Iraq panel to recommend U.S. pull back from combat   A bipartisan commission, under pressure to offer a U.S. exit strategy for the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq, has reached a consensus and will announce its recommendations next week, the group’s co-chairman said Wednesday. R
12 states ask top court to reverse EPA   The Supreme Court on [...]

Frist won’t make run for White House   Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will not run for president in 2008, Republican officials said Wednesday, as the field of White House contenders continued to shrink more than a year before the first convention delegates are chosen. CNN
 
Decision Made in House Intelligence Committee Chair   Moving to end weeks [...]

Bush Approval Ratings Slip   President Bush’s approval ratings, as tracked by Harris Interactive, fell to the second-lowest of his presidency, according to a new poll. WSJ
 
Bush Says U.S. Won’t Pull Out of Iraq   President Bush, under pressure to change direction in Iraq, said Tuesday he will not be persuaded by any calls to withdraw American [...]

Facing rising violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush opened a high-stakes diplomatic mission Monday seeking more help from allies amid growing impatience at home with the war.  “Obviously everyone would agree things are not proceeding well enough or fast enough” in Iraq, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said aboard Air Force One. AP
Haiti’s Trade [...]

Boehner elected as GOP Leader   Republicans Friday chose Rep. John Boehner as minority leader, succeeding Speaker Dennis Hastert in the top GOP leadership post for the Democratic-controlled House that convenes in January. 
Boehner defeated Indiana conservative Mike Pence. The vote tally was not immediately announced. Boehner’s election cements the Ohio conservative’s resurrection within GOP leadership ranks. His [...]

House Democrats name Hoyer to No. 2 post   A Democratic spokeswoman says that House Democrats have chosen Rep. Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) as House majority leader, the No. 2 leadership post. [Yahoo] 
Many say leadership race damages Democrats’ image at [NYTimes]
 
Democrats struggle to get House in order at [Chicago Tribune]
 
New Congress vows to clean [...]