orleans (Score: 1)  —  I have multiple ideas.  I'm thinking about official leverage, unofficial leverage.  Public PR and underground PR.  —  Also Counterintuitive across the crazysphere reaching  —  Official Public PR Leverage.  Someone who is a press darling needs to say something strong.

Poloniumania: British cops eye shadowy group of former Russian agents; Update: Killer ID'd?  —  Loose cannons or Putin puppets with just enough independence to give him plausible deniability? … That article's five days old but the Telegraph has new info on Dignity and Honor in today's issue …

Workers a thorny issue for Romney  —  The Massachusetts governor's lawn crew included illegal immigrants, a newspaper reports.  —  BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a 2008 GOP presidential aspirant and an outspoken critic of illegal immigration, apparently employed undocumented landscape workers at his home near Boston.

AIDS fight needs churches, Obama says  —  Senator disagrees on condom issue, but tells evangelicals that moral guidance is needed.  —  U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois told more than 2,000 evangelical leaders in Orange County on Friday that he "respectfully but unequivocally" …

Gaza women warned of immodesty  —  A hitherto unknown group calling itself the Just Swords of Islam issued a warning to Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip over the weekend that they must wear the hijab or face being targeted by the group's members.  —  In pamphlets distributed in various parts …

Living Memories of Bound Feet, War and Chaos in China  —  WANG ZAIBAN, CENTER, WITH WU XIUZHEN, LEFT  —  AT ages 84 and 83, Wang Zaiban and Wu Xiuzhen are old women, and their feet are historical artifacts.  They are among the dwindling number of women in China from the era when bound feet …

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.

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.

Jowell hints at tax rises as Olympics bill soars  —  Tessa Jowell raised the prospect of tax rises to fund the Olympics yesterday as a senior insider gave a warning that the final bill would be £12 billion, more than four times the original estimate.  —  The Culture Secretary …

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 …

Sears, Valentino, and "Symbolic Racism"  —  Dave Noon writes more about race and southern politics following up on the discussion launched by Rick Perlstein's article on the subject: … I read the Valentino and Sears paper yesterday, and I think it's plausibly true that the authors are biased against Republicans.

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. …

The Worst President Ever  —  The face of the worst President in U.S. history?  —  Eric Foner (DeWitt Clinton professor of history at Columbia University), wrote an interesting op-ed for today's Washington Post.  The topic: rankings of US Presidents.  Who are the worst Presidents in U.S. history and who are the best?

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 …