Bush Expresses Caution on Key Points in Iraq Panel's Report  —  President Bush moved quickly on Thursday to distance himself from the central recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group: pulling back all combat brigades over the next 15 months and direct talks with Iran and Syria.

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.

Ex-KGB spy 'was poisoned in hotel'  —  As Alexander Litvinenko was buried yesterday investigators revealed that they now suspect that the former Kremlin spy was poisoned in the bar of a luxury London hotel when he met two Russian businessmen.  —  All seven bar staff working at the Pine Bar …

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.

Video: Steyn slams the AP and Iraq Study Group on O'Reilly  —  Our subject is bias: anti-Bush in the case of the American press and anti-American in the case of too many Iraqi stringers.  No mention of Jamilgate specifically, alas, but he does refer to Bilal Hussein, whose scandal is sexier anyway.

Anti-Abortion Bill Stalls; Session Nears End  —  The House on Wednesday rejected an anti-abortion measure offered by Republicans as Congressional leaders struggled to bring the 109th Congress to a close.  —  On a 250-to-162 vote, backers of the measure fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary …

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.

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.

Interview with David Card  —  David Card seems like a pretty mild-mannered guy.  True, he speaks with conviction, but it is confidence backed by meticulous research and tempered with open acknowledgment of the limits of that research.  Card, an economist  —  at the University of California, Berkeley, is the antithesis of a zealot.

European Socialists eager to work with U.S. Democrats  —  OPORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - European Socialists promised on Thursday to work to rebuild Europe's strategic alliance with the United States now that the Democrats control Congress after last month's elections.

Mugabe joins massive diamond rush  —  A British-listed mining company, the first to invest in bankrupt Zimbabwe since the political crisis began, was ordered off its valuable diamond claim yesterday.  —  While President Robert Mugabe has seized thousands of white-owned farms since 2000 he has, up until now, left mining property alone.

Long a Laggard, Wages Start to Outpace Prices  —  After four years in which pay failed to keep pace with price increases, wages for most American workers have begun rising significantly faster than inflation.  —  With energy prices now sharply lower than a few months ago …

Internet fuels rise in number of jailed journalists  —  CPJ census also finds more held without charge or due process … CPJ believes that journalists should not be imprisoned for doing their jobs.  The organization has sent letters expressing its serious concerns to each country that has imprisoned a journalist.

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 …