memeorandum: WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS.... Conditions in Afghanistan … (Steve Benen/Washington Monthly)

Little Blue Pills Among the Ways CIA Wins Friends in Afghanistan — The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity …

Discussion: ATTACKERMAN, Matthew Yglesias, theheretik.us, Fox News, Hot Air, Outside The Beltway, A Blog For All, The Washington Independent, Reason and Don Surber

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS.... Conditions in Afghanistan have been deteriorating, and the pressure on U.S. troops and officials is increasing. Apparently, in some cases, there's been a diplomatic breakthrough thanks to a little blue pill. … U.S intelligence officials use “novel incentives,” but this is not limited to Viagra.

Wall Street Journal:

Retail Sales Plummet — Price-slashing failed to rescue a bleak holiday season for beleaguered retailers, as sales plunged across most categories on shrinking consumer spending, according to new data released Thursday. — Despite a flurry of last-minute shoppers lured by the deep discounts …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, On Deadline, Riehl World View, Angry Bear, TIME.com, QandO, naked capitalism and Jules Crittenden

Ilaina Jonas / Reuters:
Retailers' holiday sales plummet: Spending Pulse

Discussion: 24/7 Wall St.

Heather Burke / Bloomberg:
Holiday Sales in U.S. Fell as Much as 4%, SpendingPulse Says

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics

Susan Page / USA Today:

Poll: Obama is man Americans admire most — WASHINGTON — A month before his inauguration, Americans choose Barack Obama as the man they admire most in the world, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. It's the first time a president-elect has topped the annual survey in more than a half-century.

Discussion: TPM Election Central, TIME.com, Oliver Willis and Shakesville

Lydia Saad / Gallup:

Obama, Hillary Clinton Share “Most Admired” Billing — Palin makes impressive showing as second most admired woman — PRINCETON, NJ — A remarkable 32% of Americans choose Barack Obama as the man they most admire living anywhere in the world today, putting him in the No. 1 position on Gallup's annual Most Admired Man list.

Discussion: Anne Schroeder's Blogs and Real Clear Politics

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Barack Be Good — Times have changed. In 1996, President Bill Clinton, under siege from the right, declared that “the era of big government is over.” But President-elect Barack Obama, riding a wave of revulsion over what conservatism has wrought, has said that he wants to “make government cool again.”

Discussion: LewRockwell.com Blog and Prairie Weather

Ann Scott Tyson / Washington Post:

Study Criticizes Bush Approach to War Funding, Calls for Changes — President-elect Barack Obama's administration needs to monitor war spending much more closely than the current White House has, according to a new study that criticizes President Bush's approach to funding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars …

Discussion: Think Progress and Time

Kevin Sack / New York Times:
Expansion of Clinics Shapes a Bush Legacy

Discussion: Right Wing News, Commentary, Brilliant at Breakfast and TIME.com

Associated Press:

Blagojevich Attorney Asks Illinois Panel to Subpoena Emanuel and Others — An attorney for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) has asked the legislative panel considering impeachment of the governor to subpoena more than a dozen witnesses, including President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff.

Discussion: Don Surber, Hot Air, TIME.com and RBO

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

White House Press Corps Faces Unique Challenges in Hawaii — It's prime time and CNN's Ed Henry is standing on the white sand of Waikiki Beach, reporting live on President-elect Barack Obama's holiday vacation in Hawaii. With the volcanic mountain Diamond Head in the distance …

Discussion: Michael Calderone's Blogs

Turki al-Faisal / Washington Post:

Peace for the Mideast — How Our Plan Could Aid Barack Obama's Efforts — RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — President-elect Barack Obama is about to inherit not just a nation entrenched in two wars but a world of instability and an entire Middle East that is sick with discord.

Discussion: Commentary, Yourish.com and Soccer Dad

Rick Klein / ABCNEWS:

Clinton Helping Clinton Retire Debt — Clinton Foundation Business Helps Reduce Hillary Clinton's Remaining Campaign Debt — Sen. Hillary Clinton's in-the-red campaign committee has found an innovative way to pay down a slice of its debt — and is getting help from President Clinton's foundation …

Discussion: Top of the Ticket

Mark Landler / New York Times:

Chinese Savings Helped Inflate American Bubble — “Usually it's the rich country lending to the poor. This time, it's the poor country lending to the rich.” — WASHINGTON — In March 2005, a low-key Princeton economist who had become a Federal Reserve governor coined a novel theory …

Discussion: Paul Krugman, naked capitalism and The Big Picture

Mike Glenn / Houston Chronicle:

Naked man fights Harris deputies; dies after Taser shocks — A naked man who was banging on doors and windows at a northside apartment complex died Wednesday after being shocked by Tasers at least three times during a confrontation with Harris County sheriff's deputies, authorities said.

Discussion: Hullabaloo