Excerpts: Cynthia McFadden Interviews President George W. Bush  —  President Talks to McFadden About Bailout for Auto Companies; Understanding the Bible  —  The following are excerpts from ABC News' Cynthia McFadden's interview with President George W. Bush on Monday, Dec. 8 at the White House to air on “Nightline.”

Tribune Co. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection  —  The Chicago company, which owns the L.A. Times and KTLA Channel 5, will stop making interest payments on $12 billion in debt as it attempts to restructure its loans, chairman Sam Zell says.  —  Tribune Co., the owner of the Los Angeles Times …

Where Is Leno Going?  To Prime Time, on NBC  —  NBC will keep Jay Leno five nights a week, but in prime time, competing not with David Letterman, but with shows like “CSI: Miami.”  —  The network will announce Tuesday that Mr. Leno's new show will appear at 10 o'clock each weeknight in a format similar to …

Obama: Don't stock up on guns  —  As gun sales shoot up around the country, President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that gun-owning Americans do not need to rush out and stock up before he is sworn in next month.  —  “I believe in common-sense gun safety laws, and I believe in the second amendment,” Obama said at a news conference.

The Card McCain Didn't Play  —  By Patrick Appel  —  The unaired Wright ad:

RICE TO HOST HRC TONIGHT  —  From NBC's Libby Leist  —  Two of the most powerful women in the world will meet for dinner tonight when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hosts Hillary Clinton for dinner at Rice's Watergate apartment, State Department transition sources tell NBC News.

Stoking Fear Everywhere You Look  —  With unemployment figures beginning to resemble a mushroom cloud and the Fed running out of card tricks, I told a friend we were going to spend the weekend at my house making hard choices — scrutinizing every expense, eliminating spending where we could and downsizing at every turn.

Understanding The Philosophy Of Muslim Violence  —  MPACUK, unlike the many other Muslim groups out there, have not just pioneered the best solution against any terrorist attack in mainland Britain (i.e. get the mosques and ISOCs to teach democracy) but has now embarked in cutting through …

Sen. Weingarten?!  (Updated)  —  While media attention has been focused since last week on speculation that Caroline Kennedy is interested in replacing Hillary Clinton in the US Senate, a new name that is sure to raise some eyebrows popped up today: Teachers union honcho Randi Weingarten.

Election 2010: Virginia Governor Election  —  Governor's Race Is Wide Open In Virginia  —  The election is 11 months away, but the four leading candidates for the next governor of Virginia are neck-and-neck at this point, with one-third of voters in the state not aware of any of them enough to even an opinion about them.

Senator Nanny?  Fran Wants It!  —  Appoint her, or she'll run.  —  Fran Drescher wants to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate.  She says she's qualified.  “I've just been given the appointment of U.S. diplomat,” she said at a party for Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven at that restaurant on December 3.

Thain Spars With Board Over Bonus at Merrill  —  Merrill Lynch & Co. chief John Thain has suggested to directors that he get a 2008 bonus of as much as $10 million, but the battered securities firm's compensation committee is resisting his request, according to people familiar with the situation.

Search for missing ballots called off  —  The missing 133 ballots in a Minneapolis precinct are going to stay missing - at least for now.  —  City spokesman Matt Laible said today that officials had suspended the search for the ballots that began after they turned up missing in the waning hours of last week's U.S. Senate recount.

In Defense Of Sarah Palin  —  Will, a loyal Dish reader, writes: … I agree.  While signing off, Andrew mentioned the months long argument he and I have had with regard to Sarah Palin's fifth child.  I am the only other person who has read all the obstetrician interviews …

At Last: Pulitzer Prizes Expand to Include Web-Only News Outlets  —  NEW YORK For the first time, the Pulitzer Prizes will accept submissions from online-only news outlets, but require that they be “text-based” submissions from news organizations that are updated at least weekly and include original reporting.

Liquidity, Default, Risk  —  Our fourth and final anatomist, J. Bradford DeLong, notes that “in the past two years the wealth that is the global capital stock has fallen in value from $80 trillion to $60 trillion,” and lays out five reasons why this value might fluctuate.  “Savings has not fallen through the floor.

Snowe: Make SBA cabinet level  —  Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) called on President-elect Obama Monday to raise the Small Business Administration to a cabinet-level position, as it was under the Clinton administration.  —  Snowe's request raises an interesting scenario …

Is Arnold Evidence of “Ideological Warfare”?  The WaPo article I noted below on ideological divisions on the U.S. Courts of Appeals highlights the case of United States v. Arnold as an example of [how] President Bush's nominees have altered the ideological balance of the Sixth Circuit.In June 2005 …

Poll: Americans Split On Automaker Bailout  —  CBS News Poll: Most Believe That If Taxpayers Do Help Big Three, Government Should Have Say In Companies' Management  —  (CBS) While a majority of Americans believe that bankruptcy for U.S. automakers would have a major impact on the economy …

Taking Risks With Bailout  —  WASHINGTON — When President-elect Barack Obama talked on Sunday about realigning the American automobile industry he was quick to offer a caution, lest he sound more like the incoming leader of France, or perhaps Japan.  —  “We don't want government to run companies …

In a New Tux, Obama Seeks the Proper Tone  —  WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has ordered his first new tuxedo in 15 years for his inaugural celebration.  And he has invited the marching band from Punahou School, his high school in Hawaii, to join the parade.

Court: No review of Obama's eligibility to serve  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.

Are Republicans on the March?  —  In the wake of an election cycle dominated by bad news for Republicans, the last five days have been a welcome relief.  —  Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss cruised to a runoff victory last Tuesday, and House Republicans held Louisiana's 4th district and pulled off …