Congressional Leaders Call on President to Reject Flawed Iraq Troop Surge  —  Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi today sent the following letter to President Bush urging him to reject his reported plan to escalate the war in Iraq by increasing troop levels …

ARE TODAY'S ELECTRONIC GADGETS WORTH THE MONEY?  USA Today says that some are and some aren't: … I'm going to be attending the Consumer Electronics Show myself, as part of the Popular Mechanics contingent — and yes, it was awfully nice of the PM folks to invite me along.

White House visitor records closed  —  WASHINGTON - The White House and the Secret Service quietly signed an agreement last spring in the midst of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal declaring that records identifying visitors to the White House are not open to the public.

The Next Top Spy  —  Negroponte's likely replacement makes civil libertarians nervous.  —  Hand Off: Bush nominates McConnell (right) to replace Negroponte as director of national intelligence  —  John Michael McConnell, the retired vice admiral slated to become America's new top spy, is known as a consummate team player.

SURGE LITE?  —  There has been considerable speculation that President Bush's new strategy for Iraq, to be announced in a televised speech next week, will feature a "surge" of additional troops on a temporary basis.  This Associated Press story suggests that the increment will be far fewer …

Pelosi: 43% Have Favorable Opinion of New House Speaker  —  Forty-three percent (43%) of Americans have a favorable opinion concerning the nation's new Speaker of the House.  The first woman to serve in that role, Nancy Pelosi (D) earns favorable reviews from 45% of women and 41% of men.

Images of Hanging Make Hussein a Martyr to Many  —  In the week since Saddam Hussein was hanged in an execution steeped in sectarian overtones, his public image in the Arab world, formerly that of a convicted dictator, has undergone a resurgence of admiration and awe.

Cleric gunned down in Gaza after plea for calm  —  GAZA (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Muslim cleric after he delivered a sermon in the Gaza Strip on Friday calling for an end to fierce factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah, hospital officials and local residents said.

AP's Editor Criticizes Those Who Questioned Iraq Source  —  NEW YORK Associated Press Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll on Friday criticized those who questioned the existence of an AP Iraq source, who was proven this week to be real, saying the scrutiny has now endangered the man's life.

Scarborough challenges O'Reilly to a debate  —  O'Reilly has been trashing NBC news lately because he's mad at Olbermann and doesn't want to say his name on the air.  How does Billy get back at Keith?  He says everybody hates George on NBC.  I know, it's stupid.

American Passports Found on Bodies of Al Qaeda Fighters in Somalia  —  Alexis Debat Reports:  —  A senior official in the Somali government's new Ministry of the Interior told ABC News government forces had recovered "dozens of foreign passports," including several American passports …

KING DAVID RETURNS  —  GEN. PETRAEUS' NEW IRAQ TEST  —  IT'S official: Dave Petraeus, one of the U.S. Army's most- impressive leaders, is headed back to Baghdad to take charge.  The assignment means a fourth star and the chance to save a desperate situation - or preside over a grim strategic failure.

AP employee found shot to death in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - The body of an Associated Press employee was found shot in the back of the head Friday, six days after he was last seen by his family leaving for work.  Ahmed Hadi Naji, 28, was the fourth AP staffer to die violently in the Iraq war …

Short-Circuiting the Surge  —  The shift in power heralded by the Democrats' assumption of control in the House and Senate yesterday could lead quickly to a direct confrontation with President Bush if he chooses, as many expect, to "surge" additional troops into Iraq.