Mark Dankof covers a potpourri of political events today including the North American Union discussions, the crisis in Gaza, the vote totals emanating from Tehran's Assembly of Experts election, the approval of Israel's Supreme Court for the policy of "targeted assassinations," and Lt. General William Odom's analysis of 6 Brutal Truths on the War in Iraq.  Mark then shifts gears into a discussion of Christmas with reference to Matthew, chapters 1 and 2; and Hamid Bakhsheshi's December 8th piece for The Iranian entitled "Friends Spread Throughout the World" at <a href="http://www.iranian.com/Bakhsheshi/2006/December/Music/index.html">http://www.iranian.com/Bakhsheshi/2006/December/Music/index.html</a>