Digging out more CNN/YouTube plants: Abortion questioner is declared Edwards supporter (and a slobbering Anderson Cooper fan); Log Cabin Republican questioner is declared Obama supporter; lead toy questioner is a prominent union activist for the Edwards-endorsing United Steelworkers

Foes Use Obama's Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him  —  In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world.  —  Since declaring his candidacy for president in February …

Henry Hyde dies at 83  —  Henry J. Hyde — known for his courtly manners, oratorical skills and historical knowledge during 32 years as the conservative voice of the western suburbs in Congress — died today, according to the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner.  He was 83.

Immigration at Record Level, Analysis Finds  —  Immigration over the past seven years was the highest for any seven-year period in American history, bringing 10.3 million new immigrants, more than half of them without legal status, according to an analysis of census data released today …

POLL: INSIDERADVANTAGE POST DEBATE SURVEYS  —  InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion released two new statewide surveys (conducted 11/28) of 1,035 registered Republicans in Iowa and 341 undecided Republicans in Florida who said they watched tonight's debate and were willing to call in after the debate to answer questions.

Why Lott Cashed It In  —  Well-connected Republicans in Mississippi were shocked by more than the unexpected nature of Trent Lott's resignation announcement Monday.  They were stunned that Lott, in good health at age 66 and at the top of his game, was leaving the Senate just one year into his fourth term in order to make more money.

Hamas demands UN rescind '47 partition  —  Hamas on Thursday called on the UN to rescind the 1947 decision to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs.  —  The group said in a statement, released on the 60th anniversary of the UN vote, that "Palestine is Arab Islamic land …

Old Allies Abandon Chávez as Constitution Vote Nears  —  CUMANA, Venezuela — Few associates had been as loyal to President Hugo Chávez as the governor of the coastal state of Sucre, Ramón Martínez.  And few are now more determined to defeat Chávez …

Oxford lawyer indicted  — Scruggs among 5 accused in alleged judicial bribery  —  Multimillionaire Mississippi lawyer Dickie Scruggs, portrayed in a 1999 Hollywood film about his legal fight against the tobacco industry, is facing federal charges of conspiring to bribe a judge handling $26.5 million …

Decisions to name storms draw concern  —  As season ends, some say center rushes to classify, which costs you  —  With another hurricane season set to end this Friday, a controversy is brewing over decisions of the National Hurricane Center to designate several borderline systems as tropical storms.