For Bush, Advances But Not Approval  —  The war in Iraq seems to have taken a turn for the better and the opposition at home has failed in all efforts to impose its own strategy.  North Korea is dismantling its nuclear program.  The budget deficit is falling.

Mideast Conference Nears, With Few Plans  —  'No One Seems to Know What Is Happening,' Arab Envoy Says  —  A few days after Thanksgiving, President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plan to open a meeting in Annapolis to launch the first round of substantive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks during Bush's presidency.

U.S. Cites Drop In Attacks Since Buildup in Iraq; Bombs Kill 20  —  U.S. officials on Sunday declared a 55 percent drop in attacks since the launch of an offensive nine months ago, while bombs across Iraq killed at least 20 people, highlighting the country's continuing security threats.

McCain Takes On Clinton, With an Eye to Civility  —  Senator John McCain tried Sunday night to make the case that he was best positioned to defeat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a general election, outlining a series of contrasts with her on issues including national security and health care.

U.S. Hopes to Arm Pakistani Tribes Against Al Qaeda  —  A new and classified American military proposal outlines an intensified effort to enlist tribal leaders in the frontier areas of Pakistan in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as part of a broader effort to bolster Pakistani forces …

Mi Casa, Sue Casa  —  Nancy Pelosi tries to force the Salvation Army to hire people who can't speak English.  —  It's been less than a week since New York's Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Eliot Spitzer had to climb down from their support of driver's licenses for illegal aliens.

Democrats Say They Won't Back Down on War  —  Democrats in Congress failed once again Friday to shift President Bush's war strategy in Iraq, but insisted that they would not let up.  Their explanation for their latest foiled effort seemed to boil down to a simple question: "What else are we supposed to do?"

Baghdad by night — juice bars, neon lights, bustling streets  —  The gaudy orange, green and purple electronic palm trees flashing in the dark alert you that you're getting close to one of Baghdad's bustling nightspots.  —  The palms, like a mirage, can be seen from way down the darkened streets …

State Dept. Tries Blog Diplomacy  —  T he State Department, departing from traditional public diplomacy techniques, has what it calls a three-person, "digital outreach team" posting entries in Arabic on "influential" Arabic blogs to challenge misrepresentations of the United States …

Kosovo warned over independence  —  Foreign ministers from several EU countries have urged Kosovo Albanians not to declare unilateral independence following Saturday's elections.  —  Independence without foreign support could isolate Kosovo, they warned.  —  A party led by a former Kosovo …

McCarthy=Bad  —  But the truth is more complicated.  —  Blacklisted by History  —  The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies  —  by M. Stanton Evans  —  Crown Forum, 672 pp., $29.95 … M. Stanton Evans is a conservative who has been highly esteemed …

TV AD: "CHUCK NORRIS APPROVED"  —  Proven Leader.  Authentic Conservative.  — Contribute  —  Forward this ad to your friends, family members and co-workers.  —  100 diggs by 5pm?  Keep the momentum going.  —  Make a contribution to get this ad on the air near you.

War on Terror Conversations: Fred Thompson [Video]  —  In the first Pajamas Media War on Terror Conversation, Presidential candidate Fred Thompson discusses the current situations in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.  The senator/actor also explains why he thinks the recent Hollywood anti-war films are box office failures.

It's one small step from Brown's paranoid state into a police one  —  Britain is not a police state but a nation with police state tendencies.  In any democracy the dictates of freedom wrestle with those of security.  Britons are a liberal people who want to be safe.