Iowa: Edwards surges, Huckabees bubble bursts  —  DES MOINES, Iowa — John Edwards has clawed his way into contention to win Iowa's caucuses on Thursday in the first vote for the Democratic presidential nomination, gaining strength even as rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have lost ground, according to a new McClatchy-MSNBC poll.

The Times Adds an Op-Ed Columnist  —  William Kristol, one of the nation's leading conservative writers and a vigorous supporter of the Iraq war, will become an Op-Ed page columnist for The New York Times, the newspaper announced Saturday.  —  Mr. Kristol will write a weekly column for The Times beginning Jan. 7, the newspaper said.

Warning of Threats, Clinton Sells Clinton  —  Ex-President Emphasizes Wife's Experience  —  NASHUA, N.H. — Former president Bill Clinton yesterday delivered in stark terms a version of his wife's central campaign message: that her experience in Washington better prepares her to “deal with the unexpected.”

Bipartisan Group Eyes Independent Bid  —  First, Main Candidates Urged To Plan ‘Unity’ Government  —  New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a potential independent candidate for president, has scheduled a meeting next week with a dozen leading Democrats and Republicans …

Thompson: ‘Not particularly interested in running for president’  —  (CNN) — Republican Fred Thompson has long faced criticism he lacks motivation to be President of the United States, but the Tennessee Republican's latest comments Saturday are likely to spawn fresh heat.

A Moderate MLA  —  The Modern Language Association frequently helps out its critics with provocative session titles and left-leaning political stands offered by its members.  At this year's annual meeting, in Chicago, some MLA members have worried that the association was poised to take stances …

2007 DMN Texan of the Year: The Illegal Immigrant  —  He is at the heart of a great culture war in Texas - and the nation, credited with bringing us prosperity and blamed for abusing our resources.  How should we deal with this stranger among us?  —  He breaks the law by his very presence.

A penalty for free riders  —  Obama floats a new detail — at least one I hadn't heard — of how he might deal with the “free rider” problem on his healthcare plan — healthy young people who don't get insurance until they get sick.  —  You could “charge a penalty if they try to sign up later,” he says on Meet the Press.

Paul: Fox News is ‘scared of me’  —  PLAISTOW, N.H. — Ron Paul said the decision to exclude him from a debate on Fox News Sunday the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary is proof that the network “is scared” of him.  —  “They are scared of me and don't want my message to get out …

Tapes by C.I.A. Lived and Died to Save Image  —  WASHINGTON — If Abu Zubaydah, a senior operative of Al Qaeda, died in American hands, Central Intelligence Agency officers pursuing the terrorist group knew that much of the world would believe they had killed him.