Dark Suspicions about the NIE  —  A new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), entitled "Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities," has just dealt a serious blow to the argument some of us have been making that Iran is intent on building nuclear weapons and that neither diplomacy nor sanctions can prevent it from succeeding.

Gallup: Hillary Losing Ground (Update: Worse Than First Thought)  —  Recall the pushback when we linked to the Zogby poll that showed Hillary's support eroding at the end of November?  The numbers showed Hillary losing ground against all Republican contenders, and had some correlation with Rasmussen's numbers as well.

Democrats Set to Debate in Iowa as Race Tightens  —  Listen Live Here Beginning at 2 p.m. EST  —  · All of the major Democratic presidential candidates will meet in Iowa on Tuesday for a two-hour debate, as an extremely close race is shaping up in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Hillary Pollster: "Kindergarten Attack" On Obama Was Just A Gag!  —  Now this is interesting.  Yesterday the Hillary Clinton campaign was pilloried in the press after it issued a press release that attacked Barack Obama for claiming he wasn't running for President in order to fulfill a life-long ambition.

The 2nd Annual Worst Quotes From The Daily Kos (2007 Edition)  —  America's most influential blog is the Daily Kos.  Democratic members of Congress post on the blog, Democratic presidential contenders cater to them, and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas is considered to be a mainstream figure amongst Democrats.

MIKE HUCKABEE — TOO MORALISTIC TO PROTECT OUR NATIONAL SECURITY  —  I have defended Mike Huckabee from charges that he's not a conservative.  As with nearly all of the Republican candidates, there are some important conservative positions to which Huckabee has not closely adhered …

Fundraiser Hsu Indicted for $60 Million Fraud Scheme  —  Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) — Former Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, charged in September with cheating investors in a $60 million ``Ponzi'' scheme, was formally indicted by a federal grand jury on similar allegations, U.S. prosecutors said.

WATCH'M SQUIRM  —  Look at the expressions on Bush's face and the evident discomfort as he gets ready to fib and weave about when he knew the intel on Iran.  —  Pay particular attention to when he says he was told there was new information back in August but supposedly didn't ask what the 'new information' was.

The Dirty Tricks Are Starting  —  Campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle just sent the following message out to Hillary supporters in key early states.

Divorce Found to Harm The Environment With Higher Energy, Water Use  —  Divorce is not just a family matter.  It exacts a serious toll on the environment by boosting the energy and water consumption of those who used to live together, according to a study by two Michigan State University researchers.