"Diamonds v. Pearls" Student Blasts CNN (Updated With CNN Response)  —  Maria Luisa, the UNLV student who asked Hillary Clinton whether she preferred "diamonds or pearls" at last night's debate wrote on her MySpace page this morning that CNN forced her to ask the frilly question instead …

Reid to Keep Senate in Session to Prevent Recess Appointments  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has decided to keep the chamber in session over the Thanksgiving break to block President Bush from making any unsavory recess appointments while Senators are out of town.

Kerry vows to disprove Swift boat claims  —  BOSTON - Sen. John Kerry, whose 2004 presidential campaign was torpedoed by critics of his Vietnam War record, said Friday he has personally accepted a Texas oilman's offer to pay $1 million to anyone who can disprove even a single charge of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Those Anti-Romney Calls  —  Western Wats, the company making the calls, is based in Orem, Utah.  One of its dialers, Amanda Earnshaw, has maxed out to Romney for the primary.  The company's founder, Ron Lindorf (he sold it years ago), is noted here as a founder of the BYU Business School.

U.S. Control of Internet Remains Issue  —  RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — A U.N.-sponsored Internet conference ended Thursday with little to show in closing the issue of U.S. control over how people around the world access e-mail and Web sites.  —  With no concrete recommendations for action …

My best friend, Joy Behar  —  The nattering nabobs of ninnyism on "The View" never cease to amaze.  You may recall last month when "View" co-host Joy Behar appeared on the Bill Maher show and called me a "selfish bitch" because I questioned Harry Reid's poster family for the massive S-CHIP entitlement expansion.

FBI raids seize dies, records in CdA  —  Operation targets 'Liberty Dollar'  —  As part of a nationwide investigation, FBI agents raided three Coeur d'Alene business locations on Thursday, seizing records and dies used to make the so-called silver "Liberty Dollar" sold throughout the United States by anti-government patriot groups.

Appeals court: No Jan. 15 primary  —  LANSING — A divided Michigan Court of Appeals refused Friday to overturn a lower court ruling that effectively bars the state from holding its presidential primary on Jan. 15.  —  By a 2-1 margin, the appeals panel sided with an Ingham County Circuit Court judge …

Huge Admin. Win in 9th Cir. on Terrorist Surveillance Litigation — 3-0 Vote, and all the Judges are Carter and Clinton Appointees.  Who can MoveOn blame now?  —  Filed under: Civil Liberties, Court Decisions, General, Government, Judiciary, Law, Terrorism, War — WLS @ 12:48 pm

Democratic Party's Image More Positive Than GOP's  —  PRINCETON, NJ — According to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, Americans are much more positive in their assessments of the Democratic Party than of the Republican Party — consistent with a trend Gallup has measured since April 2006.

Flying Spaghetti Monster's existence mulled  —  (AP) — When some of the world's leading religious scholars gather in San Diego this weekend, pasta will be on the intellectual menu.  They'll be talking about a satirical pseudo-deity called the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose growing pop …

Friday Afternoon Scuttlebutt  —  * I'm told that "Bitch-Gate" has caused McCain's campaign to have one of its best Internet fund-raising days so far.  —  * CORRECTED: In the polls, Michigan is looking like a two man race between Rudy and Romney.  Thompson has lost ground since the last Detroit News/WXYZ-TV poll.

Petraeus Helping Pick New Generals  —  The Army has summoned the top U.S. commander in Iraq back to Washington to preside over a board that will pick some of the next generation of Army leaders, an unusual decision that officials say represents a vote of confidence in Gen. David H. Petraeus's conduct …