IRAQ 'APPEASE' SQUEEZE ON W.  —  * PANEL KISSES UP TO IRAN & SYRIA  —  * PLAN WOULD PULL TROOPS OUT IN '08  —  What do you think of the report's recommendations?  Click the discussion board link below the photo to post your comments.  —  WASHINGTON - The Iraq Study Group report delivered …

President Bush Meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair  —  Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building  —  PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all.  Please be seated.  I just had a good visit with Prime Minister Tony Blair.  I appreciate you coming back, Mr. Prime Minister.

NEW MEXICO GOV. BILL RICHARDSON: 'I AM RUNNING' IN 2008  —  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to formally file papers to form a presidential exploratory committee in January.  But today he told FOX News "I am running," as he described the professional and personal experiences that he believes have prepared him for the job.

McCain Continues to Win Over Bush Insiders  —  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) continues to recruit top GOP political operatives in expectation of a presidential run.  According to a source close to the McCain operation, the candidate has lined up Terry Nelson to serve as campaign manager …

US Congress struggles to break final logjam before adjourning  —  WASHINGTON: The bipartisan drive to bring the 109th session of Congress to an end slowed as the lawmakers struggled with the finale, a catchall bill covering everything from tax breaks for college tuition to normal trade relations with Vietnam.

Groups Mixed on Mary Cheney's Pregnancy  —  Conservative leaders voiced dismay Wednesday at news that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Dick Cheney, is pregnant, while a gay-rights group said the vice president faces "a lifetime of sleepless nights" for serving in an administration that has opposed recognition of same-sex couples.

Lean Left?  Lean Right?  News Media May Take Their Cues From Customers  —  When Matt Lauer declared on the "Today" show last week that NBC would start referring to the conflict in Iraq as a "civil war," he inadvertently started his own civil war within the news media.

Saudis reportedly funding Iraqi Sunnis  —  CAIRO, Egypt - Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq and much of the money is used to buy weapons, including shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles, according to key Iraqi officials and others familiar with the flow of cash.

Dean: Dems should keep out Buchanan  —  WASHINGTON - Republican Vern Buchanan might be the official winner in a messy Sarasota-area congressional race, but Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean says the Democratic-controlled Congress should not seat Buchanan without another election.

Is It January Yet?  —  Not that I want to rush right past Christmas morning at our house or anything (because, really, The Peanut is at the perfect age this year where the whole tree and lights and Santa are magic, and that is a LOT of fun)...but I've spent a little time trying to figure …

Arabs Say Report Shows Bush's Failure  —  Many Arabs on Thursday interpreted an American advisory panel's bleak assessment of President Bush's Iraq policies as proof of Washington's failure in the Middle East.  —  But others worried about the consequences if the U.S. follows …

Top Ten Funniest Political Moments Of 2006  —  Try to name the funniest moments in politics this year, and you'll immediately think of violent assaults with deadly, hilarious weapons.  Yes, this was the year that politics met broad physical humor.  And crime.  Lots and lots of crime.

Democratic Wave in Congress Further Erodes Moderation in GOP  —  Iowa Rep. Jim Leach (R) seemed a natural to weather voters' antiwar sentiment this fall.  His independent streak and moderate views had engendered the allegiance of his Democratic-leaning district for the past 30 years …