The Loss Of American Influence  —  The news from Great Britain this morning is all abuzz about the Think Tank report that says that the new government after Tony Blair leaves office must distance itself from the United States and move more toward Europe as a matter of foreign policy survival due to the debacle that is Iraq.

BREAKING: Cheney On Libby Witness List  —  Hot off the wires from the AP: … Here are the things I'm wondering: (1) Is Cheney going to be called as a regular defense witness, or will they be calling him as a hostile witness to the defense?  —  (2) If Team Libby calls Cheney as a defense witness …

AP Covering It's Tracks  —  Kind of curious that the AP has taken their response of Nov 28th off their website.  The address that I, along with many other bloggers, linked to is this one.  —  What kind of information was given in that response? … Also they said in that response …

Conservatives fear tax-increase deal  —  The Bush administration has sent signals since last month's elections that the president is prepared to accept some tax increases on upper-income families, worrying congressional Republicans and fiscal conservative watchdogs who say he will compromise …

New Dispute Over Firing of Publisher  —  With Judith Regan's authors still reeling from their publisher's abrupt dismissal, the sparring between the headline-making Ms. Regan and her former employer, the News Corporation, grew more intense, more personal and more specific on Monday over accusations …

French troops had bin Laden in sights: documentary  —  PARIS (Reuters) - A documentary says French special forces had Osama bin Laden in their sights twice about three years ago but their U.S. superiors never ordered them to fire.  —  The French military, however, said that the incidents never happened …

U.S. Weighs Military Buildup to Warn Iran  —  The Pentagon is considering a buildup of Navy forces in the Persian Gulf as a show of force against Iran, a senior defense official said Tuesday.  —  Speaking on condition of anonymity because the idea has not been approved …

Provocative questions about Georgia sentencing injustice  —  Thanks to How Appealing, I see that both the New York Times here and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution here are discussing Genarlow Wilson (pictured here), the young Georgia man who was "sentenced to 10 years in prison without parole …

Barry Arrested, Claims He Was Targeted  —  Barry Considers Suit Against D.C., Park Police  —  WASHINGTON — Marion Barry said that he is talking to his lawyers and thinking about suing the D.C. government and the U.S. Park Police after he was stopped, arrested and then released this past Saturday.

Private U.S. team linked to jail escape  —  BAGHDAD — A once-prominent Iraqi American, jailed on corruption charges, was sprung from a Green Zone prison this weekend by U.S. security contractors he had hired, several Iraqi officials said.  —  Ayham Sameraei, a Chicago-area businessman …

Mystery Surfaces Over Apartment of Kofi Annan  —  As Secretary-General Annan prepares to leave his post at the United Nations, a mystery is surfacing surrounding his apartment on Roosevelt Island, subsidized by New York taxpayers, which is still in use by the family of his brother, Kobina Annan.

Campaign '08 Begins for U.S. House  —  Less than a month after the '06 elections that saw Democrats take the U.S. House for the first time in 12 years, Republicans are already eyeing districts they can possibly recapture in '08.  —  In New York, for example, three Republican-held House districts went …

Libertarian or Libertarian?  —  In a recent column, I discussed the disaffection of libertarians within the conservative coalition, suggesting that many might be more at home on the political left.  A number of readers wrote to say that they agreed with my analysis and had left the Republican Party for the Libertarian Party.

Bush to Expand Size of Military  —  President Bush said today that he plans to expand the size of the U.S. military to meet the challenges of a long-term global war against terrorists, a response to warnings that sustained deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched the armed forces to near the breaking point.

Wily 'court jester' is a frequent case-winner  —  Attorney Sy Gaer's courtroom antics are legendary, but the aging veteran of the defense is also known for his legal skills.  —  snesmith@MiamiHerald.com … Ladies and gentleman, Sy Gaer, a little old man who is something of a giant in courthouse circles.

Joseph Barbera, Half of Cartoon Duo, Dies at 95  —  Joseph Barbera, an innovator of animation who teamed with William Hanna to give generations of young television viewers a pantheon of beloved characters, including Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and the Flintstones, died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles.