Daily Briefing: The Meatgrinder
* The big "new way forward" speech on Iraq is nowPresident Bush'sNew Year's resolution, no longer on his Christmas list. [ WP , NYT ]
* Americans bored enough to participate in a phone poll also bored of Iraq, support Study Group's recommendations. [ WP ]
* Centrist Republicans are finding "birkenstock" based Iraq policies attractive. [ WSJ ]
* San Antonio Republican can't hold the fort this time. Democrats now have a 233-202 advantage in the House. [ WP , NYT ]
*Harry Reidwins a TKO against the Senate ethics committee. [ NYT ]
* Democrats don't trust the current ethics panels though, or Republicans, or themselves, will propose external ethics watchdog panel. [ NYT ]
* Corporate transparency was fun while it lasted -- Justice Department scales back investigative powers. [ NYT ]
* Illegal workers using stolen identities at Midwestern meatpacking plants are raided by stone cold ICE. [ WP , USAT , LAT ]