Bush accepts Bolton's U.N. resignation  —  WASHINGTON - Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his temporary appointment expires within weeks, the White House said Monday.  —  Bolton's nomination has languished in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee …

If Supreme Court Justices Were Rock Stars  —  (What, you mean they aren't?)  —  This parlor game emerged from dinner table discussions at the Schmooze.  Match Supreme Court Justices with the Rock/Pop/Country artist who has the same basic "style" in their opinion writing, and give your reasons.

So Now What, Mr. President?  —  Folks used to wonder why he didn't push into Baghdad.  Baker doesn't hear that question much anymore.  —  George W. Bush was doing everything he doesn't usually like to do.  He was traveling in foreign lands (when Bush campaigns, he likes to fly home every night to sleep in his own bed).

Congress open to passing bill on immigration  —  Congress will approve an immigration bill that will grant citizenship rights to most of the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S. after Democrats take control next month, predict both sides on Capitol Hill.

U.S. Report Finds Dismal Training of Afghan Police  —  Five years after the fall of the Taliban, a joint report by the Pentagon and the State Department has found that the American-trained police force in Afghanistan is largely incapable of carrying out routine law enforcement work …

Breaking The Furniture  —  This is going to keep me up tonight: … I know that all the tough guys on the right will say that Padilla is just being a typical whining malcontent but I have a feeling that most of them would crumble into blubbering babies after five minutes in his position.

Daschle Will Not Seek Presidency  —  He served as a senator representing South Dakotans in Washington for more than 25 years and has invested more than a year laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign.  —  Tom Daschle was expected to make a decision about running for president …

A Split in the GOP Tent  —  Republicans are good at reinvention.  They have appealed to voters' dark side (Nixon's Southern strategy) as well as to their sunny side (Reagan's "Morning in America").  They have skipped from anti-government populism (Newt Gingrich and the leave-us-alone coalition) …

Bush Is Weighing Options for New Strategy in Iraq, Aide Says  —  Hadley Says Previously Rejected Ideas Are on Table, Including Suggestions in Rumsfeld's Memo  —  Nearly four years after invading Iraq, President Bush is sorting through an array of options — none of them easy — for a way out …

Global Warming Gag Order  —  Senators to Exxon: Shut up, and pay up.  —  Washington has no shortage of bullies, but even we can't quite believe an October 27 letter that Senators Jay Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe sent to ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson.  Its message: Start toeing the Senators' line on climate change, or else.

Censorship fears rise as Iran blocks access to top websites  —  Iran yesterday shut down access to some of the world's most popular websites.  Users were unable to open popular sites including Amazon.com and YouTube following instructions to service providers to filter them.

Biden charms local GOP  —  It was unlike most Columbia Rotary Club luncheons.  —  The speaker was U.S. Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, a likely candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.  —  The chief topic: the Iraq war.  —  The audience: predominantly Republican.

Democrats Who Opposed War Move Into Key Positions  —  New Committee Chairmen Had Warned of Postwar Disorder  —  Although given little public credit at the time, or since, many of the 126 House Democrats who spoke out and voted against the October 2002 resolution that gave President Bush authority …

Anger at UN chief's Iraq comments  —  Iraq's national security adviser says he is shocked by UN head Kofi Annan's suggestion that the average Iraqi is worse off than under Saddam Hussein.  —  Mouwaffaq al-Rubaie also accused the UN of shying away from its responsibility towards the Iraqi people.

Honoring Norman Borlaug  —  This network has already lauded Norman Borlaug, the recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize.  C.S. Prakash, professor of plant molecular genetics at Tuskegee University, is urging passage of H. R. 4924, the Congressional Tribute to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Act of 2006.