Al Qaeda Sends a Message to Democrats  —  Brian Ross and Hoda Osman Report:  —  Al Qaeda has sent a message to leaders of the Democratic party that credit for the defeat of congressional Republicans belongs to the terrorists.  —  In a portion of the tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man …

Rape Charges Dropped in Duke Case  —  DURHAM, N.C.  —  Prosecutors dropped rape charges Friday against three Duke University lacrosse players accused of attacking a stripper at a team party, but the three still face kidnapping and sexual offense charges.  —  According to court papers filed Friday …

Polls for the Republican Nomination  —  Pollster.com has an interesting summary of the poll standings for the Republican nomination in 2008.  It makes the point, largely overlooked by political writers of all stripes, that Rudy Giuliani has been leading John McCain in the large majority of polls, albeit usually by narrow margins.

Big Pharma's Profit Pursuit Means Fewer New Drugs, Report Says  —  Although drug makers typically justify the high cost of medicines by citing research expenses, a new government report says their research investments are mostly funding highly profitable modifications of existing drug designs, not new treatments.

Carter's about-face betrays Jews, Christians  —  We are in that season when Jews celebrate one of their few successful rebellions against oppression.  Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.  How ironic, then, that Jewish-Americans are embroiled in a grim struggle …

Ellison: Lawmaker has 'a lot to learn about Islam' … WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Virginia lawmaker criticized for writing an "Islamophobic" letter to his constituents would be wise to learn more about Islam, the first Muslim elected to Congress said Thursday.  —  Minnesota Rep.-elect Keith …

Pundits lose grip on reality when dealing with the Internet  —  What is it about the Internet that makes some political pundits, columnists and reporters so goofy?  It seems like almost every time I read a mainstream media story about political Web sites and bloggers, the pieces are full of ill-informed junk.

Spending freeze targets pet projects for members of Congress  —  WASHINGTON - Democratic leaders in the new Congress plan to strip funding for thousands of pet projects for individual members, a big display of fiscal discipline they say will help cut deficits and curb spending abuses.

"Media Matters"; by Jamison Foser  —  Cat videos — unlike NBC News — don't impart conservative misinformation  —  Time magazine's selection of "You" as its "Person of the Year" has — justifiably — drawn criticism.  —  Writing for CJR Daily, for example, Christian Vachon argued …

Bickering Saudis Struggle for an Answer to Iran's Rising Influence in the Middle East  —  At a late-night reading this week, a self-styled poet raised his hand for silence and began a riff on neighboring Iraq, in the old style of Bedouin storytellers.  —  "Saddam Hussein was a real leader …

News of a Sleighing  —  This just in: Santa Claus is coming to town.  —  Sunday is Christmas Eve.  It feels wrong to speak here of small and sentimental things such as politics.  The most passionately committed Americans right now, and the most imaginative, are children waiting for a large laughing man with a full white beard.

Lovely.  —  According to Network World's Paul McNamara, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Todd Shriber, hired two 'hackers' to break into the computer of his alma mater, Texas Christian University, and change his college grades.

Most outrageous comments of 2006  —  How extreme were conservative commentators in their remarks this year?  How about calls to nuke the Middle East and an allegation that a "gay ... mafia" used the congressional page program as its own "personal preserve."