KKK'S DAVID DUKE TELLS IRAN HOLOCAUST CONFERENCE THAT GAS CHAMBERS NOT USED TO KILL JEWS  —  Dec. 12: David Duke, former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, and former state representative in Louisiana, attends a conference on the Holocaust in Tehran.  —  TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud …

Saudis Give a Grim What If Should U.S. Opt to Leave Iraq  —  Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in any war against Iraq's Shiites if the United States pulls its troops out of Iraq, according to American and Arab diplomats.

Bush Delays Speech on Iraq Until January  —  President Bush will wait until after the holidays to speak to the nation about a new strategy in Iraq, a strategy he said today will be designed to establish a free and self-sufficient country that will be an ally in the battle against extremists.

Rodriguez defeats Bonilla  —  U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla conceded defeat to former congressman Ciro Rodriguez in a stunning upset that completed the Democratic takeover of Congress.  —  The Republican incumbent lost Bexar County for the first time in his political career Tuesday night …

DeLay: 'Hillary Will Be the Next President'  —  Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said today that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) would be elected president in 2008 and would probably tap Senate colleague Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) as her running mate.  —  DeLay met with conservative bloggers …

'Convert or die' game divides Christians  —  Some ask Wal-Mart to drop Left Behind  —  Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart …

Group seeks probe of evangelical military video  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A watchdog group that promotes religious freedom in the U.S. military accused senior officers on Monday using their rank and influence to coerce soldiers and airmen into adopting evangelical Christianity.

CNN: Bush Is 'Very Seriously' Considering Sending More Troops To Iraq  —  CNN's John King reported this afternoon that President Bush is planning a "substantial policy shift" on Iraq and is "very seriously considering...agreeing with Sen. John McCain and increasing U.S. troop levels in the short-term."

Illegal Workers Arrested In Identity Theft Sweep  —  Federal agents targeting illegal immigrants raided meatpacking plants in six states yesterday, arresting hundreds of workers on the uncommon charge of identity theft and shutting down the world's second-largest meat processing company for much of the day.

Rockin' Woolsey - the stylings of the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency  —  James Woolsey is a brainy fellow known for his strong stands in favor of energy independence and (lately) against the Iraq Study Group report.  But who knew the former DCI could get down and rock?

fidel castro Is Dead?  (Updated)  —  Been getting quite a bit of traffic via searches with "castro death" and "is castro dead" and "castro death rumors" the past couple of days so I thought I'd go ahead and clear that whole mess up right now.  —  Barring any unforeseen actions such as …

Insurgents kill AP cameraman in Mosul  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq — A cameraman working for The Associated Press was shot to death by insurgents while covering clashes Tuesday in Mosul, police said.  He was the second employee of the news cooperative killed in the northern city in less than two years.

Draft Democrats to help run Iraq  —  The president can one-up the Baker-Hamilton commission by establishing a bipartisan war council.  —  PRESIDENT BUSH should spend less time worrying about the tangled politics of Iraq and more time mastering the equally fractured politics of Washington.

Nigeria considers same-sex marriage ban  —  LAGOS, Nigeria — Lawmakers in Nigeria are debating a bill that would ban same-sex marriage and any form of association among gays, even sharing a meal at a restaurant.  —  Few in Nigeria's deeply closeted gay community have publicly opposed the legislation …

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FASCIST  —  The decadent whims of the world's wackiest despots  —  They're quirky, vibrant, and they march to the beat of their own military drums, when they're not off committing crimes against humanity.  Since time immemorial, autocrats, absolute monarchs …