Pelosi lays down the law with Rahm  —  In a recent conversation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rahm Emanuel offered some advice on a Democratic House leadership race.  Pelosi's response, according to several Democratic sources: It is “an internal House Democratic Caucus matter, and we'll handle it.”

FIRST THOUGHTS: SENATE BRAIN DRAIN  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann  —  *** Senate brain drain: At 11:45 am ET, Obama will hold yet another press conference — this one at Dodge Renaissance Academy in Chicago, where he will nominate Arne Duncan …

Madoff bought influence in Washington  —  Within a day of the Dec. 11 arrest of Wall Street financier Bernard L. Madoff, his Washington lobbyists were scrambling to sever all ties to a man who's been accused of a $50 billion fraud and who may go down in history as the largest financial scam artist ever.

Majority of Public Opposes Auto Rescue  —  Poll Finds Most Blame Industry for Problems, Believe Failure Won't Hurt Economy  —  Most Americans continue to oppose a government-backed rescue plan for Detroit's Big Three automakers as majorities blame the industry for its own problems …

Shoe thrower ‘beaten in custody’  —  The brother of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush has said that the reporter has been beaten in custody.  —  Muntadar al-Zaidi has suffered a broken hand, broken ribs and internal bleeding, as well as an eye injury, his older brother, Dargham, told the BBC.

Obama clears himself and staff in Blagojevich case  —  The president-elect says an internal review shows there were no inappropriate conversations with the Illinois governor about who would fill the vacant Senate seat.  —  Reporting from Washington and Chicago — Barack Obama said Monday …

Readers' analysis of challenged ballots shows Coleman lead erased  —  The Star Tribune has performed its own analysis of the challenged ballots by relying on a virtual “canvassing board” of more than 26,000 readers.  —  With thousands of frivolous challenges discarded …

Poll Finds Support for Obama's War Views  —  Less Pessimism on Iraq, But 70% Back Pullout  —  Americans are more upbeat about U.S. prospects in Iraq than at any time in the past five years, but nearly two-thirds continue to believe the war is not worth fighting and 70 percent …

The Bulge  —  Goering, Hitler and Guderian survey plans for Wacht Am Rhein, a.k.a. The Battle of the Bulge, October 1944.  —  It began at dawn on Dec. 16, 1944, 64 years ago today, with rapid assaults through the Ardennes forest, as the Germans blitzed one last time, hoping to split the Allied armies and take Antwerp.

Gay penguins expelled from zoo colony for stealing eggs are given their own to look after following animal rights protest … A pair of gay penguins thrown out of their zoo colony for repeatedly stealing eggs have been given some of their own to look after following a protest by animal rights groups.

The Cabinet: Who's Next?  —  With five days to go before President-elect Barack Obama jets to Hawaii for his Christmas vacation, just a handful of his Cabinet-level posts remain open.  Based on the race so far, here's how the slate looks as Obama tries to assemble a diverse administration …

CO-Senate: Salazar Departure Creates GOP Opportunity  —  The expectation that Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar will be nominated as Interior Secretary by President-elect Barack Obama presents Republicans with a prime pickup opportunity in a swing state, an early sign that their fortunes may be turning …

Chicago Schools Chief Is Obama's Education Pick  —  Arne Duncan, the Chicago schools superintendent known for taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful relations with teachers and their unions, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice as secretary of education, Democratic officials said Monday.

Juan Williams: Iraqi Protesters Are ‘Ingrate[s]’ Who Should Appreciate U.S. Invasion  —  Last night on “The O'Reilly Factor,” host Bill O'Reilly slammed Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush, and said that if he had been there, he “would have physically taken the guy down.”

An Empire of Sentimentality  —  I think this kind of sentiment from Dave Dilegge at the COIN hotspot Small Wars Journal reflects some dangerous trends in American culture: … Americans love and respect the men and women who volunteer for military service under our flag.

Will Hillary Follow Through On Campaign Pledge To Ban ‘Private Mercenaries’?  —  Back in February, Senator Hillary Clinton cosponsored legislation calling for the Secretary of State to ban the use of private contractors like Blackwater from guarding State Department employees …

Cheney admits authorizing detainee's torture  —  Outgoing VP says Guantanamo prison should stay open until end of terror war, but has no idea when that might be.  —  Monday, outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney made a startling statement on a nation-wide, televised broadcast.