Barnes: An Astonishing Turnaround on Iraq
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Everything changed, of course, when General David Petraeus, the Iraq commander, testified before Congress in September. He said there had been measurable success in reducing violence in iraq, including a sharp drop in American casualties. Since January, Petraeus had been carrying out the new Iraq policy that Bush had announced in January to add troops - the so-called surge - and implement a new counterinsurgency strategy. By the time the Senate voted on Tuesday, the decline in violence in Iraq had become more dramatic.

Muhammad one of most popular babies names in UK
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Statistical information released yesterday showing Muhammad is the second most popular boys name in Britain proves Islam is becoming the majority in the UK and will one day enter every house in Europe

Border Patrol Says More Agents Attacked
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The U.S. Border Patrol says its agents have been assaulted 250 times along the Mexican border since Oct. 1, a number that represents a 38 percent increase from the same period last year.

9/11 WTC Memorial and Bloomberg Will Betray America
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The "National September 11 Memorial foundation, under the direction of Chairman Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City is currently conducting a nationwide fundraising tour. However, what Bloomberg is not telling the American people is that the memorial will remake the WTC site so that it does not acknowledge the attacks. As per the 13 member memorial jury that dictated the memorial concept none of the authentic artifacts of the World Trade Center or 9/11 can be returned to the site "in order to preserve the integrity of the memorial." The jury was made up of intellectuals, artists, political appointees and one well connected 9/11 family member - who would later try and co-found upon the site the notorious "International Freedom Center" which laid responsibility for the attacks upon "an immoderate world."

Gingrich: NIE Report Deliberately Worded to Hurt Bush
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The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that downplayed the danger from Iran's nuclear program was "fundamentally dishonest," former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich said in an exclusive interview with Israel National Radio.

More border cities see signs of MS-13
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The recent arrest of a man tied to Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) doesn't mean the ruthless Central American street gang is on the verge of gaining a foothold in El Paso, law enforcement authorities say. However, it may portend a growing trend of incursions into other U.S. cities by the gang, which has a reputation for extreme violence, including hacking victims with machetes, controlling prisons and threatening the stability of some Central American countries.

Thompson slams Romney on $50 abortions in Mass.
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"Romney claims to be pro-life," the Thompson campaign said in a statement. "But under his health care plan, Massachusetts residents now have access to taxpayer-funded abortions for $50."

Fred Ain’t Dead
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Fred Thompson ran away with the laurels in Wednesday's debate -- and in particularly Reaganesque fashion. But of course a debate performance like that should not have been a surprise. As my column reports, pollster Frank Luntz said even before Wednesday's debates that Thompson was hitting his stride and connecting with audiences at earlier debates.

Lieberman to Endorse McCain
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Sen. John McCain, trying to build momentum toward a reprise of his 2000 New Hampshire primary victory, is piling up high-profile endorsements, including one from another political maverick, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who was the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate in 2000 and now is an Independent.

Justice William Jefferson Clinton?
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Hillary Clinton's commanding lead in the polls has diminished, and with Oprah Winfrey stumping for Barack Obama, she's called increasingly on the "star power" of husband Bill. But the ubiquitous presence of the former president on the campaign prompts a question: What will Hillary do with Bill if she is elected? Perhaps Justice William Jefferson Clinton? Only time will tell.

Cashill: Abortion politics take amusing twist
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This holiday season was supposed to one rollicking good time for the progressive, pro-abortion forces that dominate Kansas media. But it hasn't exactly worked out that way.

Send Barbara Walters a Christmas Card
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Barbara Walters likes to receive Christmas greetings from high-profile celebrities and leaders, but apparently not if they refer to the Bible. The Christmas card from President and Mrs. Bush read, “You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You gave life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” Walters opined that agnostics, atheist, Muslims, Hindus and others, would be offended by the card sent out from the President. To send Barbara a Christmas card her mailing address is Barbara Walters c/o The View -- 320 West 66th Street -- New York, NY 10023.

ADF continues to protect Christians and Christmas
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Officials in an Arizona town have been told they can call their Christmas tree a Christmas tree, and if someone complains, they'll get advice from the Alliance Defense Fund." ADF will continue to protect the right to publicly celebrate Christmas as well as other constitutionally protected religious liberties that are attacked," said an ADF spokesman. "It is time to stop the ridiculous assault on a holiday celebrated by 95 percent of Americans."

Sheriff painting jail pink
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Jail administrator Dee Sandy thought the sheriff was joking when he mentioned painting cellblocks pink. He wasn't. Inmates at the Miami County Jail are putting color on the jail's once cream-colored walls after Sheriff Charles Cox entered the academic debate over the color pink's calming abilities.

Huckabee’s “Theology Degree” questioned
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The bright lights just keep getting brighter for Mike Huckabee. Now he's being asked about something he told us here at CBN last month. Political producer Robin Mazyck asked him a question about fighting the war on terror and here was his answer: "I'm as strong on terror as anybody. In fact I think I'm stronger than most people because I truly understand the nature of the war that we are in with Islamofascism. These are people that want to kill us. It's a theocratic war. And I don't know if anybody fully understands that. I'm the only guy on that stage with a theology degree. I think I understand it really well." Well, it turns out that Huckabee doesn't have a theology degree.

Obama lionized, Keyes minimized
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The Democrats come up with a presidential candidate of African descent, and he's almost instantly a real contender. Republicans have an African-American candidate of their own, Alan Keyes, who – to borrow from Sen. Joseph Biden's gaffe – is "articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," and he scarcely gets a nod of recognition. Keyes is super-smart and grounded in American values. Why isn't he lionized by the press like Barak Obama? Why doesn't he get a hearing? Perhaps it's because he's super-smart and grounded in American values. This is a perfect example of liberal media bias in today’s world.

Human Rights Watch denounces US Prison Population
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Human Rights Watch last week made headlines denouncing the United States for jailing more people per capita than any other country. The U.S. incarceration rate is 751 per 100,000 residents, the highest such rate in the world. Justice Department figures show that at the end of 2006, more than 2.25 million persons were incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails, an all-time high. Needless to say, the alternative to locking up criminals is not locking them up, which essentially means putting criminals back on the street where they are free to commit more crimes. This would certainly improve America's standing in the eyes of Human Rights Watch, but it would do nothing to makes our homes and streets safer.

San Francisco Mayor wants Tax on Caffeine
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For years, the idea of taxing soda to beat back obesity has been tossed around in medical circles. But now, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is proposing a tax on caffeine.

Sun, Not Man, Main Cause of Climate Change
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According to a new study on global warming, climate scientists at the University of Rochester, the University of Alabama, and the University of Virginia found that the climate change models based on human influence do not match observed warming. That is contrary to the views held by former Vice President Al Gore, who accepted the Nobel Prize on Monday along with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and who thinks that climate change is largely caused by human action..

Singer/Songwriter Dan Fogelberg dies from Cancer
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Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, famed for the soaring vocals and elegant instrumentation of tunes such as "Longer" and "A Love Like This," died on Sunday, three years after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He was 56.