* “George Jr.” was too cool for Christmas cards long before he was too cool for facing political realities. [Daily Kos]
* The Inconvenient Truth parties taking place nationwide this weekend are a Godsend for those too nerdy to attend “ugly Christmas sweater” themed parties. [Washington Wire]
* OPEC celebrates Hanukkah by cutting oil production, “have eight crazy nights paying more for gas, bitches.” [Freakonomics]
* Exciting conspiracy theorists everywhere, the 2008 Presidential election could be decided by a Jewish billionaire midget. [Political Insider]
* But that’s fine, Americans are more tolerant than ever — unless a candidate has worked for the Bush administration. Then they’re fucked. [Political Wire]
* Fox News wants viewers to know that Tom DeLay isn’t a has-been Congressmen, but an Exxxtreme! to the max conservative force. [C&L]
* “Americans fat, lonely, frequently injured by bikes.” [MoJo Blog]

Check out the iTunes store’s front page and you’ll see something sure to bring a thrill to music lovers everywhere.

That’s right, Al Gore and Melissa Etheridge have finally teamed up to make an iTunes playlist! Take that, bunch of dead Beatles!

Enjoy the ex-veep’s mini-reviews — painstakingly re-typed because we can’t figure out how to cut-and-paste from the damned iTunes — after the jump. And just try to read them without hearing Gore’s voice droning deep within your skull.

MORE »

Bad news, everyone: Al Gore, whom we like again because he’s not running for anything, is definitely running for something. How do we know? Robot calls: MORE »

• Reliable Source: Rep. Patrick Kennedy spent the night before his driving accident with a female “friend”. . . Katie Couric stopped by Cafe Milano late Saturday night for a martini and pizza with local beer distributor Jimmy Reyes. [WP]

• Heard on the Hill: Journalism professor will testify that the investigation of Jack Anderson was sparked by a convict. . . Robert Redford will be on the Hill next week to fight oil addiction with Sen. Harry Reid. [Roll Call]
• Under the Dome: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) adds amendment stating, “None of the funds made available to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in this act may be used to purchase a Louis Vuitton handbag.” [The Hill]
• Page Six: Hillary recommends “An Inconvenient Truth.” [NYP]

• Reliable Source: Tipper Gore at the premiere of “An Inconvenient Truth”: “It ends with a message of ‘we can do it.’ [Al] doesn’t want people to go from denial to despair.” Moby, Lynda Carter, and Queen Noor were in the audience. . . Euan Blair is reportedly deciding between Yale and Harvard graduate programs. . . Ted Kennedy, Mary Cheney, Barack Obama, Tim Russert, Gary Hart, Pat Buchanan, Ariana Huffington, Karenna Gore Schiff, Cindy Sheehan, and Jim McGreevey are all making appearances at BookExpo 2006. . . Sean Penn to play Richard Clarke in upcoming film. [WP]

• Rush & Molloy: Halle Berry on Barack Obama: “I so love what he stands for and respect him so much that when I met him, I was a bit shaky.” [NYDN]
• Cindy Adams: Chelsea Clinton was seen paying for her dinner with a “tall, lean dude.” [NYP]