Criminal probe opened over CIA tapes  —  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department opened a full criminal investigation Wednesday into the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes, putting the politically charged probe in the hands of a mob-busting public corruption prosecutor with a reputation for being independent.

Rush: Huck ‘not a conservative’  —  Rush Limbaugh devoted a large portion of his first show since the holidays to criticizing Mike Huckabee's candidacy and offering a disapproving bottom-line assessment of the former governor.  —  “Ladies and gentlemen, Gov. Huckabee, mighty fine man …

Clinton Camp Pre-Spinning Possible Bad News in Iowa  —  Campaign Insists Even a Third-Place Finish Would Not Be Disappointing  —  As the presidential candidates engage in furious pre-caucus spin, one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's most prominent Iowa supporters said Wednesday that she's already accomplished …

Late-Breaking Surge for Thompson  —  The latest news from Iowa?  According to Zogby's latest—and I quote: “Sen. Fred Thompson...has seen a late-breaking surge."  (Rich notes the same poll below.)  —  What's going on here?  My guess is that there are whole lot of Iowa Republicans …

Kristol in Iowa: “Snarky and Contemptuous”  —  Cardinal Richelieu asks, if Romney wins in Iowa, “will the snarky and contemptuous tone of most Romney coverage continue?"  —  I don't know if that was intended to be a rhetorical question (do Cardinals ask rhetorical questions? and how do you say “rhetorical question” in French?).

Readership of major liberal blogs declined in 2007 while conservative blog readership increased  —  It has long been understood that the largest liberal blogs have generally produced more web traffic than the largest conservative blogs.  But I have noticed a general trend over the past few months …

THE OBAMA CLOSE.  —  On the bright side, Obama's final stump speech is actually pretty good.  “We don't need more heat,” he says.  “We need more light.  I've learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you.

A Plan to Kill Everyone  —  “War, children, it's just a shot away, it's just a shot away” - The Rolling Stones, from “Gimme Shelter"  —  FALLUJAH — A sign on the door leading out of India Company's Combat Operations Center says “Have a Plan to Kill Everyone You Meet.”

Josh Marshall's Readers Are... Not So Bright  —  This end of a post at Talking Points Memo today made me laugh: … $1.8 billion sounds plausible?  Using what counting system?  —  Elsewhere on the web today, a Des Moines-based WFAA reporter says Romney has spent $4 million on TV ads …

Interview with John Edwards  —  The following is a transcript of an interview by Michael Gordon of The New York Times with John Edwards, conducted Sunday on the Edwards campaign bus as it drove between campaign stops in western Iowa.  Some of the questions have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What Kucinich Saw: Witnesses Describe His Close Encounter  —  Candidate's Pals Recall Three Throbbing UFOs; Outed by Shirley MacLaine  —  The 2008 presidential race has raised many questions about the candidates' personal histories.  Will Barack Obama's past drug use preclude a White House future?

More on Letters to Pro-Huckabee Pastors  —  Reporting by TIME's Michael Scherer:  —  A pastor's conference call with Iowa church leaders took place this morning at 10 a.m. central time to urge churches to get their parishioners to the polls.  Here are some quotes from the call …

Pakistan Requests British Help in Bhutto Inquiry  —  ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan has asked Scotland Yard to help with an investigation into the assassination of the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, President Pervez Musharraf said in an address on state-run television Wednesday …

Young and in Love  —  The congressman from Texas has the race's best batch of student volunteers.  —  I get to Ron Paul's headquarters in Des Moines just as an army of student volunteers is surging out of the doors, yelling and clutching signs.  “This is the herd we can't contain!” one staffer laughs.

New Rudy Ad Features Bhutto Footage, Warns Of Death At Hands Of Radical Muslims  —  Rudy Giuliani has a new ad in New Hampshire and Florida, the only two January states left that he's contesting.  The ad's message is simple, and shows just how blatant the Rudy campaign has become in their appeals to fear …