New poll shows Clinton trails top 2008 Republicans  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton trails five top Republican presidential contenders in general election match-ups, a drop in support from this summer, according to a poll released on Monday.

Mississippi special election date causes uncertainty  —  The timing of Sen. Trent Lott's (R-Miss.) resignation has opened legal questions about the date of the special election, which state officials were still trying to clarify Monday afternoon.  —  Gov. Haley Barbour (R) …

Trent Lott Fallout: The Gay Escort Who Knew Too Much  —  UPDATE, 5:30: "Here's my public comment, on-the-record: Sen. Lott and I have no current affiliation with one another.  I'm sure he would appreciate no further scrutiny," Benjamin Nicholas tells Big Head DC.  —  ORIGINAL:  —  Must credit Big Head DC:

Joe Klein digs Time's hole deeper still  —  (updated below)  —  Joe Klein has just posted yet again about his FISA confusion, and it has now moved well beyond farce into an almost pity-inducing realm.  If Time has any dignity at all, someone there will intervene and put a stop to this.

Official: Bride, groom stopped in Iraq actually terror suspects  —  BAGHDAD (CNN) — Soldiers manning a checkpoint near Baghdad stopped a wedding convoy to find that the purported bride and groom were wanted terror suspects, an Iraqi Defense Ministry official said Monday.

Iraqis may offer US deal to stay longer  —  BAGHDAD - Iraq's government, seeking protection against foreign threats and internal coups, will offer the U.S. a long-term troop presence in Iraq in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership, two Iraqi officials said Monday.

Gore meets Bush, declares it 'cordial... substantive'  —  Al Gore slipped out the side door of the West Wing.  —  In his private Oval Office meeting with President Bush, the former vice president insisted that they had spoken about global warming "the whole time.'' It wasn't clear if the winner …

A MUSLIM BELONGS IN THE CABINET  —  Muslims are uniquely qualified to help deter Islamist threats. … Mitt Romney tells good jokes.  I had the chance to hear a few of them this month at a political fundraiser in Las Vegas, where the Republican presidential contender gave his audience a few …

PLANET DENNY HASTERT— AFTER NUMEROUS FITS AND STARTS— FINALLY RESIGNS  —  The on again, off again resignation of ex-House Speaker Denny Hastert is... on again.  As of 10:59pm he'll be ex-Congressman Hastert. … That will be useful for Democrats who expect a large and enthusiastic turnout …

Taking Marriage Private  —  WHY do people — gay or straight — need the state's permission to marry?  For most of Western history, they didn't, because marriage was a private contract between two families.  The parents' agreement to the match, not the approval of church or state, was what confirmed its validity.

Ron Paul Picks Up Crucial Pimp/Whore Endorsements  —  The pimp/whore endorsement was inevitable given Ron Paul's libertarianism.  And I know this is going to disappoint some of you, but Rusty actually supports the legalization prostitution.  It's just not the government's job to regulate vice IMO.

Christopher Booker's Notebook  —  We are set on a course of 'planet saving' madness  —  The scare over global warming, and our politicians' response to it, is becoming ever more bizarre.  On the one hand we have the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change coming …

More Massive Bellyflops From The Republican Netroots  —  Five weeks ago, the NRCC launched a project to get supporters to create their own campaign videos attacking Democrats.  If successful, this project would defy a pattern where Republican grassroots activists never take action into their own hands:

DPRK On The Verge Of Collapse?  —  Intelligence sources and other observers both here in the capital of the PRC and elsewhere in Asia are stating that they project a possible collapse of the North Korean regime within six months time.  —  Although there have been similar dire predictions made in the past …

Teacher Arrested Over Teddy Bear Named Mohammed  —  A British teacher is facing 40 lashes in a Sudanese jail if convicted of insulting Islam's prophet by letting children name a teddy bear Mohammed.  —  Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was arrested on suspicion of blasphemy on Sunday.