Anti-Bush Sign Has Bridge World in an Uproar  —  In the genteel world of bridge, disputes are usually handled quietly and rarely involve issues of national policy.  But in a fight reminiscent of the brouhaha over an anti-Bush statement by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks in 2003 …

Ron Paul: Trouble back home  —  While Texan Ron Paul's stock is soaring nationally, there is trouble on the home front.  In September, Paul finished third in a straw poll of 1,300 Texas Republican activists who had been delegates to recent Republican conventions.

The Insanity of Bush Hatred  —  Our politics suffer when passions overcome reason and vitriol becomes virtue.  —  Hating the president is almost as old as the republic itself.  The people, or various factions among them, have indulged in Clinton hatred, Reagan hatred, Nixon hatred …

Bolton: No Iran Strike Likely  —  Yesterday I joined several other conservative bloggers in a session with former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton at the Heritage Foundation.  (Check out Tech Republican, Soren Dayton, and Quin Hillyer for more coverage of the event, as well as the American Spectator for video of his appearance there.)

VOTER ID....The State of Indiana has the most stringent voter ID laws in the country.  Democrats are always griping about this, and have even gone so far as to challenge Indiana's law in the Supreme Court.  But this is just silly.  In this day and age everyone has a photo ID anyway, so what's the problem?

Sensitive Guantánamo Bay Manual Leaked Through Wiki Site  —  A never-before-seen military manual detailing the day-to-day operations of the U.S. military's Guantánamo Bay detention facility has been leaked to the web, affording a rare inside glimpse into the institution …

Senate Dem leaders float plan for forced filibuster  —  Senate Democrats might force Republicans to wage a filibuster if the GOP wants to block the latest Iraq withdrawal bill, aides and senators said Tuesday.  —  That could set the stage for a dramatic end-of-the-year partisan showdown …

4Barack  —  "DON'T DO THIS!" a friend wrote, a friend who never uses allcaps, a friend who cares genuinely about what's good for me, and who believes that what's good for me depends in part upon how easily I can talk to the next administration.  "He is NOT going to win.  She has it sewed up.

Friendly Fire in the White House  —  Criticisms of the White House press corps come fast and furious in MediaLand and Blogistan.  (From accusations like they're 'an extension of the Clinton spin machine' to its 'meekness' in covering the Bush presidency.)  But very rarely do they come from the White House press corps itself.

Send the State Department to War  —  THE State Department has announced that it will force 50 foreign service officers to go to Iraq, whether they want to or not.  This is the biggest use of "directed assignments" since the Vietnam War, and it represents a long-overdue response to complaints …

The Kathleen Willey Interview  —  Yesterday, I did a phone interview with Kathleen Willey, who has a new book out: Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton.  —  What follows is a transcript of our conversation, edited slightly for readability's sake.

Should Hillary Pretend to Be a Flight Attendant?  —  In 2005, a year after Ellie Grossman, a doctor, met Ray Fisman, a professor, on a blind date, she was talking to her grandmother about her guy.  —  "Never let a man think you're smarter," her grandmother advised.  "Men don't like that."

Krongard Recuses Himself from Blackwater Investigations  —  Howard "Cookie" Krongard said he's just learned that his brother is on Blackwater's advisory board and has formally recused himself from investigating the company.  —  Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) asked when Krongard learned his brother …

S.F. supervisors approve ID cards for residents  —  (11-13) 15:56 PST San Francisco - — The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to issue municipal identification cards to city residents - regardless of whether they are in the country legally - and to double the amount of public money available to candidates running for supervisor.