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.

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 …

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.

Shocked  —  It took five months and almost 7,000 words, but The New Republic and its editor Franklin Foer have finally retracted the piece "Shock Troops."  —  As most of the blog world knows by now, TNR published "Shock Troops" on July 13 under the byline Scott Thomas …

Al Franken: Open Minded...  Be open minded, the old saying goes, but not so much that your brains fall out on to your shoes.  —  This new Coleman ad is a pretty tough one for Al Franken to get past without yet another confirmation/contradiction of 1/2 of Franken's previous statements.

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.

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 …

GOP POSTURING....Comedian David Freddoso at The Corner: … Has Freddoso been taking lessons from his colleague in Beirut?  Three weeks ago, because of this very issue, Harry Reid announced that he wanted to fast-track AMT reform.  Democrats were all willing.  So why didn't it happen?

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.

Tax Guru Grover Norquist talks to Brody File About Huckabee  —  Grover Norquist, president of the influential group Americans for Tax Reform told The Brody File today that while he has some reservations about Mike Huckabee's past record on taxes, he also is comfortable with Huckabee's present actions …

'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.

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.

Sudan's President Pardons British Teacher  —  A British school teacher jailed in Sudan for two weeks after allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad was freed Monday following a pardon by the Sudanese president.  —  President Omar al-Bahir's pardon of Gillian Gibbons allowed …