U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work  —  A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains on hold, contradicting an assessment two years ago that Tehran was working inexorably toward building a bomb.

Beginning of the End of the Clinton Campaign (Ron Christie)  —  To be honest, I never thought in the first few days of December I would proffer that the Hillary Campaign for President is near the end.  To wit, her national poll numbers have been plummeting since she seemed unable to answer …

A Non-Story Remakes the Race  —  Last month, Katharine Q. Seelye of the New York Times live-blogged the Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.  As the discussion bounced from subject to subject, she marked the topic and the time, then gave her thoughts.

Why is HRC stooping So Low?  —  I'm becoming increasingly concerned about the stridency and inaccuracy of charges in Iowa — especially coming from my old friend.  While I'm as hard-boiled as they come about what's said in campaigns, I just don't think Dems should stoop to this.

Pro-Huckabee group revealed  —  Mike Huckabee's campaign is being aided by an independent group run by a former top aide at the NRSC and funded in part by a group of retired Procter & Gamble executives in Ohio.  —  "Trust Huckabee," whose website went live last week, was responsible …

Fabulisms Update  —  I don't think TNR comes out of the Beauchamp affair looking good.  Beauchamp, from a distance, seems like a major douche whose reliability is weak.  The anecdotes in question, however, are pretty trivial when compared to things that happen in every war …

Subprime Debacle Traps Even Very Credit-Worthy  —  As Housing Boomed,  —  Industry Pushed Loans  —  To a Broader Market  —  One common assumption about the subprime mortgage crisis is that it revolves around borrowers with sketchy credit who couldn't have bought a home without paying punitively high interest rates.

Franken: I Have Iraq Surrounded  —  The Norm Coleman campaign takes Al Franken seriously, at least seriously enough to do their homework on the former comedian, author, and talk-radio host.  If Franken wins the nomination from Michael Cerisi to challenge Coleman in the general election, he will not find Coleman unprepared.

Hillary Clinton rejoins the fray  —  After Saturday night's low-key Iowa Brown and Black Presidential Forum, Bill Richardson acknowledged the shadow that hovered over the room.  "The debate was somber because of the hostage issue," he said.  "It was on the minds of everybody.

Krugman v. The Strawmen  —  Prof. Krugman battles a strawman argument in his latest column on the perils of insufficient regulation of the financial markets.  He follows his description of the the sub-prime meltdown with this: … The market is always right?

Democratic Primary Preview: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina  —  Summary of Findings  —  Democrats enter the presidential primary campaign upbeat about their candidates and united in their views on major issues.  Sen. Hillary Clinton is the clear frontrunner in New Hampshire and South Carolina …

Expect to hear more of such stories next year...  Democrats' failure to patch the AMT until after the deadline for printing IRS forms will result in tens of millions of late tax refunds.  This is all about Democrats failing to get their act together and pass an AMT patch that doesn't massively raise taxes …

Imus Is Back!  —  Highlights in bold.  —  6:00 A.M.: Charles McCord opens the program.  "The Imus in the Morning program has returned to the air following a hiatus of nearly 8 months."  Wild applause from the live audience assembled in Times Square's Town Hall.

Lashing Justice  —  Muslims who wonder why non-Muslims are often baffled, angered, even frightened by some governments' interpretation of Islamic law need only look to the cases of two women in Saudi Arabia and Sudan threatened with barbaric lashings.  —  In Saudi Arabia, a woman who was gang-raped was sentenced to 90 lashes.

'I will never leave Guantanamo'  —  "WE HAVE important news for you!"  —  Chained to the floor of a cell in Camp Six, Guantanamo, Joseph said nothing.  But he had some news for us, too.  —  The Court of Appeals had decided what record - what pieces of paper - it would examine when it considered his "Detainee Treatment Act" case.

Giuliani nearly drowned out by rival's supporters  —  It was Rudy Giuliani campaigning for president on the Marietta Square on Sunday afternoon, but anyone listening may well have thought the candidate's name was Ron Paul.  —  "RON PAUL!  RON PAUL!  RON PAUL!"