MEDIA FIREWORKS: MCCAIN PLEADS WITH NY TIMES TO SPIKE STORY  —  Just weeks away from a possible surprise victory in the primaries, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz has been waging a ferocious behind the scenes battle with the NEW YORK TIMES, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned …

Clinton Launches Obama Attack Web Sites  —  Clinton Campaign Registered Names of Two Web Sites to Attack Ill. Senator  —  ABC News has learned that the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has registered the names of two Web sites with the express goal of attacking her chief rival, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

U.S. Senate Report: Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007  —  Senate Report Debunks “Consensus"  —  Complete U.S. Senate Report Now Available: (LINK)  —  Complete Report without Introduction: (LINK)  —  INTRODUCTION:

Romney fields questions on King  —  Campaign says claim not literal  —  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said he watched his father, the late Michigan Gov. George Romney, in a 1960s civil rights march in Michigan with Martin Luther King Jr.

Tancredo drops out, endorses Romney  —  U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo announced today he's ending his long-shot bid for the White House.  —  The Colorado Republican made his exit from the race official at a press conference this afternoon in downtown Des Moines.  He'll throw his support behind GOP candidate Mitt Romney, he said.

Archbishop says nativity ‘a legend’  —  The Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men was nothing but a 'legend'.  —  Dr Rowan Williams has claimed there was little evidence that the Magi even existed and there was certainly nothing to prove there were three of them or that they were kings.

Descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse break away from US  —  WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States, leaders said Wednesday.  —  “We are no longer citizens …

Is Giuliani Facing Free Fall?  —  Campaign restarts are popular items this season, and last Saturday, in case you missed it, Rudy Giuliani tried to restart his unconventional presidential campaign with an inspirational speech in Florida about overcoming adversity.  “I've met adversity before,” Giuliani said.

Obama Says He'd Consider Arnold For His Cabinet  —  ABC's Sunlen Miller Reports: Barack Obama has often said he'd consider putting Repbulicans in his cabinet and even bandied about names like Sens. Dick Lugar and Chuck Hagel.  He's a added a new name to the list of possible Republicans cabinet members - Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I'm With Fred  —  I. Why now?  —  There has never been, nor will there be, any question that I will vote against the Democratic Party's 2008 nominee for president.  And because I don't care to waste my vote on a protest, it will be cast for the GOP's nominee, whoever that turns out to be.

Now the Okie Napoleon is banning ‘Christmas’ (UPDATED!)  (AND CONFIRMED)  —  Oklahoma attorney general Drew Edmondson drew national scorn earlier this year when he arrested Paul Jacob of the Sam Adams Alliance and Citizens in Charge, and two colleagues on trumped-up charges that they violated …

Press Conference by the President  —  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.  I hope you all enjoyed the holiday reception at the White House as much as Laura and I enjoyed it.  We took an inventory of the silverware, and this year only a few pieces were missing — so, like, if you see Gregory, tell him to bring them back.

POSSIBLE DELISTING?  —  Earlier this afternoon, I pointed out the beginning of the run on the Rudy contract at the key political betting/prediction sites.  —  That was a bit after noon.  He's fallen like another five points since that post.  Current price is 27.3.

Enquirer Editor Defends Edwards Story  —  I n an interview with Political Machine, National Enquirer Editor-in-Chief David Perel called the tabloid's story about the John Edwards love child as “one of the Enquirer's greatest political scoops” and denied that the story was leaked by a rival campaign.

WHAT IF THIS ELECTION ISN'T ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY?  —  I want to put into conversation two fascinating new pieces of journalism: First, Matt Bai's New York Times Magazine piece on how the legacy of Clintonism is playing out in the Democratic primary, and second, a TPM Election Central interview …