The Road to Tehran  —  Polite society helped pave the way for Iran's Holocaust conference.  —  "Not acceptable," says Ban Ki Moon, new Secretary-General of the United Nations.  "Repulsive," say the editors of Britain's Guardian newspaper.  "An insult . . . to the memory of millions of Jews," says Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Cheney: Rumsfeld 'Is the Finest Secretary of Defense This Nation Has Ever Had'  —  Today, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at a ceremony honoring outoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.  Cheney, himself a former Defense Secretary under George H. W. Bush, said Rumsfeld was the "finest Secretary of Defense this nation has ever had."

Incoming Chairmen Ready to Investigate  —  Democratic-Led Panels to Probe Administration's Actions in War and Counterterrorism  —  Incoming Democratic committee chairmen say they will hold a series of hearings and investigations early next year to build the case for their call for a phased withdrawal …

Clinton to Tout Re-Release of 'Village'  —  NEW YORK — It will be a daytime gabfest with Barbara, Rosie _ and Hillary.  —  New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will be making the rounds of the morning shows next week, promoting the rerelease of her book, "It Takes a Village," …

Bredesen's Christmas card depicts Muslim girl  —  Picture and message leave church leaders scratching their heads  —  Gov. Phil Bredesen has given an unusual twist to his family's Christmas card: He is marking a Christian holiday with a card depicting a Muslim girl.

Options Sought for Surge in U.S. Troops to Stabilize Iraq  —  Military planners and White House budget analysts have been asked to provide President Bush with options for increasing American forces in Iraq by 20,000 or more.  The request indicates that the option of a major "surge" …

Military Taking a Tougher Line With Detainees  —  A part of the Camp 6 center at Guantánamo, which had been intended to be common area.  With the tighter security, however, the inmates will not be sharing meals there.  Camp 6 also has one-man exercise pens.

EXCLUSIVE: White House Forbids Publication Of Op-Ed On Iran By Former Bush Official  —  Middle East analyst Flynt Leverett, who served under President Bush on the National Security Council and is now a fellow at the New America Foundation, revealed today that the White House has been blocking …

Women Lose Ground in the New Iraq  —  Once They Were Encouraged to Study and Work; Now Life Is 'Just Like Being in Jail'  —  BAGHDAD — Browsing the shelves of a cosmetics store in the Karrada shopping district, Zahra Khalid felt giddy at the sight of Alberto shampoo and Miss Rose eye shadow, blusher and powder.

Ex-Rep. Barr Quits GOP for Libertarians  —  A former Georgia congressman who helped spark President Clinton's impeachment has quit the Republican Party to become a Libertarian, saying he is disillusioned with the GOP on issues such as spending and privacy.  —  Bob Barr, who served eight years …

Head of DNA lab says he and Nifong agreed not to report results  —  The head of a private DNA laboratory said under oath today that he and District Attorney Mike Nifong agreed not to report DNA results favorable to Duke lacrosse players charged with rape.  —  Brian Meehan, director …

About Afghanistan...  UPDATED and cross-posted on Huffington Post  —  This morning I hope to connect with Scott Kesterson who is a photojournalist embedded in Afghanistan.  The interview will begin at 10:30 a.m. eastern - 7:30 a.m. pacific.  He's got a post up at Huffington Post.

A Gnawing Problem On Assateague Island  —  Some Ponies Might Be Removed to Save Md. Side  —  ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, Md. — What do you do when one of your natural treasures starts eating all the others?  —  That's the National Park Service's dilemma on this storied barrier island.

The Wall and the Wedge  —  At Pam's House Blend, Pam Spaulding published a post today on Sen. John McCain's proposal called "Stop the Online Exploitation of Children Act," which purports to "modernize and expand reporting requirements" for certain types of Websites including what are commonly known as "blogs."

Army Captain's Simple Demonstration: How to Win in Iraq  —  Officer Killed in Battle, but His Ideas Live On  —  President Bush has spent the last few weeks engaged in complex briefings with senior military officers, State Department officials and outside experts as he tries to come up with a new plan to achieve victory in Iraq.

HostGator Will Not Stand Up For Clients' Free Speech  —  Stop the ACLU and My Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy have a disturbing story for those of us who defend freedom of speech through our blogging; a hosting service has shut down a blogger for voicing a controversial satire.