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.

Times defends hiring conservative Kristol  —  The New York Times' hiring of Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol to write for its op-ed page caused a frenzy in the liberal blogosphere Friday night, with threats of canceling subscriptions and claims that the Gray Lady had been hijacked by neo-cons

PROJECTION FROM THE FEVER SWAMP....Andrew Sullivan posted this email from a Republican reader today: … Whatever else you think about the Clinton vs. Obama question, this is almost certainly wrong.  Among the activist liberal base — the people who are the loudest and angriest about what George Bush …

Ron Beats Rudy?  —  New Hampshire could surprise a lot of people.  —  MANCHESTER, N.H.—For several hours last Sunday, more than a dozen Ron Paul volunteers stood in snowdrifts in the rain outside the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester waving at last-minute Christmas shoppers and handing out hundreds of yards signs.

Huckabee: 'I Don't Know' If People Are ‘Born’ Gay, But It's A ‘Choice’ To Act Gay  —  On NBC's Meet The Press this morning, host Tim Russert asked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee if he believed “people are born gay or choose to be gay?"  “I don't know whether people are born that way …

The great fall of China  —  Revised GDP calculations show that Beijing isn't the giant we thought it was.  —  The most important story to come out of Washington recently had nothing to do with the endless presidential campaign.  And although the media largely ignored it, the story changes the world.

Did McCain call Romney a 'pig'?  —  DOVER, N.H. — As Senator John McCain rolled down a New Hampshire highway today in his “Straight Talk Express” campaign bus, he listened to a description of the latest attack on him by his chief rival in this state's primary, Mitt Romney.

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 …

Bhutto's Successor  —  Benazir Bhutto's son has been anointed her successor, the slain former prime minister's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) confirmed today.  A senior PPP official had told TIME late Saturday that Bhutto's 19-year-old son, Bilawal, would likely be named as her political heir and the new party leader on Sunday.

Edwards has Pakistan on the brain  —  MUSCATINE, Iowa — The pig driver in the audience here at the Holiday Inn hadn't asked about Pakistan; he'd asked about a Department of Peace as proposed by Rep. Dennis Kucinich.  But John Edwards, flush with praise for his swift response to the Pakistan crisis …

First Read: Romney re-takes lead, Dems tied  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro  —  DES MOINES, IA — Want further proof that negative advertising works?  After nearly two weeks of Romney airing TV ads in the this state criticizing his records on immigration and crime …