THE BHUTTO ASSASSINATION: NOT WHAT SHE SEEMED TO BE  —  FOR the next several days, you're going to read and hear a great deal of pious nonsense in the wake of the assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.  —  Her country's better off without her.

Dems protest Bush's veto of defense bill  —  At the behest of the Iraqi government, President Bush has vetoed the annual defense authorization bill, saying an obscure provision in the legislation could make Iraqi assets held in U.S. banks vulnerable to lawsuits.

New Lee poll: Edwards moves into 3-way tie  —  A new Iowa caucus poll from Lee Enterprises newspapers shows the Democratic race is a virtual three-way tie, with John Edwards rising to tie Barack Obama for the lead and Hillary Clinton rising to just one point behind.

Be Reasonable  —  As Iowa sizes up the candidates, so do I.  —  By next week politically active Iowans will have met and tallied their votes.  Their decision this year will have a huge impact on the 2008 election, and a decisive impact on various candidacies.  Some will be done in.  Some will be made.

News flash for Osama bin Laden  —  Here's a news flash for Osama bin Laden, who earlier today released a call " to guerrilla forces in Mesopotamia. “  —  I have directly observed how more and more Iraqis have grown to hate al Qaeda as much as Americans do.

A SNEAK PREVIEW OF JOHN MCCAIN'S SECRET ANTI-ROMNEY AD.  —  On Thursday, Mitt Romney put up a television ad knocking John McCain for not supporting tax cuts and offering amnesty to illegal aliens.  The ad asks “John McCain, an honorable man.  But is he the right Republican for the future?”

Giuliani Campaign Official: Rudy Is The Only Candidate Who Can Chase “The Muslims"..."Back Into Their Caves"  —  From the Guardian UK via TPM: (h/t SteveAudio)  —  Winning hearts and minds the world over...  John Deady, Co-Chair for New Hampshire's Veterans for Rudy:

Huckabee Sees Pakistan as Reason for Border Fence  —  DES MOINES — Mike Huckabee used the volatile situation in Pakistan Friday to make an argument for building a fence on the American border with Mexico and found himself trying to explain a series of remarks about Pakistanis and their nation.

Letterman Makes Deal With Striking Writers  —  David Letterman has secured a deal with the striking Writers Guild of America that will allow him to resume his late-night show on CBS next Wednesday with his team of writers on board, executives of several late-night shows said today.

France Bans Smoking in Cafes, Clubs, Rejects Sartre's Gauloises  —  Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) — France bans smoking in cafes, hotels and clubs on Jan. 1, stamping out the habit popularized by Jean- Paul Sartre puffing Gauloises in hazy brasseries.  —  In Germany, 11 of the country's 16 states plan similar restrictions for 2008.

Clinton's “don't ask” policy  —  As she races through Iowa in the days before next week's caucuses, Hillary Clinton is taking few chances.  She tells crowds that it's their turn to “pick a president,” but over the last two days she has not invited them to ask her any questions.

Text of alleged al-Qa'eda phone call  —  Pakistan has blamed al-Qa'eda for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.  —  Here is a translation of the transcript of the alleged telephone conversation from senior al-Qa'eda leader Baitullah Mehsud to another militant said to have been intercepted after the assassination.