CARDS DEAL A HAND OF POP CULTURE.(ARTS & ENTERTA)

Byline: LUKAS I. ALPERT Associated Press

The pacesetters of pop culture rarely emerge from the Department of Defense, where the search for weapons of mass destruction isn't outstripped by the hunt for the next mood ring.

When it came to Iraq's ``Most Wanted'' playing cards, though, the military wonks were way ahead of the pack.

Since the now-famous decks of cards were handed out to troops last year, political lampoonists from both sides of the aisle have anted up with decks of their own.

In the great poker match of political novelty items, humorists, companies and Web sites are peddling more than a half-dozen decks, taking swipes at usual …