Senator Tim Johnson reportedly suffers stroke; Senate power seen in the balance  —  Print page sponsored by Velvet Revolution.  —  MSNBC is currently reporting that Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) has suffered a stroke.  —  There is no word, currently, on the Senator's condition.

Move to bring genocide case against Ahmadinejad as Iran president repeats call to wipe out Israel  —  Robert Tait in Tehran, Ed Pilkington in New York  —  The outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, is backing a call for the president of Iran to be charged with inciting genocide …

Army, Marine Corps To Ask for More Troops  —  The Army and Marine Corps are planning to ask incoming Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Congress to approve permanent increases in personnel, as senior officials in both services assert that the nation's global military strategy has outstripped their resources.

U.S. Raids 6 Meat Plants in ID Case  —  In simultaneous dawn raids, federal immigration agents swept into six Swift & Company meatpacking plants in six states yesterday, rounding up hundreds of immigrant workers in what the agents described as a vast criminal investigation of identity theft.

Oregon senator prepares universal health coverage plan  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A dozen years after Congress rejected a Clinton administration plan for universal health care, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden is readying a proposal to provide health care coverage to all Americans through a pool of private insurance plans.

Democrat Bill Nelson Meets with Syrian Dictator  —  Hamas has been claiming that they've held meetings with top US Democrat leaders; I've been skeptical.  —  But this outrage makes their claims easier to believe.  (Hat tip: Snapped Shot.) … UPDATE at 12/13/06 9:39:35 am:  —  It isn't just Bill Nelson.

How Academe Shortchanges Conservative Thinking  —  Notwithstanding the outcome of the recent election, in one respect, the last few decades mark a breakthrough era for conservative intellectuals.  Their visibility has soared.  Thirty years ago, the only place to find conservatives on television …

Point of personal privilege  —  (CNN) — "Humor is the nitroglycerin of politics," a political analyst wrote long ago.  "Very powerful, but if it's not handled carefully, it can explode in your face."  —  Actually, I wrote those words in a widely un-read book.

'Convert or die' game divides Christians  —  Some ask Wal-Mart to drop Left Behind  —  Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart …

Democrats Consider Outside Ethics Panel  —  House Democrats are seriously exploring the creation of an independent ethics arm to enforce new rules on travel, lobbying, gifts and other issues that Democrats intend to put in place on taking power next month.  —  Senior party officials …

Lawyers: DNA Not Linked to Duke Athletes  —  RALEIGH, N.C.  —  DNA testing in the Duke lacrosse rape case found genetic material from several males in the accuser's body and her underwear _ but none from any team member, defense attorneys said in court papers Wednesday.

Rodriguez's Upset Win in Texas 23 Yields Another Seat for Dems  —  Democratic former Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez upset Republican Rep. Henry Bonilla in a House runoff election Tuesday in southwestern Texas' 23rd District, pushing the Democrats' net gain to 30 House seats and concluding Campaign 2006 …

The Power of the Press  —  The media is in need of some mending.  —  Thomas Jefferson, a better president than we've had in a very long time, penned a line back in 1787: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government …

Muslim Ellison should not sit in Congress  —  Last month Keith (Hakim Mohammad) Ellison of Minnesota became the first Muslim elected to serve in the United States Congress and shocked many Americans by declaring that he would take his oath of office by placing his hand on the Quran rather than the Bible.

Beyond Baker-Hamilton  —  One Approach to a Last Try at Stability in Iraq  —  A collapse of the Iraqi state would be catastrophic — for the people of Iraq, for the Middle East and for America's strategic interests.  We need a new political and military approach to head off this impending disaster …