Kennedy drops support for a Kerry presidential run in '08  —  WASHINGTON —Senator Edward M. Kennedy Monday dropped his public commitment to support Senator John F. Kerry in a 2008 presidential race, saying that he won't wait "indefinitely" for Kerry to declare his intentions while the Democratic primary field takes shape.

Poor Bush had a week that reeked  —  DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF  —  WASHINGTON - For a wounded President locked in a lethal downward spiral ever since his reelection, it was the cruelest week of all.  —  Not since Bill Clinton forlornly insisted that "the President is still relevant" …

Iran students heckle Ahmadinejad  —  Iranian students have disrupted a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a prestigious Tehran university, setting fire to his picture and heckling him.  —  "Some students chanted radical slogans and inflamed the atmosphere of the meeting" …

The Blogosphere is the Last Refuge of a Scoundrel  —  Call me crazy, but the blog launched today under Tom DeLay's name — he said tonight on Hardball that he's not actually writing it ("I'm not a very good writer") — is not half-bad.  I'm not saying that it's great, or that it will even be accepted …

Ohio Rep. Kucinich to run for president  —  CLEVELAND - Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2004, said Monday he is planning another bid because his party isn't pushing hard enough to end the Iraq war.  —  In a statement, Kucinich said he plans …

Annan Criticizes U.S. in Farewell Speech  —  U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his farewell address, criticized the Bush administration, warning that America must not sacrifice its Democratic ideals while waging war against terrorism.  —  In remarks prepared for delivery Monday …

Hamas confirms meeting with group of Democrats  —  Leader claims U.S. party willing to hold dialogue with terrorists  —  TEL AVIV - A key Hamas official has confirmed reports from last week the terror group held meetings with "important Democrats."  —  Ahmed Yousuf, chief political advisor …

NY critics name "United 93" as best picture  —  NEW YORK (Reuters) - "United 93," a tense drama focusing on one of the hijacked planes used in the September 11 attacks, won the best picture prize on Monday in the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.  —  The awards, the third major film honors …

Pastor resigns over homosexuality  —  In a tearful videotaped message Sunday to his congregation, the senior pastor of a thriving evangelical megachurch in south metro Denver confessed to sexual relations with other men and announced he had voluntarily resigned his pulpit.

Unfit for Leadership  —  In case anyone missed it this weekend, CNN reported that Rahm Emanuel, former head of the DCCC and now designated to chair the House Democratic Caucus, was aware of suspicious Mark Foley emails to pages in 2005.  Justin Rood at TPM Muckracker says:

Olmert indicates Israel has nuclear capability  —  In a move unprecedented by any Israeli leader, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday included Israel in a list of nuclear nations.  —  In an interview with the German television network SAT 1, Olmert was asked about the statement …

Beat The Press Correction  —  The staff of Greater Boston made an error on the Dec. 8 "Beat The Press" program in reporting on bloggers accepting money from political campaigns.  Reporter John Carroll quoted a My DD posting written by Jonathan Singer who claimed that he was actually …

The Big Lie About the Middle East  —  Tell James Baker: Arab nations don't care about the Palestinians  —  No sensible person is against peacemaking in the Holy Land.  Applause and hopefulness would seem the reasonable reaction to the Iraq Study Group's recommendation that the Bush Administration …

Iran opens conference questioning the Holocaust  —  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran opened a conference on Monday to examine the Holocaust and question whether Nazi Germany used gas chambers to kill Jews, drawing condemnation in the West and criticism from Iran's Jewish community.

Once Just a Sweet Birthday Treat, the Cupcake Becomes a Cause  —  Once a cupcake wasn't something to think about.  It was just what your mom brought to school for your birthday.  But this year, as schools across the country begin enforcing new federally mandated "wellness policies," many are banning the little treats.

Fred Barnes hopes the "lame Duck" Bush bombs Iran on the way out the door  —  Only on FOX NEWS do we get this type of warmongering.  —  Video-WMP Video-QT … That's just wonderful.  Bomb Iran and leave it for the next president to clean up.  That's the type of spot on analysis that makes Fred Barnes a true American hero.

Augusto Pinochet, 1915-2006  —  FAREWELL TO THE PERPETRATOR OF ONE OF THE MOST SHOCKING CRIMES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.  —  Just a short walk from my apartment in Washington, D.C., is the memorial at Sheridan Circle to the murdered Orlando Letelier, a Chilean exile and former foreign minister …

Outbreaks Reveal Food Safety Net's Holes  —  Produce Growers Balk At Calls for Regulation  —  First it was spinach.  Then tomatoes.  Now possibly green onions.  —  Over the past three months, fresh produce has been the culprit in one episode of food-borne illness after another …