On the Jewish Question  —  Herewith some thoughts about tomorrow's Annapolis peace conference, and the larger problem of how to approach the Israel-Palestine conflict.  The first question (one might think it is obvious but apparently not) is, "What is the conflict about?"

Novak on Clinton-Obama, 'Prince of Darkness'  —  The transcript follows.  —  Robert D. Novak: Robert Novak standing by...  Floris, Va.: Here's what I've never understood about the Valerie Plame Wilson issue.  Most reporters don't print information without having at least two sources.

77 Police Officers Injured in Paris- Rioters Using Shotguns!  —  The rampaging youth are shooting at police with shotguns.  —  BBC has video of the street warfare HERE.  —  Young residents of Villiers-le-Bel, a northern Paris suburb, vandalize an abandoned police car during clashes late Monday, Nov. 26, 2007.

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 …

Confident Clinton Takes Aim At Attackers  —  Hillary Clinton Tells Katie Couric Time To "Draw Contrasts" With Her Rivals  —  (CBS) With the Iowa caucus just over a month away, CBS News anchor Katie Couric sat down for an exclusive interview with Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton.

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.

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.

Escort Throws Cold Water On Lott Rumor  —  A San Antonio-based gay male escort categorically denied Monday that outgoing GOP Sen. Trent Lott had ever procured his services, putting to bed one of the more stunning rumors to emerge following Lott's announcement earlier in the day that he was leaving Congress.

GOP Comeback Climb Is Increasingly Steep  —  Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott's resignation announcement on Monday was the latest in a wave of retirements to hit congressional Republicans, making an already difficult 2008 electoral landscape even more complicated for the minority party.

That 'Top One Percent'  —  People who are in the top one percent in income receive far more than one percent of the attention in the media.  Even aside from miscellaneous celebrity bimbos, the top one percent attract all sorts of hand-wringing and finger-pointing.

Countrywide Falls as Schumer Seeks Probe of Advances  —  Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) — Countrywide Financial Corp. fell more than 10 percent in New York Stock Exchange trading after U.S. Senator Charles Schumer urged the regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank system to probe cash advances to the largest U.S. mortgage lender.

The American Non-Empire  —  The charge of empire-building gets made repeatedly by critics of the United States, to the point where counterargument rarely occurs.  This passivity comes in part from the unquestionable international military reach of the US and its commercial, cultural, and political influence around the world.