Romney: Muslims not needed in Cabinet  —  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, asked about putting a Muslim in his presidential Cabinet, said that he "cannot see that a Cabinet position would be justified" based on the percentage of Muslims in the U.S., according to an Islamic businessman …

Extreme right wing Phil Kline investigated by KCTV5  —  You may know of Phil Kline by his numerous appearances with Bill O'Reilly and his constant attacks on Planned Parenthood.  You'd think he would have won his election against Paul Morrison because of all the free publicity, but he got defeated.

Time Magazine Circles The Wagons Around Joe Klein  —  I've spent all morning on the phone trying to figure out who the editor at Time Magazine was on Joe Klein's FISA column (the one Klein has now written about five times, fully admitting he never read the original bill).

Police and Protesters Clash Near Paris  —  Dodging rocks and projectiles, the police lined the streets of this tense suburb Tuesday where angry youths have vowed to seek revenge for the deaths of two teenagers who died in a weekend collision with a police car.

EPIPHANY  —  Over the Thanksgiving holiday I was looking at some polling charts at pollster.com.  And I had what I can only call a computational epiphany.  Those of us who are watching the races at least somewhat closely know that the basic tension in the Republican race is that Rudy Giuliani …

Gingrich Predicts Obama in Iowa  —  ABC News' Ed O'Keefe Reports: Newt Gingrich predicts Barack Obama will win the hotly contested vote in Iowa, saying the junior Senator from Illinois will motivate more energized supported than the former First Lady.  —  "My guess is Senator Obama's …

An Edgy Calm in Fallujah  —  FALLUJAH, IRAQ - "You're probably safer here than you are in New York City," said Marine First Lieutenant Barry Edwards when I arrived in Fallujah.  I raised my eyebrows at him skeptically.  "How many people got shot at last night in New York City?" he said.

Gang rape in Annapolis  —  It is fitting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice chose the U.S. Naval Academy for the venue of today's so-called Mideast peace conference.  The reputation of that extraordinary institution in Annapolis has been sullied in recent years by a succession of rapes of young women.

The Rise of Family-Friendly Cities  —  It's lifestyle, not lattés, that our most productive workers want.  —  For much of the past decade, business recruiters, cities and urban developers have focused on the "young and restless," the "creative class," and the so-called "yuspie"—the young urban single professional.

Politics Creates Odd Pair: Sanchez and Democrats  —  It may be among the strangest of political alliances: a former commanding general in Iraq, blocked from a fourth star and forced into retirement partly for his role in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, and the speaker of the House, desperate to end a war that the general helped start.

Follow the Fundamentals  —  Lou Dobbs is winning.  He's not winning personally.  He's not going to start winning presidential awards or elite respect.  But his message is winning.  Month by month the ideas that once prevailed on the angry fringe enter the mainstream and turn into conventional wisdom.

Most Democratic candidates are ignoring African Americans  —  Can Democrats get the votes they need simply because they're not Republicans?  You might think so in this presidential campaign.  African-American and urban votes are critical to any Democratic victory.

Out of Spotlight, Giuliani Embraces Convicted Moneyman  —  Avni Patel and Richard Esposito Report:  —  A Pennsylvania man convicted in a notorious corruption case played host to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at a fundraiser last night, despite the Giuliani campaign's public efforts to distance itself from the man.

YouTube stops account of Egypt anti-torture activist  —  The video-sharing Web site YouTube has suspended the account of a prominent Egyptian anti-torture activist who posted videos of what he said was brutal behaviour by some Egyptian policemen, the activist said.

Verizon Wireless To Introduce 'Any Apps, Any Device' Option For Customers In 2008  —  New Open Development Initiative Will Accelerate Innovation and Growth  —  BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced that it will provide customers the option to use, on its nationwide wireless network …